Previously owned by Prada and Change Capital Partners (CCP), the minimalist fashion house is owned by GIBO, the European unit of Japanese apparel group Onward Holdings. GIBO acquired the company in 2008. Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons now fills Jil Sander's shoes as creative director. The company sells women's and men's apparel, as well as accessories, footwear, jewelry, eyewear, and fragrances. Established in 1978, it also operates about a dozen stores, in addition to 50 franchised locations worldwide, and sells its products in such high-end shops as Bergdorf Goodman and Barney's.

Hugo Boss outfits inhabitants of (and aspirants to) the corner office with brands including BOSS, a line targeted at executives; trendy, casual HUGO; and the more uptrend BOSS Selection. Hugo Boss designs and licenses clothes, accessories, cosmetics, and fragrances sold through its 1,200 shops and other retailers in some 80 countries. Known for its menswear, Hugo Boss has also entered womenswear, footwear, and leather goods. The firm was founded by its namesake in 1923 to make work clothes. It moved into suits in the 1950s and expanded beyond business wear in the 1990s. Hugo Boss is part of the Valentino Fashion Group.

Victory turns its consumers into winners -- or at least helps them look like winners. Victory Corporation, operating through its Virgin Cosmetics Company and Virgin Ware apparel outlet, distributes Virgin Vie cosmetics and toiletries. The company operates about 15 retail and outlet Virgin stores (some of which have in-house spa treatment facilities) in the UK. However, most sales are generated directly from its some 12,000 home-based sales consultants. Victory also operates a retail web site and catalog. Founded in 1997, the company launched its own clothing line in 2005. It was publicly traded on the London AIM until 2007, when it was delisted.

John Smedley wants to bathe its customers in a knitted medley of textures and colors. The company makes fashionable knitwear for men, women, and children, as well as underwear and nightwear. Its products are sold through department stores and boutiques, as well as through a pair of company retail outlets and a Web site. In early 2009, John Smedley redesigned its London flagship. Founded in 1784 by John Smedley and Peter Nightengale (uncle of famed nurse Florence), it runs the world's largest fine-gauge knitting plant (which remains located at its original site). The Smedley family still owns most of the firm.

Neways, Inc. was established in 1992 by Tom and Dee Mower, veterans of the chemical industry. Neways helps consumers find new ways to live clean, healthy lives. The company designs and makes products that are free of harmful ingredients for wellness (nutritional supplements, weight management), beauty (cosmetics, hair treatments), and household care (automotive, laundry supplies). Its products are distributed to about 30 countries worldwide. Neways has corporate offices in Australia, Israel, Japan, and the US, among other countries. The Mowers eventually sold Neways to private equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2006.

M. Hidary & Co., Inc. company, founded in 1948 by Max and Moe Hidary, operates under The Hidary Group, an investor group that has holdings in consumer products, real estate, technology, and financial services. M. Hidary & Co., Inc. company makes apparel for men and children under numerous brand names, including Bon Bebe, Russell, Everlast, Amy Byer, Maui & Sons, and Pacific Trail. M. Hidary also makes licensed items under a dozen agreements for Marvel Entertainment and Disney, as well as apparel under private label. It sells its products through big box chains (Wal-Mart, Target), specialty stores (Sports Authority), national retailers (Sears), and catalogs (Global Sports Interactive).

Mary Kay Cosmetics Ltd., founded in 1993, represents one of Mary Kay's more than 30 international markets. The UK boasts more than 5,000 independent sales representatives who work full-time or part-time based out of their homes. These sales reps peddle Mary Kay products directly to customers at home parties or at work. Mary Kay's products include skin care, cosmetics, fragrances, nail polish, men's grooming products, and sunscreen.

Founded in 1921, Renfro makes hundreds of styles of socks and markets them in North America through department stores, specialty stores, and e-commerce sites. Renfro company's brands and trademarks include Fruit of the Loom, Starter, Fit First, Vassarette, and Ducks Unlimited (licensed in Canada). Renfro makes and markets socks in the southern US, as well as in India, Turkey, Pakistan, and Mexico. The firm distributes its products to customers from facilities based in the US (specifically the Carolinas), Europe, Canada, and Mexico. Renfro also owns classic knee-sock company Bonnie Doon.

Embotelladoras Arca (Arca) wants you to have some Joya in life. The second largest distributor of Coca-Cola products in Mexico (Coca-Cola FEMSA is #1), Arca sold its Joya trademarks and formulas to Coca-Cola in 2004 but continues to produce and distribute the brand itself. It also sells Ciel bottled water and Tipp soda, as well as the usual Coke brands. Arca does business in eight northern states of Mexico. The company was formed through the 2001 merger of three of the oldest bottling groups in Mexico: Proyeccin Corporativa, Embotelladoras Argos, and Empresas El Carmen.

Fortunately for its consumers, "MOP" is merely an acronym for the corporation and not an adjective describing its end users' hairstyles. Modern Organic Products (familiarly known as "MOP") makes organic hair care and skin care products that are sold by professional salons and specialty retailers nationwide. Brands include MOP, c-system, and glisten. It also makes American Crew- and d:fi-branded products and sells them through their own Web sites, as well as through haircare professionals. The company supports development of its products without testing on animals.

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