Liz Buys Canadian Clothier

NEW YORK CITY-Liz Claiborne has acquired a $23.6 million interest in Westcoast Contempo Fashions Ltd., a Vancouver, British Columbia-based clothing designer and retailer. The company operates clothing brands and a handful of retail stores under the names Mac & Jac, Kenzie and Kenziegirl.

Mac & Jac, a fashion-forward brand toward men and women, is mainly found in department stores like Dillard’s, Macy’s and Marshall Field’s. The company does have two US stores, in Bellevue (WA) Square near Seattle, and Third Street Promenade, in Santa Monica, CA, as well as about 40 units under a joint-venture agreement in China.

“Mac & Jac is well-positioned for significant organic growth through the opportunity for expanded distribution in the US department store and specialty store channels in addition to further penetration within its existing account base,” said Paul Charron, Liz Claiborne’s chairman and chief executive officer, in a statement. “We also are encouraged by the opportunity to expand specialty retail, which is in the early stages of development, as well as international opportunities through additional distribution and further growth in their Asian joint venture.”