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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C. 20549

_____________________


FORM 10-K


FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


(Mark One)


(X) Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the fiscal year ended January 30, 2005


OR


 (  )Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


Commission File Number

001-07572


PHILLIPS-VAN HEUSEN CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


  DELAWARE

13-1166910

(State of incorporation)

(IRS Employer

 

Identification No.)

200 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10016

(Address of principal executive offices)


212-381-3500

(Registrant's telephone number)


Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:


 

Name of Each Exchange

               Title of Each Class

on Which Registered

Common Stock, $1.00 par value

New York Stock Exchange

Preferred Stock Purchase Rights

New York Stock Exchange


Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None


Indicate by check mark whether registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for at least 90 days.

Yes  X   No      


Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  (X)


Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2).


Yes  X   No      


The aggregate market value of the registrant's voting stock held by nonaffiliates of the registrant (assuming, for purposes of this calculation only, that the registrant's directors, executive officers and greater than 10% shareholders are affiliates of the registrant) based upon the closing sale price of the registrants common stock on April 1, 2005 was $627,237,864.


Number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of April 1, 2005:  33,396,553.


DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE


Document

 

Location in Form 10-K

  

in which incorporated

Registrant's Proxy Statement

  

for the Annual Meeting of

 

Part III

Stockholders to be held on June 14, 2005

  







* * *

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995: Forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K including, without limitation, statements relating to our future revenues and earnings, plans, strategies, objectives, expectations and intentions, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which cannot be predicted with accuracy, and some of which might not be anticipated, including, without limitation, the following: (i) our plans, strategies, objectives, expectations and intentions are subject to change at any time at our discretion; (ii) the levels of sales of our apparel and footwear products, both to our wholesale customers a nd in our retail stores, and the levels of sales of our licensees at wholesale and retail, and the extent of discounts and promotional pricing in which we and our licensees are required to engage, all of which can be affected by weather conditions, changes in the economy, fuel prices, reductions in travel, fashion trends, consolidations, repositionings and bankruptcies in the retail industries, repositioning of brands by the Company's licensors and other factors; (iii) our plans and results of operations will be affected by our ability to manage our growth and inventory, including our ability to realize revenue growth from developing and growing Calvin Klein; (iv) our operations and results could be affected by quota restrictions (which, among other things, could limit our ability to produce products in cost-effective countries that have the labor and technical expertise needed), the availability and cost of raw materials (particularly petroleum-based synthetic fabrics, which are currently in high demand), o ur ability to adjust timely to changes in trade regulations and the migration and development of manufacturers (which can affect where our products can best be produced), and civil conflict, war or terrorist acts, the threat of any of the foregoing or political and labor instability in the United States or any of the countries where our products are or are planned to be produced; (v) disease epidemics and health related concerns, which could result in closed factories, reduced workforces, scarcity of raw materials and scrutiny or embargoing of goods produced in infected areas; (vi) acquisitions and issues arising with acquisitions and proposed transactions, including without limitation, the ability to integrate an acquired entity into us with no substantial adverse affect on the acquired entity's, or our existing operations, employee relationships, vendor relationships, customer relationships or financial performance; (vii) the failure of our licensees to market successfully licensed products or to preserve the value of our brands, or their misuse of our brands and (viii) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


We do not undertake any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, including, without limitation, any estimate regarding revenues, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, future events or otherwise.


PART I

Item 1.  Business


Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms "we," "our" or "us" refer to Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation and its subsidiaries taken as a whole. Our fiscal years are based on the 52-53 week period ending on the Sunday closest to February 1, and are designated by the calendar year in which the fiscal year commences. We derive market share data information used herein from various industry sources. References to the brand names Calvin Klein Collection, Calvin Klein, ck, ck Calvin Klein, Van Heusen, IZOD, IZOD G, Eagle, Bass, G.H. Bass & Co., Geoffrey Beene, Arrow, Kenneth Cole New York, Reaction Kenneth Cole, BCBG Max Azria, BCBG Attitude, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Chaps, Sean John and Donald J. Trump Signature Collection and to other brand names in this report are to registered trademarks owned by us or licensed to us by third parties and are identif ied by italicizing the brand name. References to our acquisition of the Arrow tradename refer to our December 2004 acquisition of Cluett Peabody Resources Corporation and Cluett Peabody & Co., Inc., which companies we refer to collectively as "Arrow." References to our acquisition of Calvin Klein refer to our February 2003 acquisition of Calvin Klein, Inc., Calvin Klein (Europe), Inc., Calvin Klein (Europe II) Corp., Calvin Klein Europe S.r.l. and CK Service Corp., which companies we refer to collectively as "Calvin Klein."

Overview

We are one of the largest apparel companies in the world, with a heritage dating back over 120 years. We design and market nationally recognized branded dress shirts, sportswear and, to a lesser degree, footwear and other related products. We believe we market approximately one in three of the dress shirts sold in the United States and have a leading position in men's sportswear tops. Our portfolio of brands includes our own brands, Van Heusen, G.H. Bass & Co., Bass, IZOD, Calvin Klein Collection, Calvin Klein, ck, ck Calvin Klein and Arrow and our




licensed brands, Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Reaction Kenneth Cole, BCBG Max Azria, BCBG Attitude, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Chaps, Sean John and, beginning in early 2005, Donald J. Trump Signature Collection. We also license our owned brands internationally over a broad range of products, with Calvin Klein being the best known and most widely licensed brand internationally.

We design, source and market substantially all of our products on a brand-by-brand basis targeting distinct consumer demographics and lifestyles. We market our brands at multiple price points and across multiple channels of distribution. This allows us to provide products to a broad range of consumers, while minimizing competition among our brands and reducing our reliance on any one demographic group, merchandise preference or distribution channel. Currently, our products are distributed at wholesale through more than 10,000 doors in national and regional department, mid-tier department, mass market, specialty and independent stores in the United States. We also leverage our apparel design and sourcing expertise by offering private label dress shirt programs to retailers. Our wholesale business represents our core business and we believe that it is the basis for our brand equity. As a complement to our wholesale bus iness, we also market our products directly to consumers through our Van Heusen, IZOD, Geoffrey Beene, Bass and Calvin Klein retail stores, primarily located in outlet malls throughout the United States.

On February 12, 2003, we acquired Calvin Klein. Over the past 30 years, we believe Calvin Klein has become one of the best known designer names in the world. We believe that the Calvin Klein brands - Calvin Klein Collection, ck Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein - provide us with the opportunity to market products at higher price points, in higher-end distribution channels and to different consumer groups than our other product offerings. Products sold under the Calvin Klein brands are sold primarily under licenses and other arrangements and include high-end collection apparel and accessories, jeans, underwear, fragrances, eyewear, men's tailored clothing, ties, shoes, hosiery, socks, swimwear, watches, coats, leather goods, table top and soft home furnishings and accessories. Calvin Klein controls all design operations and product development for most of its licensees, including Vestime nta S.p.A., the licensee for the Calvin Klein Collection high-end apparel businesses and one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of women's and men's high-end apparel. Calvin Klein oversees a worldwide marketing, advertising and promotion program of over $200 million, the majority of which is funded by its licensees. We believe that maintaining control over design and advertising through Calvin Klein's dedicated in-house teams plays a key role in the continued strength of the Calvin Klein brands.  

We were incorporated in the State of Delaware in 1976 as the successor to a business begun in 1881, and, with respect to our footwear business, to G.H. Bass & Co., a business begun in 1876. Our principal executive offices are located at 200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016; our telephone number is (212) 381-3500.

We make available, at no cost, on our corporate website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we have electronically filed such material with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We also make available, at no cost, on our corporate website, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. Our corporate website address is www.pvh.com.

Acquisition of the Arrow Tradename

On December 10, 2004, we acquired the Arrow brand worldwide and the related licensing business from affiliates of Cluett American Group, Inc. The transaction consisted of the acquisition from Cluett American Corp., Consumer Direct Corporation and Cluett Peabody Holding Corp. of all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Cluett Peabody Resources Corporation ("Resources") and Cluett Peabody & Co., Inc. ("CP&Co."). Resources is the worldwide owner of the Arrow trademark, principally for apparel, footwear and related goods, and certain related marks. CP&Co. licenses the Arrow marks from Resources and, in turn, licenses them to third parties throughout the world. We have been licensing the Arrow marks in the United States from Resources and CP&Co. for use on and in connection with men's and boys' dress shirts and sportswear since mid-2000.  

Our Business Strategy

We intend to capitalize upon the significant opportunities presented by Calvin Klein and the strengthening of our "legacy" (pre-Calvin Klein acquisition) businesses. Although the Calvin Klein brand is well established and, we believe, enjoys strong brand awareness among consumers worldwide, there were numerous product areas in

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which no products, or only a limited number of products, were offered under any Calvin Klein label prior to the acquisition. This includes men's and women's better sportswear, footwear and certain accessories. Since our acquisition of Calvin Klein, we have introduced in the United States a Calvin Klein men's better sportswear line, and, through our licensing agreement with Kellwood Company, a women's better sportswear line, as well as entered into licenses for footwear, handbags and accessories for product launches in 2005. We believe our expertise in brand management, product design, sourcing and other logistics provides us with the ability to successfully strengthen and grow existing offerings, expand into new product offerings and increase distribution under the Calvin Klein brands while preserving the brands' prestige and global presence. As a result, we believe w e have the opportunity to realize sales growth and enhanced profitability.

We intend for each of our brands to be a leader in its respective market segment, with strong consumer awareness and consumer loyalty. We believe that our brands are successful in their respective segments because we have strategically positioned each brand to target a distinct consumer demographic. We will continue to design and market our branded products to complement each other, satisfy lifestyle needs, emphasize product features important to our target consumers and produce consumer loyalty. We will seek to increase our market share within the dress shirt and sportswear segments by enhancing our relationships with existing customers, expanding our product offerings through new licenses and product extensions and gaining increased floor space. We will also seek to strengthen our existing licensing relationships and to align ourselves with new licensing partners to take advantage of growth opportunities as they ar ise.

To address the needs of our customers, we are continuing to make investments and develop strategies to enhance our ability to provide timely product availability and delivery. Our investments in sophisticated systems should allow us to continue to reduce the cycle time between the design of products to the delivery of those products to our customers. We believe the enhancement of our supply chain efficiencies and working capital management through the effective use of our distribution network and overall infrastructure will allow us to better control costs and provide improved service to our customers.

Our Business

Our business includes the design, sourcing and marketing of a varied selection of branded and private label dress shirts, sportswear and, to a lesser degree, footwear and other related products, as well as the licensing of our brands for an assortment of products.

Dress Shirts

We market our dress shirts principally under the Van Heusen, Arrow, IZOD, Eagle, Geoffrey Beene, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole New York, Reaction Kenneth Cole, BCBG Max Azria, BCBG Attitude, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Chaps and Sean John brands.

Our wholesale dress shirt business, which generated 20.0% of our fiscal 2004 revenues, includes the design and marketing of dress shirts in a broad selection of styles and colors that are sold at retail price points generally ranging from $20 to $100 a shirt.

The Van Heusen dress shirt has provided a strong foundation for us for most of our history and is the best selling dress shirt brand in the United States. The Van Heusen dress shirt targets the updated classical consumer, is marketed at opening to moderate price points and is distributed through more than 2,700 doors, principally in department stores, including Belk, Inc., Federated Department Stores, Inc., J.C. Penney Company, Inc., The May Department Stores Company and Saks, Inc., and through our Van Heusen retail stores.

The Arrow dress shirt targets the updated classical consumer, is marketed at opening to moderate price points and is distributed through more than 2,000 doors, principally in mid-tier department stores, including Kohl's Corporation and Sears, Roebuck and Co. The Arrow dress shirt is positioned as a mid-tier department store complement to Van Heusen.

The IZOD dress shirt targets the modern traditional consumer, is marketed at moderate price points and is distributed through more than 700 doors, principally in department stores, including Belk, May and Saks.

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The Eagle dress shirt, which we began shipping commencing in early 2004 on a test basis, targets the updated traditional consumer, is marketed at better price points and is distributed through more than 100 doors, principally in May.

The Geoffrey Beene dress shirt is the best selling designer dress shirt brand in department stores in the United States. The Geoffrey Beene dress shirt targets the more style conscious consumer, is marketed at moderate to upper moderate price points and is distributed through more than 1,300 doors, principally in department stores, including Federated, Marshall Field's, May and Saks, and through our Geoffrey Beene retail stores. We market Geoffrey Beene dress shirts under a license agreement with Geoffrey Beene Inc. that expires on December 31, 2008 and which we may extend, subject to certain conditions, through December 31, 2013.

The Calvin Klein dress shirt targets the classical contemporary consumer, is marketed at better price points and is distributed through more than 500 doors, principally in department stores, including Federated, Marshall Field's and May, and through our Calvin Klein retail stores. We also offer to a more limited distribution, ck Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Collection dress shirts which are distributed in luxury department and specialty stores and free-standing ck Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Collection stores.

The Kenneth Cole New York dress shirt targets the modern consumer, is marketed at better price points and is distributed through more than 550 doors, principally in department stores, including Dillards, Inc., Federated, Marshall Field's and May. The Reaction Kenneth Cole dress shirt targets the more youthful, modern consumer, is marketed at upper moderate to better price points and is distributed through more than 250 doors, principally in department stores, including Federated and May. We market the two Kenneth Cole brands of dress shirts under a license agreement with K.C.P.L., Inc. that expires on December 31, 2005. It is our intention to renew this license agreement with K.C.P.L., Inc.; however, there can be no assurances that we will renew such agreement.

The BCBG Max Azria dress shirt, which we launched in Fall 2004, targets the contemporary consumer and is marketed at better price points. The BCBG Attitude dress shirt, which we launched in Summer 2004, targets the more youthful contemporary consumer and is marketed at better price points. We distribute the two BCBG brands of dress shirts through more than 250 doors combined, principally in department stores, including Federated, Dillards and Marshall Field's, under a license agreement with MLA Multibrand Holdings, Inc. that expires on January 31, 2010 and which we may extend, subject to certain conditions, through January 31, 2020.

The MICHAEL Michael Kors dress shirt, which we launched in Fall 2004, targets the modern consumer, is marketed at moderate to better price points and is distributed through more than 250 doors, principally in department stores, including Federated, Marshall Field's and May. We market MICHAEL Michael Kors dress shirts under a license agreement with Michael Kors, LLC that expires on January 31, 2008 and which we may extend, subject to certain conditions, through January 31, 2011.

The Chaps dress shirt, which we launched for Holiday 2004, targets the updated traditional consumer and is marketed at moderate price points. We plan to distribute the Chaps dress shirt through more than 1,000 doors, principally in mid-tier department stores, including Kohl's and Mervyn's. We market Chaps dress shirts under a license agreement with PRL USA, Inc. and The Polo/Lauren Company, LP that expires on December 31, 2007 and which we may extend, subject to certain conditions, through December 31, 2013.

The Sean John dress shirt, which we launched in Fall 2004, targets the updated classical consumer, is marketed at moderate to better price points and is distributed through more than 100 doors, principally in department stores, including Federated and May. We market Sean John shirts under a license agreement with Christian Casey, LLC that expires on December 31, 2007 and which we may extend, subject to certain conditions, through December 31, 2013.

Effective November 29, 2004, we entered into a license agreement with Donald J. Trump to market the Donald J. Trump Signature Collection dress shirt, which will launch in Spring 2005. The Donald J. Trump Signature Collection dress shirt will target the modern classical consumer, be marketed at better price points and be distributed through more than 100 doors, principally in Federated. The license agreement expires on December 31, 2006 and may be extended, subject to certain conditions, through December 31, 2009.

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We also offer private label programs to retailers. Private label offerings allow a retailer to sell its own line of exclusive merchandise and give the retailer control over distribution of the product. These programs present an opportunity for us to leverage our design, sourcing and logistics expertise. Our private label customers work with our designers to develop shirts in the styles, sizes and cuts that the customers desire to sell in their stores under their private labels. Private label programs offer the consumer quality product and offer the retailer the opportunity to enjoy product exclusivity at generally higher margins. Private label products, however, generally do not have the same level of consumer recognition as branded products and private label manufacturers do not generally provide retailers with the same breadth of services and in-store sales and promotional support as brand ed manufacturers. We market private label dress shirts to national department and mass market stores. Our private label programs include Stafford for JCPenney, Grant Thomas for Lord & Taylor, Cezani for Saks and Puritan and George for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Sportswear

We market our sportswear principally under the IZOD, Van Heusen, Arrow, Geoffrey Beene and Calvin Klein brands. Our sportswear business, which generated 52.9% of our fiscal 2004 revenues, includes men's knit and woven sport shirts, sweaters, bottoms, swimwear, boxers and outerwear marketed at wholesale and sportswear, accessories and other apparel for men and women offered in our Van Heusen, IZOD, Geoffrey Beene and Calvin Klein retail stores.

IZOD is the best selling main floor department store men's sportswear tops brand. IZOD men's sportswear consists of five related separate concepts under the classic IZOD blue label and the IZOD Jeans, IZOD PerformX, IZOD Golf/IZOD XFG (X-treme Function Golf), and IZOD LX (a recently introduced higher-priced “luxe” line of sportswear) sub-brands. IZOD apparel consists of a range of men's sportswear, including sweaters, knit and woven sports shirts, slacks, fleecewear and outerwear. IZOD sportswear is targeted to the active consumer, is marketed at moderate to upper moderate price points and is distributed through more than 2,400 doors, principally in department stores, including, Federated, May, Belk, Saks and JCPenney, and through our IZOD retail stores. Our IZOD stores offer men's and women's active-inspired sportswear, wit h a focus on golf, travel and resort apparel.

Van Heusen is the best selling main floor department store men's woven sport shirt brand in the United States. Van Heusen sportswear also includes knit sport shirts and sweaters. Like Van Heusen dress shirts, Van Heusen sport shirts and sweaters target the updated classical consumer, are marketed at opening to moderate price points and are distributed through more than 3,500 doors, principally in department stores, including Belk, Federated, JCPenney and May, and through our Van Heusen retail stores. Our Van Heusen stores offer a range of men's products from dress furnishings to sportswear, as well as women's sportswear.

Arrow sportswear targets the updated classical consumer, is marketed at moderate price points and is distributed through more than 2,300 doors, principally in mid-tier department stores, including Kohl's and Sears. Arrow sportswear consists of men's knit and woven tops, sweaters and bottoms.

Geoffrey Beene sportswear targets a more style conscious consumer than IZOD, Van Heusen and Arrow and is positioned as a designer label for men's woven and knit sport shirts on the main floor of department stores. Geoffrey Beene sportswear is marketed at upper moderate price points and is distributed through more than 2,000 doors, principally in department stores, including Federated and May, and through our Geoffrey Beene retail stores. Our Geoffrey Beene stores offer men's furnishings, casual and dress casual sportswear and women's casual and dress casual sportswear, under a license agreement which expires on December 31, 2005, and which we may extend for up to two additional three-year periods, the last of which would end on December 31, 2011. We market Geoffrey Beene men's sportswear at wholesale under the same license agreement as Geoffrey Beene dress shirt s.

Calvin Klein sportswear, which we began shipping commencing with the Fall 2004 season, targets a modern classical consumer, is marketed at better price points and is distributed through more than 250 doors, in better fashion department and specialty stores, including Federated and May, and through our Calvin Klein retail stores.

Footwear

We market Bass and G.H. Bass & Co. casual and dress casual shoes for men, women and children and apparel and accessories, such as handbags, belts and travel gear, for men and women through our Bass retail stores.

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Sales of our footwear and related Bass products generated 16.1% of our fiscal 2004 revenues. Effective February 2, 2004, we entered into an exclusive agreement to license our Bass wholesale footwear business to Brown Shoe Company, Inc., a leading footwear retailer and wholesaler of branded and private label footwear. Under the license agreement, Brown Shoe assumed responsibility for the design, sourcing and marketing of footwear at wholesale, on a worldwide basis, under the Bass label. The initial term of the license expires on January 31, 2007 and may be extended through January 31, 2013, subject to certain conditions.

The Bass brand has a leading position in men's casual footwear in the United States. Bass footwear is generally known for its classic American style and is marketed at moderate price points.

Licensing

We license our brands globally for a broad range of products. The licensing of our brands generated 11.0% of our fiscal 2004 revenues. We believe royalty and other revenues from our licensing partners provide us with a relatively stable flow of revenues and extend and strengthen our brands globally.

We grant licensing partners the right to manufacture and sell at wholesale specified products under one or more of our brands. In addition, certain foreign licensees are granted the right to open retail stores under the licensed brand name and sell only goods under that name in such stores. A substantial portion of the sales by our domestic licensing partners are made to our largest wholesale customers. As compensation under these agreements, each licensing partner pays us royalties based upon its sales of our branded products, subject generally to payment of a minimum royalty. These payments generally range from 3.0% to 7.0% of the licensing partners' sales of the licensed products. In addition, licensing partners are generally required to spend or contribute to us an amount equal to between 2.0% and 5.0% of their sales of the licensed products for advertising. We provide support to our business partners and seek to preserve the integrity of our brand names by taking an active role in the design, quality control, advertising, marketing and distribution of each licensed product, most of which are subject to our prior approval and continuing oversight.

We license our Van Heusen, IZOD, IZOD G and G.H. Bass & Co. brand names for various products worldwide. We also sublicense to others the Geoffrey Beene brand name for various products. We license these brand names under approximately 50 license agreements. The products offered by our domestic licensing partners include:

Licensing Partner

 

Product Category

Block Sportswear, Inc.

 

Van Heusen and IZOD 'big and tall' sportswear

Brown Shoe Company, Inc.

 

Bass wholesale footwear

Custom Leather Canada Limited

 

IZOD hats and Van Heusen belts and small leather goods

Fishman & Tobin, Inc.

 

Van Heusen and IZOD boys' sportswear and IZOD girls' school uniforms

Aptaker Co., Inc. d/b/a Nouveau Eyewear

 

Van Heusen eyewear

Randa Neckwear Corp.

 

Van Heusen neckwear

Clearvision Optical Company, Inc.

 

IZOD eyewear

Humphrey's Accessories LLC

 

IZOD belts

International Home Textiles, Inc.

 

IZOD soft home furnishing products

Kellwood Company

 

IZOD women's sportswear, swimwear, intimate apparel and accessories

Knothe Corporation

 

IZOD sleepwear and loungewear

Mallory & Church Corporation

 

IZOD neckwear

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Peerless Delaware, Inc.

 

IZOD tailored clothing

PG USA Sportswear, Inc.

 

IZOD G men's and women's golf apparel in green grass channel

G-III Apparel Group, LTD.

 

IZOD men's and women's non-leather outerwear

Happy Kids, Inc.

 

IZOD childrenswear

Additional products sold bearing our marks include Van Heusen underwear, handkerchiefs, scarves and hosiery and IZOD leather outerwear and hosiery. A large number of our Van Heusen licenses are with foreign licensees that offer dress shirts and sportswear under that brand name.

As a result of our December 10, 2004 acquisition of the Arrow tradename, we now license the Arrow brand name for various products under approximately 35 license agreements. The products offered by our domestic licensing partners include:

Licensing Partner

 

Product Category

Humphrey's Accessories LLC

 

Arrow small leather goods, belts and accessories

Kellwood Company

 

Arrow men's and boys' sleepwear and loungewear

Fishman & Tobin, Inc.

 

Arrow girls' school uniforms and boys' sportswear

Superba, Inc.

 

Arrow neckwear

Additional products sold bearing the Arrow mark include Arrow shirts, outerwear and other men's and women's apparel and accessories, primarily offered by our foreign licensees.

Calvin Klein Licensing

An important source of revenues for Calvin Klein is its business arrangements with licensees and other third parties worldwide that manufacture and distribute globally a broad array of products under the Calvin Klein brands. For fiscal 2004, approximately 45% of revenues from Calvin Klein's business partners was generated by its domestic business partners and approximately 55% was generated by its foreign business partners. Calvin Klein combines its design, marketing and imaging skills with the specific manufacturing, distribution and geographic capabilities of its business partners to enter into new product categories and extend existing lines of business. Calvin Klein's largest business partners in terms of royalty and other revenues earned by Calvin Klein in fiscal 2004 were:

·

Warnaco, Inc. accounting for approximately 30%

·

Unilever N.V. accounting for approximately 21%

·

CK Jeanswear N.V. accounting for approximately 10%


Calvin Klein has over 30 licensing arrangements. The products offered by Calvin Klein's business partners include:

Business Partner

 

Product Category

Warnaco, Inc.

 

Men's, women's and children's jeanswear; men's underwear and sleepwear; women's intimate apparel and sleepwear; women's swimwear (commencing in 2005)

Unilever N.V.

 

Men's and women's fragrance and bath products

Marchon Eyewear, Inc.

 

Men's and women's optical frames and sunglasses

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Onward Kashiyama Co. Ltd. (Japan)

 

Men's and women's apparel and certain casual attire and women's coats and accessories

CK Jeanswear N.V.

 

Men's, women's and children's jeanswear and women's belts

Design Works, Inc.

 

Soft home furnishings

CK Watch Co., Ltd. (Swatch SA)

 

Men's and women's watches and women's jewelry

McGregor Industries, Inc.

 

Men's and women's socks and women's tights

Peerless Delaware, Inc.

 

Men's tailored clothing

Jimlar Corporation

 

Men's and women's better shoes (commencing in 2005)


Additional products sold bearing Calvin Klein brands include certain men's furnishings, men's and women's small leather goods and table top furnishings. Kellwood Company, together with G.A.V., introduced a line of women's better sportswear in the United States under the Calvin Klein brand which commenced with the Spring 2004 season. We believe this line will become a prominent brand in the women's better sportswear sector because of the image and strength of the Calvin Klein brand. Vestimenta is producing men's and women's high-end collection apparel under the Calvin Klein Collection label, which commenced with the Spring 2004 season.

With respect to revenues generated from the sale of Calvin Klein men's underwear and sleepwear and women's intimate apparel and sleepwear, Warnaco pays us an administration fee based on Warnaco's worldwide sales of underwear, intimate apparel and sleepwear bearing any of the Calvin Klein marks under an administration agreement between Calvin Klein and Warnaco. Warnaco controls design and advertising related to the sale of underwear, intimate apparel and sleepwear products bearing the Calvin Klein name. See "Trademarks."

Wholesale Customers

Our wholesale business represents our core business and we believe that it is the basis for our brand equity. Currently, our products are distributed at wholesale through more than 10,000 doors in national and regional department, mid-tier department, mass market, specialty and independent stores in the United States. A few of our customers, including Federated, JCPenney, Kohl's, May and Wal-Mart account for significant portions of our revenues. Sales to our five largest customers were 28.8% of our revenues in fiscal 2004, 27.2% of our revenues in fiscal 2003 and 30.7% of our revenues in fiscal 2002. No single customer accounted for greater than 10% of our revenues in fiscal 2004. Assuming the merger of Federated and May announced on February 28, 2005, the emerging company would have accounted for 12.5% of our revenues in 2004.

We believe we provide our customers with a high level of service. We have six separate sales forces covering the following products and product categories:  

·

national brand dress shirts - Van Heusen, Arrow, IZOD, Chaps and Eagle

·

designer brand dress shirts - Calvin Klein, Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Reaction Kenneth Cole, BCBG Max Azria, BCBG Attitude, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Sean John and Donald J. Trump Signature Collection

·

Van Heusen and Geoffrey Beene sportswear

·

IZOD sportswear

·

Arrow sportswear

·

Calvin Klein sportswear

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Each sales force includes a team of sales professionals that works closely with our customers, providing them with a dedicated level of service which includes designing a focused selling strategy for each brand while ensuring that each brand's particular qualities and identities are strategically positioned to target a distinct consumer base.

Our customers offer our dress shirts and men's sportswear on the main floor of their stores and we offer our customers merchandising support with visual display fixtures and in-store marketing. When a line of our products is displayed in a stand-alone area on the main floor, we are able to further enhance brand recognition, to permit more complete merchandising of our lines and to differentiate the presentation of our products. We believe the broad appeal of our products, with multiple well known brands offering differing styles at different price points, together with our customer, advertising and marketing support and our ability to offer products with innovative qualities, allow us to expand and develop relationships with apparel retailers in the United States.

We believe that our investments in logistics and supply chain management allow us to respond rapidly to changes in sales trends and consumer demands while enhancing inventory management. We believe our customers can better manage their inventories as a result of our continuous analysis of sales trends, our broad array of product availability and our quick response capabilities. Certain of our products can be ordered at any time through our EDI replenishment systems. For customers who reorder these products, we generally ship these products within one to two days of order receipt.

Retail Stores

We operate approximately 700 retail stores under the Van Heusen, IZOD, Bass, Geoffrey Beene and Calvin Klein names. Ranging in size from 1,000 to 12,000 square feet, with an average of approximately 4,500 square feet, our stores are primarily located in outlet malls throughout the United States. We believe our retail division is an important complement to our wholesale operations because we believe that the stores further enhance consumer awareness of our brands by offering products that are not available in our wholesale lines, while also providing a means for managing excess inventory.

Our Van Heusen outlet stores offer men's dress shirts and neckwear, men's and women's sportswear, including woven and knit shirts, sweaters, bottoms and outerwear, and men's and women's accessories. These stores are targeted to the value-conscious, middle American consumer.

Our IZOD outlet stores offer men's and women's active-inspired sportswear, including knit and woven shirts, sweaters, bottoms and activewear. These stores focus on golf, travel and resort clothing.

Our Bass outlet stores offer casual and dress casual shoes for men, women and children. Most of our stores also carry apparel for men and women, including tops, bottoms and outerwear and accessories such as handbags, wallets, belts and travel gear.

Our Geoffrey Beene outlet stores offer men's dress shirts and neckwear, men's and women's sportswear including woven and knit shirts, sweaters, bottoms and outerwear and men's and women's accessories. These stores are targeted towards a more fashion-conscious, designer-oriented consumer.

Our Calvin Klein outlet stores are located in premium outlet centers and offer men's and women's apparel and other Calvin Klein products to communicate the Calvin Klein lifestyle. We also operate three stores that offer Calvin Klein men's and women's high-end collection apparel and accessories and other products under the Calvin Klein brands. These stores are located in New York City, Dallas and Paris.

Design

Our business depends on our ability to stimulate consumer tastes and demands, as well as on our ability to remain competitive in the areas of quality and price.

A significant factor that plays a role in the continued strength of our brands is our in-house design teams. We form separate teams of designers and merchandisers for each of our brands, and with respect to Calvin Klein, for each product category, creating a structure that focuses on the special qualities and identity of each brand and

9




product. These designers and merchandisers consider consumer taste and lifestyle and trends when creating a brand or product plan for a particular season. The process from initial design to finished product varies greatly, but generally spans six to ten months prior to each selling season. Our product lines are developed primarily for two major selling seasons, Spring and Fall. However, certain of our product lines offer more frequent introductions of new merchandise.

Calvin Klein has developed a cohesive team of senior design directors who share a vision for the Calvin Klein brands and who each lead a separate design team. We have maintained the in-house design teams of Calvin Klein since the acquisition in 2003. These teams control all design operations and product development for most licensees and other strategic alliances. In addition, new teams sharing the same vision were assembled for our men's better sportswear line and for overseeing all design operation and product development in connection with the licensing of the women's better sportswear line.

Sourcing and Production

To address the needs of our customers, we are continuing to make investments and develop strategies to enhance our ability to provide our customers with timely product availability and delivery. Our investments in sophisticated systems should allow us to reduce the cycle time between the design of products to the delivery of those products to our customers. We believe the enhancement of our supply chain efficiencies and working capital management through the effective use of our distribution network and overall infrastructure will allow us to better control costs and provide improved service to our customers.

In 2004, over 200 different manufacturers produced our products in approximately 300 factories and 35 countries worldwide. As a result of quota elimination on textiles and apparel-related products from World Trade Organization ("WTO") member countries in 2005, there may be a decrease in the number of different manufacturers who produce our products in 2005. During fiscal 2004, in excess of 95% of our products were produced by manufacturers located in foreign countries. We source finished products and raw materials. Raw materials include fabric, buttons, thread, labels and similar materials. Raw materials and production commitments are generally made two to six months prior to production and quantities are finalized at that time. We believe we are one of the largest procurers of shirting fabric in the world. Finished products consist of manufactured and fully assembled products ready for shipment to our cust omers and our stores. Most of our dress shirts and all of our sportswear are sourced and manufactured to our specifications by independent manufacturers in the Far East, Indian subcontinent, Middle East, Caribbean and Central America who meet quality, cost and human rights criteria we have established. Our footwear is sourced and manufactured to our specifications by manufacturers who meet our quality, cost and human rights requirements, principally located in the Far East, Europe, South America and the Caribbean. No single supplier is critical to our production needs, and we believe that an ample number of alternative suppliers exist should we need to secure additional or replacement production capacity and raw materials. Given our extensive network of sourcing partners, we believe we are able to obtain goods at low cost and on a timely basis.

Our foreign offices and buying agents enable us to monitor the quality of the goods manufactured by, and the delivery performance of, our suppliers, which includes the enforcement of human rights standards through our ongoing approval and monitoring system. In addition, sales are monitored regularly at both the retail and wholesale levels and modifications in production can be made either to increase or reduce inventories. We continually seek additional suppliers throughout the world for our sourcing needs and place our orders in a manner designed to limit the risk that a disruption of production at any one facility could cause a serious inventory problem. We have not experienced significant production delays or difficulties in importing goods. Our purchases from our suppliers are effected through individual purchase orders specifying the price and quantity of the items to be produced.

Approximately 6% of our dress shirts are manufactured in our domestic apparel manufacturing facility located in Ozark, Alabama. This facility, which we own, is approximately 108,000 square feet, and is utilized by us primarily as a quick response facility, including by fulfilling product replenishment orders.

Warehousing and Distribution

To facilitate distribution, our products are shipped from manufacturers to our wholesale and retail warehousing and distribution centers for inspection, sorting, packing and shipment to our customers. Ranging in size from 112,000 to 575,000 square feet, our centers are located in North Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Georgia

10




and Arkansas. Each of our centers is generally dedicated to serving either our wholesale customers or our retail stores. Our warehousing and distribution centers are designed to provide responsive service to our customers and our retail stores, as the case may be, on a cost-effective basis. This includes the use of various forms of electronic communications to meet customer needs, including advance shipping notices for all major customers. We believe that our distribution centers and capabilities compare favorably on a cost and service basis with those of our competitors and that these constitute part of our core competencies.

Advertising and Promotion

We market substantially all of our products on a brand-by-brand basis targeting distinct consumer demographics and lifestyles. Our marketing programs are an integral feature of our product offerings. Advertisements generally portray a lifestyle rather than a specific item. We intend for each of our brands to be a leader in its respective market segment, with strong consumer awareness and consumer loyalty. We believe that our brands are successful in their respective segments because we have strategically positioned each brand to target a distinct consumer demographic. We will continue to design and market our products to complement each other, satisfy lifestyle needs, emphasize product features important to our target consumers and produce consumer loyalty.

We advertise our brands primarily in national print media, including fashion, entertainment/human interest, business, men's, women's, niche and sports magazines and The New York Times. We also participate in cooperative advertising programs with our customers, as we believe that brand awareness and in-store positioning are further strengthened by our contributions to such programs.

With respect to our retail operations, we rely upon local outlet mall developers to promote traffic for their centers. Outlet center developers employ multiple formats, including signage (highway billboards, off-highway directional signs, on-site signage and on-site information centers), print advertising (brochures, newspapers and travel magazines), direct marketing (to tour bus companies and travel agents), radio and television and special promotions.

We believe Calvin Klein is one of the best known designer names in the world. One of the efforts that helps to establish the Calvin Klein image is its high-profile, cutting-edge advertising campaigns that stimulate admiration, publicity, curiosity and debate. Calvin Klein has a dedicated in-house advertising agency, with experienced in-house creative and media teams that develop and execute a substantial portion of the advertising for products under the Calvin Klein brands. The teams work closely with other functional areas within Calvin Klein and its licensing and other business partners to deliver a consistent and unified brand message to the consumer. Calvin Klein oversees a worldwide marketing, advertising and promotion program of over $200 million, a majority of which is funded by its licensees.

Calvin Klein products are advertised primarily in national print media, through outdoor signage and, with respect to fragrances, in television advertising spots. We believe promotional activities throughout the year further strengthen brand awareness of the Calvin Klein brands. The Spring and Fall Calvin Klein high-end apparel collections are presented at major fashion shows in New York City and Milan, which typically generate extensive media coverage. Other Calvin Klein promotional efforts include in-store appearances by fashion models, providing wardrobes to celebrities for award ceremonies, product launches, gift-with-purchase programs, charity events and special corporate-sponsored events.

We have continued the Calvin Klein advertising and promotional practices and strategies since the acquisition. We have not reduced, and do not intend to reduce, the Calvin Klein marketing and advertising teams and continue to maintain the Calvin Klein advertising and promotions budget at or above recent historical levels.

Trademarks

We own the Van Heusen, Bass, G.H. Bass & Co., IZOD, IZOD G and Eagle brands, as well as related trademarks and lesser-known names. As a result of our recent acquisition of the Arrow tradename, we also own the Arrow brand worldwide. We beneficially own the Calvin Klein Collection, Calvin Klein, ck and ck Calvin Klein marks. Calvin Klein and Warnaco are co-owners of the Calvin Klein Trademark Trust, which is the sole and exclusive title owner of substantially all registered Calvin Klein Collection, Calvin Klein, ck and ck Calvin Klein trademarks. The sole purpose of the trust is to hold these marks. Calvin Klein maintains and protects the marks on

11




behalf of the trust pursuant to a servicing agreement. The trust exclusively licenses to Warnaco on a perpetual, royalty-free basis the use of the marks on men's underwear and sleepwear and women's intimate apparel and sleepwear, and to Calvin Klein on a perpetual, royalty-free basis the use of the marks on all other products. Warnaco pays us a fee based on Warnaco's worldwide sales of underwear, intimate apparel and sleepwear products bearing any of the Calvin Klein marks under an administration agreement between Calvin Klein and Warnaco.

With respect to our Calvin Klein Collection, Calvin Klein, ck and ck Calvin Klein marks, we allow Mr. Calvin Klein to retain the right to use his name, on a non-competitive basis, with respect to his right of publicity, unless those rights are already being used in the Calvin Klein business. We also grant Mr. Klein a royalty-free worldwide right to use the Calvin Klein mark with respect to certain personal businesses and activities, such as motion picture, television and video businesses, a book business, writing, speaking and/or teaching engagements, non-commercial photography, charitable activities and architectural and industrial design projects, subject to certain limitations designed to protect the image and prestige of the Calvin Klein brands and to avoid competitive conflicts.

Our trademarks are the subject of registrations and pending applications throughout the world for use on a variety of apparel, footwear and related products, and we continue to expand our worldwide usage and registration of new and related trademarks. In general, trademarks remain valid and enforceable as long as the marks continue to be used in connection with the products and services with which they are identified and, as to registered tradenames, the required registration renewals are filed. In markets outside of the United States, particularly those where products bearing any of our brands are not sold by us or any of our licensees or other authorized users, our rights to the use of trademarks may not be clearly established.

We regard the license to use our trademarks and our other intellectual property rights in the trademarks as valuable assets in marketing our products and, on a worldwide basis, vigorously seek to protect them against infringement. We are susceptible to others imitating our products and infringing our intellectual property rights. This is especially the case with respect to the Calvin Klein brands, as the Calvin Klein brands enjoy significant worldwide consumer recognition and their generally higher pricing provides significant opportunity and incentive for counterfeiters and infringers. Calvin Klein has a broad, proactive enforcement program, which we believe has been generally effective in controlling the sale of counterfeit products in the United States and in major markets abroad. We have taken enforcement action with respect to our other marks on an as needed basis.

Our Relationship with Mr. Klein

In order to assist in a seamless transition of our acquisition of Calvin Klein, in 2003 we entered into a three-year consulting agreement with Mr. Klein for $1.0 million per year. Mr. Klein is available to consult on advertising, marketing, design, promotion and publicity aspects of Calvin Klein.

Prior to our acquisition of Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein was obligated to pay Mr. Klein and his heirs in perpetuity a percentage of sales of certain products bearing any of the Calvin Klein brands under a design services letter agreement. In connection with our acquisition of Calvin Klein, we bought all of Mr. Klein's rights under that agreement in consideration of a warrant to purchase our common stock and for granting him the right to receive from us contingent purchase price payments for a period of 15 years based on a percentage of total worldwide net sales of products bearing any of the Calvin Klein brands. In addition, Mr. Klein was released from all of his obligations under that agreement, including his obligation to render design services to Calvin Klein, and the design services letter agreement was terminated. Our obligation to make contingent purchase price payments to Mr. Klein in connection wi th our acquisition of Calvin Klein is guaranteed by our Calvin Klein subsidiaries and is secured by a subordinated pledge of all of the equity interests in our Calvin Klein subsidiaries and a subordinated lien on substantially all of our domestic Calvin Klein subsidiaries' assets. Events of default under the agreements governing the collateral for our contingent payment obligations to Mr. Klein, include, but are not limited to (1) our failure to make payments to Mr. Klein when due, (2) covenant defaults, (3) cross-defaults to other indebtedness in excess of an agreed amount, (4) events of bankruptcy, (5) monetary judgment defaults and (6) a change of control, including the sale of any portion of the equity interests in our Calvin Klein subsidiaries. An event of default under those agreements would permit Mr. Klein to foreclose on his security interest in the collateral. In addition, if we fail to pay Mr. Klein a contingent purchase price payment when due and such failure to pay continues for 60 days or more after a final judgment by a court is rendered relating to our failure to pay, Mr. Klein will no longer be restricted from competing with us as he otherwise would be under the non-competition provisions contained in the purchase

12




agreement relating to our acquisition of Calvin Klein, although he would still not be able to use any of the Calvin Klein brands or any similar trademark in any competing business.

Competition

The apparel and footwear industries are competitive as a result of their fashion orientation, mix of large and small producers, the flow of domestic and imported merchandise and the wide diversity of retailing methods. Some of our larger branded apparel and footwear competitors include Polo/Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Perry Ellis, Timberland and Rockport. As a result of our acquisition of Calvin Klein, we believe Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren's Purple Label, Giorgio Armani, Gucci and Prada also are our competitors. In addition, we face significant competition from retailers, including our own wholesale customers, through their private label programs.

We compete primarily on the basis of style, quality and service. Our business depends on our ability to stimulate consumer tastes and demands, as well as on our ability to remain competitive in the areas of quality, service and price. We believe we are particularly well-positioned to compete in the apparel and footwear industries. Our diversified portfolio of apparel brands and apparel and footwear products and our use of multiple channels of distribution have allowed us to develop a business that produces results which are not dependent on any one demographic group, merchandise preference or distribution channel. We have developed a portfolio of brands that appeal to a broad spectrum of consumers. Our owned brands have long histories and enjoy high recognition within their respective consumer segments. We develop our owned and licensed brands to complement each other and to generate strong consumer loyalty. The C alvin Klein brands provide us with the opportunity to develop businesses that target different consumer groups at higher price points and in higher-end distribution channels than our other brands, as well as with significant global opportunities due to the worldwide recognition of the brands.

Imports and Import Restrictions

A substantial portion of our products is manufactured by contractors located outside the United States. These products are imported and are subject to U.S. customs laws, which impose tariffs as well as import quota restrictions for textiles and apparel established by the U.S. government in accordance with the WTO agreement regarding international trade in textiles, known as the "WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing" and other applicable statutes. Under the provisions of the WTO agreement, effective as of January 1, 2005, the U.S. and other WTO member countries have eliminated quotas on textiles and apparel-related products from WTO member countries. As a result, quota restrictions no longer affect our business in most countries. Notwithstanding quota elimination, under China's agreement for membership in the WTO, the U.S. may impose safeguard quotas on specific categories of products imported from China i f imports surge. Because of this possibility, we will closely monitor our sourcing in China to avoid potential disruption. Moreover, if the elimination of quota results in import surges from certain countries, the U.S. may impose additional duties or other trade actions. Presently, a portion of our imported products is eligible for certain duty-advantaged programs commonly known as NAFTA, AGOA, CBTPA and CBI.

Environmental Matters

Our facilities and operations are subject to various environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including the proper maintenance of asbestos-containing materials. In addition, we may incur liability under environmental statutes and regulations with respect to the contamination of sites that we own or operate or previously owned or operated (including contamination caused by prior owners and operators of such sites, abutters or other persons) and the off-site disposal of hazardous materials. We believe our operations are in compliance with terms of all applicable laws and regulations.

Employees

As of January 30, 2005, we employed approximately 4,900 persons on a full-time basis and approximately 4,200 persons on a part-time basis. Approximately 4% of our employees are represented for the purpose of collective bargaining by five different unions. Additional persons, some represented by these five unions, are employed from time to time based upon our manufacturing schedules and retailing seasonal needs. Our collective bargaining agreements generally are for three-year terms. We believe that our relations with our employees are satisfactory.

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Executive Officers

The following table sets forth the name, age and position of each of our executive officers:

Name

Age

Position

Bruce J. Klatsky


56

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Director

Mark Weber


56

President and Chief Operating Officer; Director

Emanuel Chirico


47

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Francis K. Duane


48

Vice Chairman, Sportswear

Allen E. Sirkin


62

Vice Chairman, Dress Shirts

Michael Zaccaro


59

Vice Chairman, Retail


Mr. Bruce J. Klatsky has been employed by us in various capacities over the last 30 years, and was our President from 1987 to March 1998. Mr. Klatsky was named Chief Executive Officer in June 1993 and Chairman of the Board in June 1994.

Mr. Mark Weber has been employed by us in various capacities over the last 30 years, had been a Vice President since 1988, was Vice Chairman since 1995 and was named President and Chief Operating Officer in 1998.

Mr. Emanuel Chirico joined us as Vice President and Controller in 1993. Mr. Chirico was named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 1999.

Mr. Francis K. Duane became Vice Chairman, Sportswear in 2001, after serving as President of our Izod division since May 1998.

Mr. Allen E. Sirkin has been employed by us since 1985. He served as Chairman of our Apparel Group from 1990 until 1995 and was named Vice Chairman, Dress Shirts in 1995.

Mr. Michael Zaccaro became a Vice Chairman in April 2002. Prior to that he was Group President, Van Heusen and Izod Retail from August 2001 until April 2002 and President, Izod Retail from January 1999 until July 2001.

Each of our executive officers holds the office indicated until his or her successor is chosen and qualified at the regular meeting of the board of directors held immediately following the annual meeting of stockholders.

On March 4, 2005, we announced a succession plan that will be implemented over the course of 2005, commencing on the date of our 2005 annual meeting of stockholders. Under this plan, Mr. Klatsky will relinquish his title and responsibilities as Chief Executive Officer on June 14, 2005 (the date of the annual meeting), Mr. Weber will succeed Mr. Klatsky as Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Chirico will succeed Mr. Weber as President and Chief Operating Officer and will be nominated for a seat on the board of directors. Mr. Klatsky will continue as an employee of the Company to assist in an orderly transition and will retire at the end of 2005. In addition, he will be nominated for re-election at the 2005 annual meeting of stockholders as a director of the Company, to serve as Chairman until the 2006 annual meeting of stockholders, if re-elected.

Risk Factors

Our substantial level of debt could impair our financial condition.

We currently have a substantial amount of debt. Our significant level of debt could have important consequences to investors, including:

·

requiring a substantial portion of our cash flows from operations be used for the payment of interest on our debt, therefore reducing the funds available to us for our operations or other capital needs;

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·

limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industries in which we operate because our available cash flow after paying principal and interest on our debt may not be sufficient to make the capital and other expenditures necessary to address these changes;

·

increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions because, during periods in which we experience lower earnings and cash flow, we will be required to devote a proportionally greater amount of our cash flow to paying principal and interest on our debt;

·

limiting our ability to obtain additional financing in the future to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and general corporate requirements;

·

placing us at a competitive disadvantage to other relatively less leveraged competitors that have more cash flow available to fund working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate requirements; and

·

any borrowings we make at variable interest rates, including our revolving credit facility, leave us vulnerable to increases in interest rates generally.

We may not be able to continue to realize revenue growth from Calvin Klein.

A significant portion of our business strategy involves growing the Calvin Klein business. Our realization of revenue growth from Calvin Klein will depend largely upon our ability to:

·

successfully design and market the Calvin Klein men's better sportswear line over time;

·

successfully design and market the Calvin Klein women's better sportswear line over time through our licensing relationship with Kellwood and G.A.V.;

·

continue to develop the licensing relationship with Vestimenta for the men's and women's high-end collection apparel businesses;

·

successfully operate a chain of Calvin Klein retail outlet stores in premium outlet malls;

·

maintain and enhance the distinctive brand identity of Calvin Klein;

·

maintain good working relationships with Calvin Klein's licensees and enter into new licensing arrangements; and

·

continue to execute our strategies for Calvin Klein without adversely impacting our existing business.

We cannot assure you that we can successfully execute any of these actions or our growth strategy for the Calvin Klein brands or that the launch of any Calvin Klein branded products by us or our licensees will achieve the degree of consistent success necessary to generate profits or positive cash flow. Our ability to successfully carry out our growth strategy may be affected by, among other things, our ability to enhance our relationships with existing customers to obtain additional selling space and develop new relationships with apparel retailers, economic and competitive conditions, changes in consumer spending patterns and changes in consumer tastes and style trends. If we fail to develop and grow successfully the Calvin Klein business, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

A substantial portion of our revenues and gross profit is derived from a small number of large customers and the loss of any of these customers could substantially reduce our revenues.

A few of our customers, including Federated, JCPenney, Kohl's, May and Wal-Mart, account for significant portions of our revenues. Sales to our five largest customers were 28.8% of our revenues in fiscal 2004, 27.2% of our revenues in fiscal 2003 and 30.7% of our revenues in fiscal 2002. We do not have long-term agreements with any of our customers and purchases generally occur on an order-by-order basis. A decision by any of our major customers, whether motivated by competitive conditions, financial difficulties or otherwise, to decrease significantly the amount of merchandise purchased from us or our licensing or other business partners, or to change their manner of doing business with us or our licensing or other business partners, could substantially reduce our revenues and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. The retail industry has, in the past, experienced a grea t deal of consolidation and other ownership changes. Retailers, in the future, may further

15




consolidate, undergo restructurings or reorganizations, realign their affiliations or reposition their stores' target market. In early 2005, for instance, Federated and May announced that they propose to merge. The emerging entity would have accounted for 12.5% of our revenue in 2004. In addition, there have been recent published reports that Saks may put itself up for sale and that JCPenney may be a takeover target. Any of these types of actions could decrease the number of stores that carry our products or increase the ownership concentration within the retail industry. These changes could both decrease our opportunities in the market and increase our reliance on a smaller number of large customers.

Our business could be adversely affected by financial instability experienced by our customers.

During the past several years, various retailers have experienced significant financial difficulties, which have resulted in bankruptcies, liquidations and store closings. We sell our products primarily to national and regional department, mid-tier department and mass market stores in the United States on credit and evaluate each customer's financial condition on a regular basis in order to determine the credit risk we take in selling goods to them. The financial difficulties of a customer could cause us to curtail business with that customer and we may be unable to shift sales to another viable customer. We may also assume more credit risk relating to receivables of a customer experiencing financial instability. Should these circumstances arise with respect to our customers, our inability to shift sales or to collect on our trade accounts receivable from any one of our customers could substantially reduce our revenu es and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We primarily use foreign suppliers for our products and raw materials, which poses risks to our business operations.

During fiscal 2004, in excess of 95% of our apparel products and 95% of our raw materials for apparel were produced by and purchased or procured from independent manufacturers located in countries in the Far East, Indian subcontinent, Middle East, Caribbean and Central America. We believe that we are one of the largest procurers of shirting fabric in the world. Additionally, our footwear products and the raw materials therefor were produced by and purchased or procured from manufacturers located principally in countries in the Far East, Europe, South America and the Caribbean. Although no single supplier and no one country is critical to our production needs, any of the following could materially and adversely affect our ability to produce or deliver our products and, as a result, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations:

·

political or labor instability in countries where contractors and suppliers are located;

·

political or military conflict involving the United States, which could cause a delay in the transportation of our products and raw materials to us and an increase in transportation costs;

·

heightened terrorism security concerns, which could subject imported or exported goods to additional, more frequent or more thorough inspections, leading to delays in deliveries or impoundment of goods for extended periods or could result in decreased scrutiny by customs officials for counterfeit goods, leading to lost sales, increased costs for our anti-counterfeiting measures and damage to the reputation of our brands;

·

a significant decrease in availability or increase in cost of raw materials, particularly petroleum-based synthetic fabrics, which are currently in high demand;

·

disease epidemics and health related concerns, such as the SARS outbreak and the mad cow and hoof and mouth disease outbreaks in recent years, which could result in closed factories, reduced workforces, scarcity of raw materials and scrutiny or embargoing of goods produced in infected areas;

·

the migration and development of manufacturers, which could affect where our products are or are planned to be produced;

·

imposition of regulations and quotas relating to imports and our ability to adjust timely to changes in trade regulations, which, among other things, could limit our ability to produce products in cost-effective countries that have the labor and expertise needed;

·

imposition of duties, taxes and other charges on imports;

16




·

significant fluctuation of the value of the dollar against foreign currencies; and

·

restrictions on transfers of funds out of countries where our foreign licensees are located.

If our manufacturers fail to use acceptable ethical business practices, our business could suffer.

We require our manufacturers to operate in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations regarding working conditions, employment practices and environmental compliance. Additionally, we impose upon our business partners, operating guidelines that require additional obligations in those areas in order to promote ethical business practices, and our staff and third parties we retain for such purposes periodically visit and monitor the operations of our independent manufacturers to determine compliance. However, we do not control our independent manufacturers or their labor and other business practices. If one of our manufacturers violates labor or other laws or implements labor or other business practices that are generally regarded as unethical in the United States, the shipment of finished products to us could be interrupted, orders could be cancelled, relationships could be terminated and our reputation cou ld be damaged. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and, consequently, our results of operations.

Our reliance on independent manufacturers could cause delay and damage customer relationships.

In fiscal 2004, we relied upon independent third parties for the manufacture of more than 95% of our apparel products and 100% of our footwear products. We do not have long-term contracts with any of our suppliers. A manufacturer's failure to ship products to us in a timely manner or to meet required quality standards could cause us to miss the delivery date requirements of our customers for those products. As a result, customers could cancel their orders, refuse to accept deliveries or demand reduced prices. Any of these actions taken by our customers could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and, consequently, our results of operations.

A significant portion of our revenues are dependent on royalties and licensing.

In fiscal 2004, $181.2 million, or 11.0%, of our revenues were derived from licensing royalties and other revenues, principally in our Calvin Klein Licensing segment. Royalty and other revenues from Calvin Klein's three largest business partners accounted for approximately 61% of its royalty and other revenues in fiscal 2004. We also derive licensing revenues from our Van Heusen, IZOD, IZOD G, G.H. Bass & Co. and Arrow brand names. Our three largest licensing partners accounted for approximately 39% of licensing revenue for these brand names as a group in fiscal 2004. The operating profit associated with our royalty and other revenues is significant because the operating expenses directly associated with administering and monitoring an individual licensing or similar agreement are minimal. Therefore, the loss of a significant business partner, whether due to the termination or expiration of the rela tionship, the cessation of the business partner's operations or otherwise (including as a result of financial difficulties), without an equivalent replacement, could materially affect our profitability. For example, Warnaco accounted for approximately 30% of Calvin Klein's royalty and other revenues in fiscal 2004. Although Warnaco emerged from bankruptcy proceedings in 2003, no assurance can be given as to its future financial stability. While we generally have significant control over our business partners' products and advertising, we rely on our business partners for, among other things, operational and financial controls over their businesses. Our business partners' failure to successfully market licensed products or our inability to replace our existing business partners could adversely affect our revenues both directly from reduced royalty and other revenues received and indirectly from reduced sales of our other products. Risks are also associated with a business partner's ability to:

·

obtain capital;

·

manage its labor relations;

·

maintain relationships with its suppliers;

·

manage its credit risk effectively; and

·

maintain relationships with its customers.

17




In addition, we rely on our business partners to preserve the value of our brands. Although we make every attempt to protect our brands through, among other things, approval rights over design, production quality, packaging, merchandising, distribution, advertising and promotion of our products, we cannot assure you that we can control the use by our business partners of each of our licensed brands. The misuse of our brands by a business partner could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, Calvin Klein in the past has been involved in legal proceedings with Warnaco with respect to certain quality and distribution issues. As a result of our acquisition of Calvin Klein in 2003, Warnaco is entitled to control design and advertising related to the sale of underwear, intimate apparel and sleepwear products bearing the Calvin Klein brands. We cannot assure you that Warnaco will continue to maintain the same standards of design and advertising previously maintained by Calvin Klein, although we believe they are generally obligated to do so.

Our retail stores are heavily dependent on the ability and desire of consumers to travel and shop.