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Xcel Brands has signed a licensing agreement with KBL Group, the New York and Hong Kong sourcing firm that will now handle production for Coco Rocha‘s debut ready-to-wear label, OFF/DUTY. The deal was confirmed on July 6 from Xcel’s New York headquarters. KBL will manage sourcing, manufacturing, and supply chain for the collection, which is scheduled to debut this fall.
KBL Group has been in operation since 1985, running combined offices in New York and Hong Kong that cover design, sourcing and manufacturing. Robert W. D’Loren, chairman and chief executive of Xcel Brands, said the partnership was critical to executing Rocha’s vision at the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship. David Guisinger, chief executive of KBL Group, described the collaboration as a modern approach to dressing, calling it both aspirational and accessible.
Xcel did not previously have in-house manufacturing capability. KBL fills that gap directly. The firm describes itself as a sourcing and brand development partner working with fashion and lifestyle clients from initial concept through final delivery, which is the specific function Xcel needed for this launch. Product development and manufacturing both now sit with KBL.
The choice of a firm with four decades of sourcing experience and dual operations across New York and Hong Kong is worth understanding in context. Xcel’s distribution model operates at volume. The portfolio has generated more than five billion dollars in retail sales through livestreaming and digital channels since the company was founded in 2011. Broadcast partnerships reach roughly 200 million households. That reach requires a production partner capable of delivering at scale and against retail timelines. KBL’s existing infrastructure is what makes the distribution model workable for a brand that does not yet exist on a shelf.
Production partnerships often determine whether a new label succeeds beyond its first season. Manufacturing influences fabric sourcing, quality control, production schedules, and inventory management, all of which affect how consistently products reach consumers. For a brand launching across multiple retail and digital channels, those operational decisions can be just as important as the creative vision behind the collection. Consequently, KBL’s role is central to OFF/DUTY’s commercial rollout.
OFF/DUTY launched in June with a clear brief. The pieces are meant to reflect what Rocha wears when she is not working. Sweaters, coats, denim, totes. The garments are designed for busy schedules, offering wardrobe staples that transition easily from travel to work and everyday life. At launch, Rocha presented the collection as a wardrobe intended to move easily between travel, work and everyday wear. Xcel confirmed that accessories will follow the initial ready-to-wear line, though no timeline has been set for that expansion.
Rocha has modelled for major design houses for more than two decades, with appearances across European and North American fashion markets. She founded a training programme for aspiring and working models, Coco Rocha Model Camp. It currently serves as a mentor and host on Project Runway Canada. Her following spans fashion, television and social media, and Xcel is building the brand across all three.
The wider Xcel roster provides the commercial context. It includes Halston and C. Wonder, which the company owns outright, and co-branded lines with Christie Brinkley, Cesar Millan and chef Gemma Stafford, among others. Celebrity and public figure names anchor most of what Xcel brings to market. OFF/DUTY follows that structure. Whether the label builds lasting traction depends on something Xcel’s infrastructure cannot supply on its own: a product that earns repeat purchases after the launch window closes.
Model-founded fashion labels have a mixed commercial record outside of their debut moments. The ones with longevity tend to be built around a product idea specific enough to work independently of the founder’s visibility. Once the QVC debut is over, the brand’s long-term performance will depend less on launch-day demand and more on whether shoppers come back for future purchases.
Xcel has not disclosed pricing for OFF/DUTY, and neither company has confirmed where the line will sit within QVC’s price architecture. QVC remains the retail anchor, with a general fall 2026 debut window. Rocha also has a separate limited edition handbag capsule with Baggallini arriving in the same period. That agreement is independent of the KBL deal.
The company’s brands reach consumers through interactive television, livestream retail, social commerce, brick-and-mortar stores and online channels. KBL’s manufacturing agreement now covers that entire distribution footprint for this label.
The true measure of OFF/DUTY will come when the collection reaches consumers in fall 2026. KBL has to produce the collection at the volume Xcel’s retail partners require, on schedule, at a price QVC shoppers will pay. Until that happens, OFF/DUTY is an agreement, a concept, and a name on the door.
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