Comfort footwear company Drew Shoe Corp. licensed the trademarks to the Ros Hommerson line of fashion classics for spring ’13.
The brand, under the direction of namesake designer Ros Hommerson, had been produced, sold and distributed by St. Louis-based Mark Lemp Footwear for the past 21 years. Hommerson, now VP of product development at Drew, will continue to spearhead the line, known for its extensive offering of sizes and widths.
Drew Shoe President Marc Tishkoff said his firm plans to fully acquire the brand within the next five years. The move, he explained, comes on the heels of solid growth for the company. Business is expected to be up 22 percent this year over 2011, on top of a 16 percent increase in 2011 over the prior year.
“We think there’s a lot of symmetry between Drew and Ros Hommerson,” said Tishkoff. “We sell to a lot of the same stores, such as size-and-width independents. It’s the right direction for us.”
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Retailing from $90 to $135, the collection will be sold via independents, catalogs, department stores and e-tailers in the U.S. and Canada. (Limited product will continue to be delivered through Mark Lemp Footwear just for spring ’13.)
Coinciding with the transfer of the Ros Hommerson business, Mark Lemp Footwear has launched two new lines for spring ’13, said President Mark Lemp Jr.
Mark Lemp Classics will focus on modern classic dress looks, retailing from $80 to $110, while Rose Petals by Walking Cradles will feature contemporary dress-casuals and casuals, retailing from $100 to $145. Both collections will offer a range of sizes and widths and be available on an in-stock basis.
