Perry Ellis International has reached beyond the confines of the fashion industry for its latest hire.
The Miami-based company has brought Kim Manna on board as president of global licensing. She was previously senior vice president of retail, e-commerce and licensing for Hard Rock International, a role she held for three years. Before that, she was chief executive officer of Panama Jack, where she is credited with transforming the company into a global lifestyle brand. She has also worked for Sony Pictures Entertainment and Saban Entertainment, according to her LinkedIn page.
Oscar Feldenkreis, chief executive officer of Perry Ellis, said, “Kim’s proven track record of building and growing consumer brands, coupled with her extensive experience in licensing, makes her an invaluable asset to our company.”
In this role, Manno will manage the licensing department and identify and capitalize on new opportunities across the company’s portfolio of brands, Feldenkreis added. Perry Ellis also owns Original Penguin by Munsingwear, Grand Slam, Ben Hogan and Gotcha. It already has more than 145 licenses in more than 55 countries, with a primary focus on Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East.
Perry Ellis International was purchased in 2018 by George Feldenkreis, father of Oscar Feldenkreis, for $437 million. The elder Feldenkreis had founded the company more than 50 years before. His story has become legend within the menswear industry. A Cuban immigrant who fled his home country in 1961 after Fidel Castro took control, he and his brother started a uniform business in the U.S. called Supreme International. That company went public in 1993 and after purchasing the Perry Ellis brand in 1999, changed its name to Perry Ellis International.
