RTW Retailwinds extends Eva Mendes collaboration

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Sep 6, 2019

​RTW Retailwinds, the company formerly known as New York & Company, has announced the extension of its collaborative line with actress Eva Mendes. 

The collection of apparel and accessories, which was the company’s first-ever celebrity line, will now run for its sixth year. Initially launched in September of 2013, the line has notably been one of RTW’s most popular projects, with sales approximated at $40 million for fiscal 2018, the company said.

Following its success, RTW has launched subsequent exclusive celebrity collaborations with Gabrielle Union and Kate Hudson.

“Eva Mendes continues to provide a strong source of customer acquisition to our brand, and our customers are highly engaged with her,” said Greg Scott, chief executive officer.

“The actress and style icon, Eva Mendes, brings a level of interest and traffic to the brand that differentiates our stores with unique product...Our strong cash position ($83 million at August 3, 2019) allows us to invest in celebrity partnerships and build our multi-brand digital platform. We look forward to our continued partnership.”

In addition to the Eva Mendes line, RTW Retailwinds’ brand portfolio includes the New York & Company brand, plus-sized brand Fashion to Figure and Kate Hudson’s Happy x Nature.

The renewal comes after the New York-based company reported in August of a net loss of $7.5 million for the second quarter as it continues to struggle with falling sales. In an effort to focus on its more successful lines, the company further revealed it plans to exit its digital-first lingerie brand, Uncommon Sense, just months after its launch in April.