AG Denim Brand Appoints Glenn McMahon as First Managing Director

For more than two decades, AG, a denim and knitwear brand in Los Angeles, has operated without a CEO. At that time, the label was headed by company co-founder Yul Ku.

But things change. AG recently announced that Glenn McMahon, who has worked with several high profile fashion companies including St. John Knits, Dolce & Gabbana, Liz Claiborne, Donna Karan and Giorgio Armani, has been named the company's first Chief Executive Officer.

Sam Ku, the owner's son, will remain company president.

"Glenn brings a wealth of experience to our leadership team and is the right business lead for this time in our business," Ku said in a statement. "He has led brands through periods of rapid growth and transformational change."

Ku has been in the denim business for nearly four decades. In 1985, he established Koos Manufacturing, now the only vertically integrated jeans factory on the West Coast. At its 400,000 square foot factory in southeast Los Angeles, the company has in the past made denim pants for several well-known brands, including Lucky Brand, Abercrombie & Fitch, Banana Republic and J. Crew. Koos Manufacturing also has a major blue jeans factory in Aguascalientes, Mexico, where 80-85% of the brand's production is carried out by the factory's 750 workers.

In 2000, Ku worked with Adriano Goldschmied, the man known as the Italian godfather of denim, to launch AG Jeans. Four years later, Goldschmied sold his brand to Ku, who continued to make the brand a contemporary brand. Today, the AG co-founder turned to McMahon to help him expand into various denim and knitwear categories.

"I love that it's a vertical operation and the brand has been around for over 20 years," McMahon said. "Mr. Ku is a believer in quality, workmanship and fit, which matches my experiences before."

In addition to its denim offerings, AG produced a limited selection of knit tops, which make up about 25% of the company's apparel. But there will be a major expansion of knitting. Last year, the company purchased several Japanese knitting machines for its US and Mexican facilities.

The expansion of knitwear will primarily be in tops that can be worn with denim. “We are categorized as a premium denim brand with a luxury customer who buys six pairs of bottoms and then walks across the street to buy luxury tops. Mr. Ku's vision is for the brand to expand beyond its current offerings,” McMahon said.

There will also be expanded denim classifications. “There is a huge o...