Mexx is a clothing chain and design firm that operates stores around the world. The company sells clothing and accessories for men, women, and children. The brand has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Liz Claiborne fashion company since 2001.
History
In the 1970s, fashion designer Rattan Chadha supplied clothes for department and wholesale stores in the Netherlands, which were specifically designed and labelled for the stores. Revamping his business in 1980, he created two popular clothing brands - "Moustache" for men and "Emanuelle" for women. Both labels had coordinated collections focused on lifestyle and youth fashion. In 1986 the two brand names were merged to form: M (from Moustache) + E (from Emanuelle) + XX (an abbreviation for "kiss kiss" ) to create MEXX. In 1990 Mexx launched a new line - Mexx Kids, followed in 1996 by Babymexx.
Over time, Mexx has grown to become an international brand with stores in over 65 countries. It has grown rapidly and is now an internationally prominent company, employing over 6000 people worldwide.
In 2001, Mexx was bought by the U.S. fashion company Liz Claiborne for $264 million.
Mexx entered the U.S. market in September 2003 with a New York City store located on 5th Avenue in a former Liz Claiborne flagship location. At one time, the company had eleven stores in the U.S. The venture did not prove to be successful, and the company closed seven of the stores in 2006 and the remaining four in 2007.
Recently, Mexx has struggled to keep up with trendier fashion chains, such as Zara and H&M. In 2006, Mexx only made a profit-margin of $10 million, which could not cover the rent in its established locations. Most of the earnings were made from its former flagship in New York, which ultimately led to its closing the following year.
