EXCLUSIVE: Aldo Group Adds G.H. Bass License Via New G-III Deal
Aldo Product Services (APS), a division of the Aldo Group, has inked a new deal with G-III Apparel Group to become the strategic licensing partner for the G.H. Bass brand.
Under the terms of the seven-year exclusive licensing agreement, APS will design, manufacture, distribute, market and sell G.H. Bass footwear, bags and small leather goods starting in the spring/summer 2026 season.
The deal also gives Aldo Group the rights to distribute G.H. Bass products across authorized retail channels in North America. This partnership also includes the management of the e-commerce platform, Ghbass.com. G-III previously had the brand’s operations in-house prior to this deal.
According to Jeffrey Goldfarb, executive vice president at G-III Apparel Group (which purchased the footwear brand from PVH in 2013), the new license will “extend the reach” of G.H. Bass to a broader consumer base.
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“Aldo’s expertise in footwear, along with their extensive supplier network and proven omnichannel capabilities, will strengthen the presence of G.H. Bass by offering an expanded range of products both online and in-store,” Goldfarb said.
Jonathan Frankel, president of Aldo Product Services, told FN in an exclusive interview that the company will take some of its learnings from its Sperry transformation – since taking on the brand license last January – and apply it to G.H. Bass.
“We have a proven playbook on rebuilding brands, especially heritage and icon brands, in the footwear space,” Frankel said. “When we’re empowered to drive brand content, positioning, identity, messaging, e-commerce, as well as really resetting the product strategy around those iconic styles, we find success.”
Frankel added that the company will work on curating special partnerships and fashion collaborations for G.H. Bass, while also focusing on the brand’s signature Weejuns loafer range.
“This is a beautiful recipe for bringing in younger generations to the brands that we work on,” Frankel noted. “And G.H. Bass has such an incredible archival library to pull from, and we will be leaning into our sourcing capabilities to unlock a lot of categories for the brand.”
And amidst all of the current uncertainty in the footwear industry, Frankel admitted that now is a “wild time” to take on a new partnership but he’s ready for the challenge. “One of my favorite quotes comes from Albert Einstein, where he says, ‘In every crisis lies great opportunity,’” Frankel cited. “It’s one of my favorites. And it truly is all about growth and innovation and mixing things up. But our sourcing right now is in a more resilient state than say eight years ago, so I feel confident in launching this new project.”
As for when buyers will be able to get a first look at the new Aldo Group-designed product, Frankel noted that he will be able to show key wholesale partners the new direction of G.H. Bass in terms of pricing, product and merchandising by FFANY market week in June. Physical prototypes are expected in July.
“It’s a little later than we would like it,” Frankel admitted. “But I rather do it right than do it rushed – especially with a brand like this where you want to be really thoughtful on the strategy.”
Frankel expects to be on a regular product schedule for the fall ’26 season, which will debut during FFANY in December. By then, retailers can expect to see an expansion into everyday dress styles as well as comfort and boots, the exec noted.
“This partnership is about more than strategy — it’s about vision,” Frankel added. “In the face of evolving market conditions, this is not the time to slow down. There has never been a more compelling moment to unlock the full potential of an iconic American heritage brand.”
The heritage footwear brand traces its roots to 1876 when George Henry Bass got into the shoe business in Wilton, Maine. He is credited with making plough shoes for farmers, moccasins for woodsmen and even outfitted golfer Bobby Jones for all of the sport’s major championships. But his most famous creation was the Weejun, a revamped Norwegian farm shoe and the world’s first penny loafer, which he introduced in 1936.
