IBrands Global is an international supply chain platform and brand group that operates in the fashion, wellness and foodservice industries. They have acquired apparel line Pam &. Gela. Malinda Behrs has been appointed general manager of the apparel vertical by the company. She will oversee all brand development for Blue desire, Bebe, EBY and Alloy. IBrands has also named Jameelah Bucher Pam & Gela is now the lead designer.
Behrens’ appointment as divisional general manger, and the acquisition of Pam & Gela are both significant and signals a greater focus on IBrand’s apparel vertical. It will adopt a modern approach in rebuilding Pam & Gela.
Marc Garson, IBrands chairman and global founder, said that Malinda is a former chief merchandising officers at Carbon38, senior vice-president of merchandising at Juicy Couture and president of Monica Chiang. She also serves as vice president for international business development at Club Monaco/Polo Ralph Lauren. “We see Malinda’s role as one that will help shape the company’s future in the fashion and retail sector. We are thrilled to have her.”
IBrands will be relaunching Pam & Gela in the next few months. The brand will continue to invest in e-commerce and introduce technology to speed product delivery and improve customer satisfaction. IBrands also plans to create virtual showrooms to increase wholesale growth. New e-commerce merchandise strategies include high-end fashion capsule collections, with 8-12 new SKUs per month.
IBrands has a track record of success when it comes to rebranding apparel companies after acquisition. IBrands purchased Alloy Apparel, a direct-to-consumer brand for tall women. Sales increased an average 150 percent annually for three consecutive years. Behrens will be joining Remy Garson (IBrands CEO), Cole Garson (chief operating officer) and Darryn Garson (chief growth officer). With Behrens’ guidance, company executives have indicated their intention to make more acquisitions in fashion in 2022.
The circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic caused Pam & Gela go into hiatus, which allowed for the brand to be acquired and its leadership to change. Customers can expect new products to arrive via Pam & Gela as soon as February. Pam & Gela online store will grow into a complete lifestyle collection by July.
Behrens stated that the brand’s “unique customer loyalty and brand DNA will make it a strong brand,” in a statement. “Coming from Carbon38 I went to school with the idea of ‘solving her day’. I plan to take a lot of what I learned at Carbon38 and apply it to Pam & Gela brand. This brand has a strong design heritage and senses of tradition. Pam & Gela was a keystone of the shift away structural dressing and helped to create the age of athleisure. I couldn’t be happier about the opportunities to grow this brand.”
Pam & Gela was founded in 2015. They are described as the creators of casual chic, where effortless style has been transformed into a world full of great tees and sweats. Gela describes themselves as a mix of relaxed Rock ‘n roll Bohemian and feminine with edginess. The brand is known for its everyday style that elevates and brings ‘West Coast chic’ to the rest of the world.
The IBrands team was a leading supplier of safety and PPE to the food service industry during the pandemic. IBrands is actively seeking new business opportunities and growth opportunities as companies navigate the supply chain and pandemic.
