Harley-Davidson Steps Up Branded Apparel Efforts With Additions of Former Nike, Yeezy Executives

Harley-Davidson has been making a concerted effort to increase and overhaul its branded apparel and other merchandise, having removed its apparel from Amazon in the hopes that people buy gear directly from the brand.

Harley’s latest push to bolster its merchandise presence is the addition of Erica Bullard, who most recently worked at Nike as vice president and general manager for New York City and the Eastern U.S., to lead its global apparel and licensing business.

Bullard will reportedly take over as senior vice president of apparel and licensing.

According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, Harley-Davidson just opened a studio in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City, as well as a design studio and archive in its native Milwaukee.

Today we’re thrilled to share our 2022 model year lineup, from new performance-focused additions to our cruiser & touring lineup to dialed-up premium details in our latest CVO family & the latest accessories, apparel & events. Watch the full reveal here: https://t.co/6LNjJfvZxn

— Harley-Davidson Company News (@NewsFromHD) January 26, 2022

“As one of the most iconic brands in the world, the potential to grow our overall apparel and licensing business is significant, and is one of the ore pillars of our hardwire strategy,” Jochen Seitz, chairman, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson, told the Milwaukee Business Journal.

Harley-Davidson also added designer Louise Goldin, who previously worked with Kanye West’s Yeezy brand, as creative director. Goldin will lead the studio and design teams in New York and Milwaukee. The company reported $4.6 billion in overall revenue in 2019, of which licensing accounted for $35.9 million and $237.6 million came from general merchandise including apparel.

The addition of new hires with strong apparel backgrounds at major brands like Nike and Yeezy shows just how committed Harley-Davidson is at expanding into lifestyle-brand territory.

We've recently seen other consumer brands go this route with great success, most notably Peloton, whose apparel sales topped $100 million in 2021, and fellow automaker Ford, who hired the great-great granddaughter of Henry Ford to the newly-created position of global brand merchandising director.