JUST Consultancies takes on Ed Hardy sales for UK & Ireland

JUST Consultancies has been selected to handle the apparel, footwear and headwear wholesale business for US tattoo-inspired fashion brand Ed Hardy for the UK and Ireland for SS23.

The licence for Ed Hardy apparel and footwear is held by Zero21 Brands, a Manchester based company with a strong product development and production headquarters in Dongguan, China.

Zero21’s MD, Andy Flack, said: “We were being approached by a number of agencies but felt JUST Consultancies had the right plan, based on a good understanding of the Ed Hardy brand heritage, their experience of working with some ‘classic’ brands, such as Fila, Russell Athletic, Original Penguin, Farah and Juicy Couture, and very strong relationships with the key buyers in the industry.”

Juls Dawson, Managing Director of JUST Consultancies and Founder of the Just Around The Corner (JATC) trade shows in London and Manchester, where Ed Hardy exhibited this month, commented: “This absolute classic brand will be joining our roster as we celebrate our 10th year, it’s just about the perfect timing. Andy and the team have delivered product that is well executed and the attention to detail on techniques they’ve used is second to none.”

The brand will initially launch two wholesale tiers; ‘Mainline’ and a ‘Black Line’ premium collection. The ‘Mainline’ collection features cargo pants and jeans in two fits, all adorned with classic Ed Hardy graphics and wholesaling for £34. They sit alongside an extensive range of ‘vintage Ed inspired’ garment-dyed jersey shapes emblazoned with a variety of archive ‘distressed’ prints and embroidery techniques.

The ‘Black Line’ features embellished product with multi-layered embroidery and print techniques on 100% organic fabrics. The denim pieces feature intricate, monotone embroideries and 100% organic selvedge denim. Wholesale prices range from £30 - £100.

Both ranges include a collection of headwear and footwear. The footwear styles resonate with 90’s skate, tennis and basketball sneakers, all of which are emblazoned with the brand’s graphics across the panels and sole units. A range of archive inspired trucker caps form the headwear offer, which also include classic Ed Hardy prints.

Dawson added: “We have been at the start of many brands’ journeys over the years but never felt as confident with the tools we have to hand. It’s going to be an interesting and exciting ride and one we can see huge potential for, especially given the clear division between ‘Mainline’ and ‘Black Line’. Ed Hardy is a heritage brand but it’s also a breath of fresh air in a market that all looks the same over these past few seasons.

“The early signs are also super-strong for women’s, which so far has performed in line with the men’s product which is currently in the market. So, let’s see what the next few weeks bring before the books close on SS23.”

A brand synonymous with success in the early 2000’s, Ed Hardy has already been picked up by the likes of Fenwick, and it has developed a co-labelled exclusive collection with Urban Outfitters.