Expansion of Kohl's New York design office

13 Jan '12

3 min read

Kohl's Corporation announced the expansion of its New York design office at 1400 Broadway. This is the third expansion since the office opened in 2007. The latest growth will double the square footage of the office space and add two new floors. Additionally, Kohl's will open a new design studio at 2700 Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, Calif. Both the expansion and the new opening will support the continued growth of the company's exclusive brand strategy.

"We are very pleased to announce the expansion of our New York design office, as well as the opening of a new Santa Monica design studio, to support the anticipated growth and additions to our exclusive brands. This investment reinforces our commitment to offering world-class brands at compelling value to our customers," said Kevin Mansell, Kohl's chairman, president and chief executive officer.

"Having a New York presence, in the heart of America's fashion capital, has been instrumental in growing our private and exclusive brand portfolio, which accounted for approximately 51 percent of sales through the third quarter of this year. The newly expanded New York design office, the opening of the Santa Monica design studio, combined with the exceptional talent that we currently have at our Wisconsin-based headquarters, allows us to manage our existing brands and positions us for continued growth."

Kohl's opened its original 23,000-square-foot New York design office at 1359 Broadway in January 2007 in order to have a presence in the heart of New York's thriving fashion district, and to be in close proximity to the design source and management of exclusive partnerships. The office moved to its current location at 1400 Broadway, occupying two floors and doubling its size to 59,000 square feet, in 2010.

During the next two years, the New York design office will expand, adding approximately two floors and doubling its size once again to over 100,000 square feet by 2014. The original design office employed 30 people when it was opened in 2007, and it currently houses 140 designers and support associates to manage the design and development of 13 brands, including: Simply Vera Vera Wang, Princess Vera Wang, Food Network, ELLE, Elle Décor, Dana Buchman, Candie's, Chaps Home, FILA Sport, Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Flay, LC Lauren Conrad and Rock & Republic (spring 2012).

Kohl's will be opening a newly created 6,000-square-foot design studio in Santa Monica on January 16, 2012, in order to harness the unique talents of design professionals in southern California. This office, at 2700 Colorado Avenue, will host a team of 20 trend and graphic arts professionals who will provide support across multiple brands.

"To support the growth and incredible success we've experienced with our exclusive brands, it's important our New York design office has a space that can sustain existing brands while allowing for additional growth of our brand portfolio," said Peggy Eskenasi, Kohl's senior executive vice president of product development.

"Both the New York expansion and the new Santa Monica design studio opening, as well as our Wisconsin-based team who keep us on the forefront of fashion styles and trends, support our ability to be able to continue to deliver the best quality, style and value to shoppers."

Kohl's Corporation

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