David Beckham teams up with Kent & Curwen for Chinese Market

Sports tailor Kent & Curwen and David Beckham have entered an agreement to promote, design, manufacture and distribute products of the brand for six years until the end of 2020 with a view to the Mainland Chinese market. 

The deal is the first tangible byproduct of Global Brands Group’s joint venture with the former soccer star and his business partner Simon Fuller, which was formed late last year. That entity, Seven Global, has signed a five-year global licensing agreement with Trinity International’s Kent & Curwen. Both Global Brands and Trinity are controlled by Hong Kong’s Fung family. Global Brands is a Li & Fung spin-off while Trinity is part of the privately held Fung Group.

The companies said Beckham will be involved in multiple aspects of the Kent & Curwen business, from product development, market expansion and advertising to store design and location.

“Trinity’s plans include the creation of new Kent & Curwen collections and marketing campaigns inspired and influenced by David Beckham as well as the opening of new flagship stores in China and other markets around the world, and the launch of an e-commerce site,” the companies said.

The announcement said Beckham’s soccer stardom would help the brand appeal to Chinese shoppers and mentioned that Kent & Curwen is looking at other potential licensees and franchisees globally.

The agreement “will enable the group to capitalize on the rising popularity of soccer in China, where Mr. David Beckham is already a legend. Further, Mr. David Beckham’s status as a fashion icon with global reach spanning all age groups and demographics will increase the attractiveness of the group’s brands to potential licensees and franchisees for global expansion,” the company said.

Taken from WWD & Macau Business