text: Aldo Group Inks Deal for Shellys Brand – Footwear News
  Apr 12, 2013 12:28PM EDT
  Aldo Group Inks Deal for Shellys Brand
  Shellys' fall ad campaign
  The Aldo Group's brand roster keeps getting bigger.
  Under its Aldo Product Services division, the Montreal-based company has signed a licensing agreement with Hong Kong's Eternal Best Industries to relaunch the Shellys London brand, beginning with a women's footwear collection for fall. The move follows a recent licensing deal with Bebe.
  Nicholas Matire, GM of Aldo Product Services, said his team is working to return Shellys to its retro roots while making it more relevant and approachable for today's young consumers.
  "Shellys grew up in the mod culture of the 1960s and 1970s, and became the 'it' brand in England," he said. "We want to leverage that amazing heritage, but reposition the brand to target the millennial shopper with more commercial, casual, street-fashion looks."
  The fall assortment draws from grunge, mod and rock influences, with silhouettes including high-top sneakers, biker boots, platform pumps, booties, creepers, Chelsea boots and Mary Jane shoes.
  Details such as houndstooth prints, spikes, exaggerated heels and black-and-white color combinations pervade the collection, which is priced from $69 to $179.
  To reach a bigger audience, Aldo is broadening the brand's distribution. Whereas in the past Shellys was a more niche, boutique-driven business, it now will be targeted to major department stores, fashion chains and e-tailers. Nordstrom, Macy's, Urban Outfitters, Zappos.com and Asos.com are among the retailers already signed on for the label's fall relaunch.
  A global push will commence immediately, targeting key markets including the U.K., France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, in addition to the U.S. and Canada.
  Looking ahead, Aldo plans to roll out handbags and men's shoes under the Shellys banner in 2014.
  "Shellys has always had a very strong history in men's footwear, so that will be an important part of the story," Matire said, noting that still more categories are slated for the future. "There is a lot of room for expansion."
  Encouraged by the enthusiastic reaction from the retail community, he added that Aldo is bullish about the future for the Shellys line.