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Inca Designs Inc. (OTCPK:IDGI) designs,
sources and sells high fashion designer swimwear, resort wear and accessories
for the wholesale and retail markets under the brand names Inca, Incagirl,
Incabag and Inca Junior. This New York-based swimwear and resort wear designer
markets its apparel through nearly 100 upscale department and specialty
stores, including Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue
and Neiman Marcus. Inca |
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branded apparel is sold in South America, Europe,
Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean. |
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The Inca brand was launched by fashion designer
Stephanie Hirsch in 1996. During a trip to Peru and while traveling the
Inca trails, Ms Hirsch was inspired by the beauty of her surroundings to
create a line of handbags that incorporated bright colors, intricate detailing
and exotic textiles. The handbag line enjoyed immediate success and gained
strong visibility when Hollywood celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Halle
Berry and Salma Hayek became early customers. Ms Hirsch expanded her business
by adding luxury swimwear and resort wear inspired with exotic influences
of Morocco, Mexico, Asia and Bali. Today, Inca Designs competes successfully
with high-end designer brands such as Masson and Dolce & Gabbana and
fashionable ready-to-wear lines such as Theory and Diane. Inca apparel has
been featured in the world's leading fashion magazines, including Vogue,
Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, Allure, Lucky, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan and
Oprah, and in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. |
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Inca Designs markets its apparel lines through
approximately 50 major US retailers and 20-30 international retailers. In
addition, the Company recently opened a flagship store on New York's Upper
East Side and will soon add a second retail store in Miami's trendy South
Beach area. The Company plans to establish a network of between four and
ten retail stores by 2010. Inca has also expanded its apparel lines to include
children's and teen's fashions and has also launched a line of home accessories.
The Company has already booked approximately $500,000 in sales in early
2008 and we anticipate Inca will reach the $3 million milestone in annualized
sales over the next 12 to 18 months. |
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Swimwear is a $13 billion worldwide market |
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The Company is a wholesaler and retailer of high-end
swimsuits and resort wear which appeals to fashion-conscious consumers.
Its swimsuits typically retail for $150 to $300. According to New York research
firm NDP Group, sales of two-piece swimsuits grew 20.5% in 2006, following
18.8% growth in the previous year. A $12.9 billion market in 2006, fashion
swimwear is forecast to grow to a |
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$13.5 billion market over the next few years.
Women's swimwear represents approximately 70% of the total market. Children's
swimwear is expected to account for approximately 14% of the market by 2012. |
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Flagship stores & new product lines accelerate
revenue growth |
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In October 2007, Inca Designs launched its new
line of "Inca Junior" children's apparel for boys consisting of
lightweight shirts, tunics, shorts, and lounge pants. Inca Girl is a collection
for girls ages 3 to 11. The Company also introduced a new line of home accessories
which includes luxury silk pillows, embroidered towels, table cloths and
other items. In the future, Inca may introduce its own jewelry, footwear,
intimate apparel, fashion accessories and furniture lines. |
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n addition, Inca recently opened a flagship store
on New York's Upper East Side. A second store, located in Miami's South
Beach area in the exclusive Gansevoort Hotel, will be opened soon. Inca
plans to open two more stores in key resort locations this year as well
as in Atlanta, Las Angeles, Dubai, Macau, London, St. Tropez, Hawaii and
Mexico. It expects to open between 4 and 10 new retail stores by 2010. |
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In addition to increasing its brand visibility
through Inca-branded retail outlets, the Company enhances its profit potential
since apparel sold in Inca stores will command a higher margin. Inca generates
gross margins of around 70% on swimsuits sold through third-party retailers.
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Differentiated apparel at affordable prices |
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The Company branded, high quality apparel retails
at prices below other designer brands and competitive with contemporary
high-fashion brands such as Theory, Diane and others. Because its prices
are affordable, Inca apparel appeals to a broad cross-section of consumers.
This in turn helps drive significant sales volume and solidifies brand loyalty
across an economically and demographically diverse customer base. |
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Strong Media Coverage |
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Advertisements in leading fashion magazines can
cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per ad. Inca has been able to achieve
the same level of visibility without spending a dime. The Company's apparel
has been featured in multi-page stories in Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Lucky,
Elle, Town and Country, Travel & Leisure the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
issue and numerous other national and international publications. Hollywood
celebrities such as Kelly Ripa, Kate Hudson, Carmen Electra, Jennifer Aniston,
Selma Hayek, Kathy Hilton, Hillary Swank and Vanessa Hudgens have been photographed
wearing Inca apparel. In addition, the Company's fashions have received
TV exposure on MTV's House of Style, E! Fashion File, Good Morning, America
and the Oprah Winfrey Show. |
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