2026 will bring continuous launches of major fashion partnerships for Concept One Accessories
With a well-rounded product range, Concept One Accessories (Concept One) is the go-to resource for licensed fashion and entertainment accessories. Established in 1999 by Sam Hafif, Concept One has grown to employ more than 100 people and aligned itself with over 50 licensing partners in each segment of the business. By continually investing in its design and sourcing capabilities, and strategic acquisitions, Concept One’s approach ensures the company’s long-term position as a proven leader in the accessories market.
CEO Sam Hafif joins us to elaborate on the strategy behind the company’s continued success. “Concept One launched in 1999 with the US Polo Association license for headwear, cold weather accessories, and a number of other categories,” he begins. “26 years later, we still hold that license, along with a large portfolio of the best-known fashion and entertainment brands in the world. Each brand we add complements the rest of the portfolio and offers our retail partners the broadest range of lifestyle and fashion brands. We’re truly an anchor resource for our retail buyers.
“We produce high quality licensed products for the full family. The primary categories that drive most of our revenue are soft accessories, handbags, and luggage. We’re a vertically integrated company, managing the entire process including design, sourcing, and distribution of all products.”
Indeed, Concept One’s unique capability to design and translate fashion trends for all market accounts and price points allows the company to develop products for a wide variety of consumers. Alongside more than 50 licenses for partner brands, Concept One has a portfolio of owned brands, including Fūl, Danielle Nicole, Block Headwear, and Blue Marlin.
“New licenses come to us primarily through agencies or licensing managers for each of the brands, although some come via our retail partners,” Sam explains. “We always consider whether the brand or property will be complimentary to our portfolio, so as not to cannibalize the business but rather to build a broader assortment for our retail partners. All of our partnerships are crucial to the business, but the addition of True Religion in 2023 really catapulted our handbag business. We now have eight major handbag brands in the portfolio, which gives us a strong platform to further expand the category.
“Handbags and small leather goods now account for around 40 percent of our revenue,” he adds. “With the addition of Rebecca Minkoff and Kenneth Cole, we decided to build out new headquarters, which include seven new handbag showrooms. These unique environments allow us to present products in an inspirational manner and share our vision with our retail partners. We’re also building out a large luggage and travel space, as well as expanding our soft accessories and license showrooms. Once complete, we will have a total of ten showrooms featuring all our brands and products.”
Comprehensive support
When it comes to design, Concept One has one of the most diversified, dynamic, and talented in-house design studios in the market. Taking inspiration from the apparel industry rather than the accessories industry, the business is known for driving innovation in fashion accessories. “We’ve been expanding our design departments in New York and London, as the London team has access to European brands and retailers that we can’t easily visit,” Sam explains. “The London team bring a different perspective to the designs they create, enhancing the variety of looks we translate to our products. The UK product development team also works with the Shanghai sourcing team during overlapping work hours, which enables us to keep the workflow moving 24 hours a day.”
Once designed, Concept One’s team in Shanghai, China, oversee sourcing, quality control, and factory compliance. The company’s network of manufacturing partners is ISO certified and supervised at various stages of production to ensure Concept One’s products are manufactured to its quality standards.
Concept One also supports its brands with comprehensive marketing and public relations programs, including national and trade advertising, point of purchase displays, catalogs, social media, and public relations. In terms of sales and distribution, the company has distribution in virtually every retail chain in North America, as well as more than 1400 specialty stores. With two strategically located national distribution facilities in California and New Jersey, Concept One leverages state-of-the-art digital systems to ensure its operations run smoothly and efficiently. “We leverage the Webtech product lifecycle management software platform to provide our suppliers and employees with access to tech packs, licensor approvals, and packaging updates in real time,” Sam says.
Exciting launches
Alongside its services, Concept One prides itself on being at the forefront of sustainable production and sourcing. “In 2023, we converted all trims, hangtags, j-hooks, woven labels, and polybags to recycled materials, and all our factories are registered with HIGG, where we monitor progress towards reducing their carbon footprint,” Sam explains. “Most recently, through our new license with Lego, we’ve learned about new technologies and options to minimize the environmental impact in our offices and warehouses.”
To cope with continued growth, Concept One is preparing to move into new headquarters in New York. “We’ve been increasing our head count to support our growth for quite some time, so the move is driven by a need for both showroom and office space,” Sam elaborates. “The new space will have elements of flexibility and customization so that we can create fresh environments for each market. Our design spaces are being built to maximize collaboration, and we’re also building out a buyer lounge, where buyers can stay and work as long as they need in comfort.”
As our conversation ends, Sam offers his final thoughts on the future direction of Concept One. “We’ve been expanding our portfolio, primarily on the men’s side of the business, and we’ve recently added Palm Angels and Weatherproof Vintage to our soft accessories range,” he concludes. “Our biggest launches for 2026 will be Kenneth Cole and Lego; both are huge opportunities for us, and we’ve invested a lot of resources to ensure they are successful.”