Leading Women’s Apparel Designer Named to PROFIT W100 List
for Fifth Consecutive Year
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 11, 2009
(Vancouver, BC, Canada) — Linda Hipp, founder and principal designer of the leading women’s activewear brand LIJA, has been recognized in the 11th annual PROFIT W100 ranking of Canada’s Top Women Entrepreneurs by PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success magazine.
This is the fifth consecutive year Hipp has been named to the Profit W100 list, which profiles the country’s most successful female business owners as identified by the annual revenue of their companies. Earlier this year, PROFIT named LIJA one of Canada’s 100 fastest-growing companies overall.
“I feel very fortunate to be leading a business and developing a product that I love”, says Hipp. “Every day I get to be involved in something that I believe in and want to make better. On top of that, to be recognized by PROFIT alongside female leaders from across Canada is definitely an honor.”
Published in the November issue of PROFIT and online at www.profitmagazine.ca, the PROFIT W100 is Canada’s largest annual celebration of entrepreneurial achievement by women.
“The 2009 PROFIT W100 shatter the stereotypes about female business owners,” says Ian Portsmouth, Editor of PROFIT. “Canada’s Top Women Entrepreneurs lead fast-growing companies in a broad array of business sectors. They’re also innovative management thinkers and inspiring team leaders whose firms are particularly well positioned for the economic recovery.”
Building on its reputation for bridging the gap between on- and off-course style, the company’s Spring 2010 collections include golf, tennis and yoga apparel to provide the modern woman with clothing for all her leisure pursuits. Bringing runway elements to a range of sporting and leisure pursuits, the active and tennis collection incorporates long and lean silhouettes, tiers, ruffles, pleats and gathers in a wide range of garments that can serve as highlight or complementary pieces in the wardrobe of any active fashionista.
The line’s four new golf and sportswear collections were inspired by jubilation, and the individual color stories draw on the fun and happiness this word evokes. The groups offer bold hues and prints, as well as unique design details, including the creative use of buttons and stitching. Shipping of the Spring 2010 collections begins in January, while the Fall 2009 styles are currently in stores and online.
LIJA is available in finer retailers across North America, including Green Grass One accounts and world-renowned resorts and clubs like Kiawah Island, the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Princess Anne Country Club, Seattle Tennis Club and Whistling Straits. The company’s clothing is worn by scores of professional athletes worldwide, including rising tennis star Rebecca Marino and LPGA Tour player Leta Lindley, among others.
For more information, call 888.263.1191 or visit www.lijastyle.com.
About LIJA
LIJA is a market leader in fashion-forward styles featuring feminine and comfortable silhouettes inspired by the fusion of sport, leisure and fashion. The brand’s distinctive excellence is driven by LIJA’s passion, commitment and dedication to creating innovative designs.
Having received recognition within and outside the golf industry, LIJA has achieved significant organic annual sales growth. Enjoying a rapidly expanding sales force and account base in North America, LIJA recently began selling into the UK, Ireland, South Africa and UAE markets.
Recent recognition for the company includes:
• 2009 PROFIT 100 Rankings of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies
• 2009 Progressive Employer of Canada
• 2009 The Hackers Paradise Golfer’s Choice Award – Best Ladies Apparel
• 2008 Executive of the Year – Score Golf Magazine
• 2008 PROFIT W100 Rankings of Canada’s Top Women Entrepreneurs
• 2008 PGA Magazine — Resort Top Seller and Private Course Top Seller
• 2008 PROFIT 100 Rankings of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies
• 2007 “Business of the Year” — Richmond Chamber of Commerce
• 2006 Business in Vancouver “BC’s 50 Fastest-Growing Companies
Individually, Hipp has been named 2008 “Canadian Executive of the Year” by Score Golf, honored as a grant recipient of the Matinee Fashion Foundation Award, which recognizes and funds select Canadian designers, and voted a “40 Under 40” winner by Business in Vancouver.
An avid and highly-skilled golfer, Hipp struggled to find on-course apparel that meshed with her off-course fashion sensibility. Recognizing a market opportunity – and the chance to combine her passions for fashion, golf and business – Hyp Golf was launched in July 1997. The company re-branded as LIJA in late 2004. Chiefly influenced by both European trends and West Coast style, Hipp has garnered a reputation as one of North America’s hottest sportswear designers.
Contact:
Andrea Latta
Buffalo Communications
703.891.3383
alatta@billycaspergolf.com
