NEW YORK and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Kersh, the prominent Canadian fashion label specializing in contemporary women's fashions, extends its brand with the debut of its first-ever line of handbags at the WWD MAGIC Conference and trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada Feb. 16 through 18, 2010. The handbags represent one of the many licensed products that the Kersh brand is looking to sign.

The new handbags, designed and developed in Italy, perfectly reflect the Kersh brand's natural west coast vibe with a look that is relaxed, chic, sexy and feminine. The line is a brand-strengthening addition to the Kersh signature fashion collection that includes dresses, skirts, pants, cardigans, sweaters, jackets, blouses and tees.

"A strong brand is a company's market identity, and whenever you license your brand to new product categories, it's crucial to ensure those branded products deliver a seamless, consistent message to your customers," observed Judi Seidman, President of InGroup Licensing. "InGroup is working with Kersh to bring their highly regarded international reputation for chic and sexy contemporary fashion to a wide range of women's apparel and accessory products their customers will love. We're proud and excited to see the first of these – the handbag line – make its public debut."

"We're thrilled to introduce this beautiful new line of handbags at MAGIC. We see it as a big step forward in enhancing our brand awareness," commented Sandy Dombroski, Sales and Marketing Director for Kersh's parent company, International Fashions Ltd. "InGroup thoroughly grasped our brand's vision and commitment to quality as well as the style, look and attitude of our target audience. Judi has an exceptional sense of which products fit best with our brand, and the business acumen to select the right licensing partners to effectively extend our brand in the market."

InGroup Licensing, Kersh's exclusive licensing agents, orchestrated the brand licensing partnership between Kersh and Luxelite, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-end handbags and luggage. The deal expands the Kersh brand for the first time into a new product category, and affords Luxelite the opportunity to bring their products to different markets, leveraging Kersh's well established distribution channels. The handbags will be marketed through leading department stores and specialty boutiques in the U.S. and Canada.

The Kersh fashion line, including the new handbags, will be featured in the Kersh booth #73921 in the Central Hall exhibit area at the Women's Wear Daily Magic 2010 convention.  WWD Magic showcases the complete fashion range for women's wear, highlighting hot brands, new lines and upcoming trends. The convention brings thousands of manufacturers from all around the world together, giving retailers an unparalleled opportunity to survey and shop the entire marketplace.

About Kersh

Kersh, a unit of International Fashions, focuses on quality, styling, texture and color, balancing femininity and wearability. The company has become a household name and an international success by offering today's stylish and confident woman contemporary apparel at great prices. Kersh fashions are sold throughout Europe, Asia and North America at over 1,400 leading department and specialty stores. U.S. retailers include Macy's, Dillard's, Nordstrom, The Bay, Von Maur, Buckle and Bloomingdales, among others. Headquartered in Vancouver, Kersh maintains showrooms in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.  For more information visit www.kersh.ca

About InGroup Licensing

InGroup is a full-service licensing agency specializing in the fashion industry, concentrating in fashion and lifestyle brand extensions with an emphasis on youth brands.  InGroup develops programs that fully integrate the disciplines of marketing, merchandising, advertising, and promotion while increasing revenue and bolstering profit. Based in New York, InGroup works with some of the hottest brands in the market. For information visit www.ingrouplicensing.com

SOURCE Kersh