MCS Group, owned by Ajay Khaitan’s Emerisque, have announced a joint venture. MCS and China Outfitters Holdings Limited are set to form a joint venture aimed at developing the MCS brand. The brand is a leading Italian-designed premium men’s casualwear lifestyle brand.
Ajay Khaitan’s Emerisque owned MCS is distributed to more than 45 countries through a network of around 200 speciality stores and outlets. Their primary markets are Italy, France Scandinavia and Greater China. China Outfitters is a leading Hong Kong-based fashion company that is focussed in the middle-to-high end men’s casual wear market. It targets China’s growing middle class consumers and provides ‘life style’ services to them via a vertical production and service platform. The joint venture has an aggressive plan to expand, with the target being double the number of MCS points of sale within 3 years. It is hoped that the investment in the joint venture will cultivate the MCS brand to be a leading brand in the middle and high end casual menswear market of China.
1. Press Announcement China JV MCS 1 | P a g e
MCS and China Outfitters Announce Joint Venture
10 April, 2014 - Valdagno, Italy MCS Group (a part of the Emerisque Group) and China
Outfitters Holdings Limited (HKSE: 1146.HK) (“China Outfitters”) announce the formation of a joint
venture for the strategic development of the “MCS” brand, a leading American West-inspired
Italian-designed premium men’s casualwear lifestyle brand, in the People’s Republic of China,
Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan (“Greater China”).
The joint venture owns the MCS trademarks for Greater China and will promote and distribute
the MCS brand and products in the region through wholesale, retail and franchise operations.
Currently the MCS brand operates approximately 90 points of sales in Greater China. Given the
fast rate of growth in the middle-to-high end branded men’s casual wear market in Greater
China, the joint venture has established an aggressive expansion plan, with a target to more
than double the number of MCS points of sale within three years.
“We are delighted to begin this partnership with China Outfitters,” commented Leo Cantagalli,
Chief Executive Officer of MCS Group. “They have proven expertise in executing and operating
retail and distribution for international fashion brands in China, and an excellent and well-
established national distribution network which is second to none in the men’s casualwear
market.”
The Directors of China Outfitters said that they believe the investment in the joint venture will,
through the combination of the extensive experience in design, marketing and global supply
chain of the MCS Group and its own profound knowledge of the market and consumers in the
PRC, cultivate the MCS brand to be a leading brand in the middle-and-high-end casual
menswear market of China.
The new joint venture vehicle, MCS Apparel Hong Kong Limited, is based in Hong Kong.
#####
MCS is rugged and refined fashion for real men, with the iconic Rider symbol. It is distributed in
more than 45 countries through a network of approximately 200 branded specialty stores and
outlets and more than 1,400 shop-in-shops, corners or retail partner doors worldwide. Current
primary markets include Italy, France, Scandinavia, other EU States and Greater China. The MCS
Group’s operational headquarters are in Valdagno, Northern Italy.
2. Press Announcement China JV MCS 2 | P a g e
China Outfitters is a leading Hong Kong-based fashion company focused on China's fast-
growing middle-to-high end men's casual wear market. Its own and licensed brands include
Jeep, Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club, London Fog, Barbour, Sideout, Manhattan,
Maxim’s, Doright, Zoo York and Artful Dodger. China Outfitter’s particular expertise is branded
smart and outdoor casual wear and accessories. The company targets China's growing middle
class consumers and provides “life style” concepts and services to them through a vertical
production and service platform, including over 1,300 self-operated retail points and retail points
operated by third-party retailers in cities nationwide.
Contact:
For MCS Italia: For China Outfitters:
Barabino&Partners William Yan
Federico Steiner-f.steiner@barabino.it william_yan@cohl-hk.com
Marina Riva – m.riva@barabino.it
Tel.: +39 02 72 02 35 35 Tel: +86 21 5270 4470*6218
Cell.: +39 347 29 75 426 Cell: +86 134 2898 0848
Diletta Bortesi
Diletta Bortesi@mcsapparel.com