HanesBrands appoints new chief design officer for global innerwear

By

Robin Driver

Published
Mar 4, 2021

Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based apparel group HanesBrands announced on Wednesday that it has named company veteran Jane Newman as chief design officer for global innerwear.

 
In her new role, Newman will lead design in HanesBrands’ recently created global innerwear organization. She will therefore be responsible for delivering products across the company’s innerwear brands, which include Hanes, Bonds, Maidenform, DIM, Bali, Playtex, Bras N Things, and Berlei.
 
She will be based in New York and will report to HanesBrands’ group president for global innerwear, Joe Cavaliere.

Newman, who has three decades of experience in design and product development, first joined HanesBrands as head of design for the Bonds brand in 2004.
 
Since then, she has held a range of other roles at the company, having most recently served as creative director at Hanes Australasia. In this position, she led the region’s design, product development, research and development, and quality assurance teams.
 
Newman holds a bachelor’s degree in design, fashion and textiles from the University of Technology in Sydney.
 
“Transforming the organization to leverage our strengths, ensure focus and build global brands is key to our Full Potential plan,” said HanesBrands CEO Steve Bratspies in a release. “Jane’s leadership has been instrumental in driving growth in Australasia. Her experience and consumer focus will enable us to unlock the enormous growth opportunities of our U.S. innerwear brands.”
 
As for Cavaliere, he highlighted Neman’s strong track record in product innovation, as well as her success in incorporating sustainability into product design, reflecting a socially and environmentally responsible approach that the company is also seeking to embody.
 
Along with its innerwear business, HanesBrands owns a broad range of sportswear and basic apparel brands, including Champion and Gear for Sports.
 
In 2020, the company’s net sales fell 4.3% to $6.7 billion, while its net loss totaled $75.6 million, or $0.21 per diluted share.
 
In February, the group announced that it plans to reconsider its European operations as part of a strategy which aims to optimize its business.