Immediate Release April 2011 - Updated August 2011 | Press Contact: Shelley Lipto |   | (212-750-6654) | liptonpublicity@aol.com

MARIKA: PUSHING THE TECHNOLOGICAL BOUNDARIES WHILE NEVER LOSING SIGHT OF THE BASICS

(Commerce, Ca./New York, NY): "At Marika," says Carrie Henley, the company's Executive VP and General Manager, "we use the most innovative performance materials and technologies, and our designers are among the finest in the industry. We listen carefully to what our customers really want, and then we create the active wear that works best for them in both function and appearance." Marika® has followed this prescription ever since 1982, when it opened for business in California—where it remains to this day as part of privately-held FAM BRANDS—on the crest of the aerobic exercise wave and the boom in demand for related clothing. By doing so, it has firmly established itself as a dynamic leader in the field of technologically-advanced, functional, stylish, well-made and affordable active and lifestyle wear—and in the process has notched up over $2bn in retail sales across a wide distribution including department stores, sporting goods chains, specialty stores, gyms, yoga studios, spas and catalogs—as well as more recently at www.marika.com.

• The original Marika label—a constantly improving lifestyle-driven active-wear brand designed for multi-sport activities from gym to Pilates, yoga to cardio—continues today as vigorously as ever. Over the years the brand's strong line of Basics in a huge range of styles and colors has formed the foundation of many a retailer's core business and of millions of women’s exercise wardrobes. Recently, it was further strengthened by the addition of the Marika®tek line, which features Dry-Wik®, Marika's exclusive technically-advanced breathable, super soft, moisture-wicking polyester/spandex fabric for the ultimate in cool dry comfort.
  
  
• Marika’s second brand, Balance Collection, offers superbly comfortable clothes for the modern woman's hectic lifestyle as she moves constantly from one activity to the next. Designed with yoga and Pilates in mind but perfect for any activity, Balance Collection’s exercise and lifestyle pieces are still stylish, fashionable and feminine enough to wear round town. As Marketing Director, Marla Echt says, “With Marika, women don’t have to make a choice between appearance and performance. Everything we manufacture combines high functionality with a level of style that always makes the wearer look her best.”
  
  
• Perhaps the most exciting category advancement at Marika right now is in the shapewear sector, where the Marika® Miracles brand has firmly established itself as the UNQUESTIONED MARKET LEADER in the hottest part of that red-hot market—shape-enhancing active wear. Last year saw the super-successful launch of this new collection of technically-advanced shape-enhancing bras, tanks and pants, all of which feature Marika-exclusive ELASTA-TIGHT™ Dry-Wik® fabric and incorporate patent pending design and technologies to instantaneously improve the wearer’s shape. In fact, one of the most-followed and highly-respected specialists in the field, Charla Krupp, has recognized Marika Miracles’ quality and effectiveness by recommending the Miraculous Butt Booster with Tummy Control in her latest NY Times best seller, How to Never Look Fat Again, and identifying Marika Miracles as a best brand in this highly competitive sector. Marika has also introduced the stretch cotton fabric Marika® Magic sub-brand, sold widely at retailers such as Lady Foot Locker and Academy Sports + Outdoors, which offers all the ELASTA-TIGHT benefits at a more affordable price point. Marika has taken the concept of shape enhancement even a step further when a sportswear/apparel collection of v-necks, wraps and mock neck tops featuring Tone Technology, in a beautiful range of jewel tones and classics debuted on QVC May 9, 2011.

“We are working constantly to bring the most innovative and desirable shape-enhancing active-wear products to the market and to introduce new products to this outstandingly successful line,” says Frank Zarabi, CEO and owner of Marika’s parent company, FAM BRANDS, which also manufactures under license for brands such as Bally Total Fitness, Laura Ashley and Eddie Bauer. “We are also always pursuing other opportunities for getting our products to customers. For example, Marika recently struck a deal with Dick’s Sporting Goods to leverage Marika Miracles technology in a private label product called Shape Tek. The Marika brand itself has also expanded into the flourishing large size market with a collection of stylish and comfortable garments available through online specialist www.lanebryant.com.”

For Marika, this is only the beginning, as the company is continually developing and perfecting new technologies and concepts with more launches on the way!