Mr Silas Chou
Chairman, Novel Fashion Holdings Ltd

Silas Chou is President and CEO of Novel Holdings Group, one of the world’s leading vertically-integrated textile and apparel manufacturers and fashion brand owners. Silas is Co-Chairman of Sportswear Holdings, a private investment company for international fashion designer brands and also Chairman of Novel Fashion Holdings, a dedicated international fashion brand investment group in Greater China.

After co-owning and operating Poloco S.A., the European licensee for Polo Ralph Lauren, Silas and his longtime business associate, Lawrence Stroll, formed Sportswear Holdings in 1989 to acquire Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, where Silas served as Chairman and then Co-Chairman from 1989 to 2002. In 1992, Sportswear Holdings listed Tommy Hilfiger on the NYSE, and it grew from a $25 million US men’s apparel company to a multinational $2 billion brand in just 8 years. This exceptional track record is regarded as one of the major success stories of the past decades.

In January 2003, Sportswear Holdings completed one of the most dynamic acquisitions in the fashion industry when it acquired a majority interest in Michael Kors (USA), Inc. As Co-Chairman until its IPO and a Director of Michael Kors, Silas has been instrumental in the rebranding, revitalization and strategic positioning of the company. Today, Michael Kors is a rapidly growing global luxury lifestyle brand, led by a world-class management team and a renowned, award-winning designer, with a presence in over 70 countries. In late 2011, Michael Kors (NYSE: KORS) made its debut on the NYSE and broke US records as the biggest ever public offering in the fashion industry. Its market capitalization exceeded $10 Billion by December 2012.

In addition to the stake in Michael Kors, Novel Holdings Group and affiliates currently have interests in other global luxury brand names, including Tommy Hilfiger Asia, Pepe Jeans, Hackett and Karl Lagerfeld, all of which are overseen by Silas at a strategic level.

In 2008, Silas took another step to expand the fashion and home brand investments with a specific focus in Greater China. He teamed up with Iconix Brand Group (NYSE: ICON) to form Iconix China Holdings based on a unique business model tailored for the Greater China market. Iconix China has already established joint ventures with experienced and proven business partners for London Fog, Rampage, Badgley Mischka, Candies, Royal Velvet, Ed Hardy and Material Girl. In addition, joint venture negotiations are underway for several other Iconix China portfolio brands, including Danskin,Joe Boxer, Charisma, Ecko and Mossimo.

Capitalizing on the success of its core business and finance expertise, Silas has diversified Novel Holdings Group into different asset classes by developing an internal, professionally-managed investment business. The group has teams of specialists engaged in sourcing, evaluating and managing a portfolio of global private equity investments with a specific focus in real estate, technology, life sciences, as well as consumer goods and services which include food and beverage.