Vince Holding Corp.: Form 10-Q for the period ended Oct 28, 2023

This discussion summarizes our consolidated operating results, financial condition and liquidity. The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this "Quarterly Report"). All amounts disclosed are in thousands except store counts, share and per share data and percentages. See Note 1 "Description of Business and Basis of Presentation" within the notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report for further information.

This discussion contains forward-looking statements involving risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our results to differ materially from expectations. For a discussion of the risks facing our business see "Item 1A—Risk Factors" of this Quarterly Report as well as in our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Executive Overview

We are a global retail company that operates the Vince brand women's and men's ready to wear business. We serve our customers through a variety of channels that reinforces our brand image. Previously, we also owned and operated the Rebecca Taylor and Parker brands until the sale of the respective intellectual property was completed, as discussed below.

Vince, established in 2002, is a leading global luxury apparel and accessories brand best known for creating elevated yet understated pieces for every day effortless style. Vince operates 49 full-price retail stores, 17 outlet stores, its e-commerce site, vince.com and through its subscription service Vince Unfold, vinceunfold.com, as well as through premium wholesale channels globally.

On April 21, 2023 the Company entered into a strategic partnership ("Authentic Transaction") with Authentic Brands Group, LLC ("Authentic"), a global brand development, marketing and entertainment platform, whereby the Company will contribute its intellectual property to a newly formed Authentic subsidiary ("ABG Vince") for cash consideration and a membership interest in ABG Vince. The Company closed the Asset Sale on May 25, 2023. On May 25, 2023, in connection with the Authentic Transaction, Vince, LLC, entered into a License Agreement (the "License Agreement") with ABG Vince, which provides Vince, LLC with an exclusive, long-term license to use the Licensed Property in the Territory to the Approved Accounts (each as defined in the License Agreement). See Note 1 "Description of Business and Basis of Presentation - (F) Recent Transactions" to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report for additional information.

Rebecca Taylor, founded in 1996 in New York City, was a contemporary womenswear line lauded for its signature prints, romantic detailing and vintage inspired aesthetic, reimagined for a modern era. On September 12, 2022, the Company announced its decision to wind down the Rebecca Taylor business. On December 22, 2022, the Company's indirectly wholly owned subsidiary, Rebecca Taylor, Inc., completed the sale of its intellectual property and certain related ancillary assets to RT IPCO, LLC, an affiliate of Ramani Group. See Note 2 "Wind Down of Rebecca Taylor Business" to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report for additional information. The Rebecca Taylor collection was previously available through retail stores and outlet stores, through its branded e-commerce site and through its subscription service Rebecca Taylor RNTD, as well as through major department and specialty stores in the U.S. and in select international markets. All Rebecca Taylor retail and outlet stores operated by the Company were closed as of January 28, 2023 and the e-commerce site operated by the Company ceased in December 2022.

Parker, founded in 2008 in New York City, was a contemporary women's fashion brand that was trend focused. During the first half of fiscal 2020 the Company decided to pause the creation of new products to focus resources on the operations of the Vince and Rebecca Taylor brands. On February 17, 2023, the Company's indirectly wholly owned subsidiary, Parker Lifestyle, LLC, completed the sale of its intellectual property and certain related ancillary assets to Parker IP Co. LLC, an affiliate of BCI Brands. See Note 1 "Description of Business and Basis of Presentation - (F) Recent Transactions" to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report for further information. The Parker collection was previously available through major department stores and specialty stores worldwide as well as through its e-commerce website.

The Company has identified three reportable segments: Vince Wholesale, Vince Direct-to-consumer and Rebecca Taylor and Parker.

Transformation Program

The Company will be implementing a transformation program focused on driving enhanced profitability through an improved gross margin profile and optimized expense structure. The transformation program is focused on improving the Company’s gross margin profile and driving cost efficiencies. The Company expects to achieve these goals primarily through streamlining manufacturing and production operations, reducing promotional activity and optimizing the breadth and depth of markdowns, and enhancing efficiencies within store operations, corporate overhead and third-party spend.

Results of Operations

Comparable Sales

Comparable sales include our e-commerce sales in order to align with how we manage our brick-and-mortar retail stores and e-commerce online store as a combined single direct-to-consumer channel of distribution. As a result of our omni-channel sales and inventory strategy, as well as cross-channel customer shopping patterns, there is less distinction between our brick-and-mortar retail stores and our e-commerce online store and we believe the inclusion of e-commerce sales in our comparable sales metric is a more meaningful representation of these results and provides a more comprehensive view of our year over year comparable sales metric.

A store is included in the comparable sales calculation after it has completed 13 full fiscal months of operations and includes stores, if any, that have been remodeled or relocated within the same geographic market the Company served prior to the relocation. Non-comparable sales include new stores which have not completed 13 full fiscal months of operations, sales from closed stores, and relocated stores serving a new geographic market. For 53-week fiscal years, we continue to adjust comparable sales to exclude the additional week. There may be variations in the way in which some of our competitors and other retailers calculate comparable sales.

The following table presents, for the periods indicated, our operating results as a percentage of net sales, as well as earnings (loss) per share data:

(in thousands, except per share data and percentages)

Three Months Ended October 28, 2023 Compared to Three Months Ended October 29, 2022

Net sales for the three months ended October 28, 2023 were $84,076, decreasing $14,488, or 14.7%, versus $98,564 for the three months ended October 29, 2022.

Gross profit increased 24.8% to $37,185 for the three months ended October 28, 2023 from $29,803 in the prior year third quarter. As a percentage of sales, gross margin was 44.2%, compared with 30.2% in the prior year third quarter. The total gross margin rate increase was primarily driven by the following factors:

• The favorable impact from the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor business, which historically operated at a lower overall gross margin, contributed positively by approximately 790 basis points;
• The favorable impact of year-over-year adjustments to inventory reserves contributed positively by approximately 530 basis points; and
• The favorable impact from lower freight costs which contributed positively by approximately 470 basis points; partly offset by
• The unfavorable impact from royalty expense associated with the License Agreement with ABG Vince contributed negatively by approximately 480 basis points.

Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses for the three months ended October 28, 2023 were $34,356, decreasing $4,842, or 12.4%, versus $39,198 for the three months ended October 29, 2022. SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales were 40.9% and 39.8% for the three months ended October 28, 2023 and October 29, 2022, respectively. The change in SG&A expenses compared to the prior fiscal year period was primarily due to:

• $8,729 net decrease in total SG&A expenses resulting from the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor brand;
• $334 of decreased product developments costs; partly offset by
• $2,334 increase in rent and occupancy primarily due to lease modifications effective in the third quarter of fiscal 2022;
• $1,436 of increased compensation and benefits, due to lower bonus compensation in the third quarter of fiscal 2022; and
• $623 of increased consulting and other third-party costs.

Interest expense, net decreased $463, or 18.9%, to $1,993 in the three months ended October 28, 2023 from $2,456 in the three months ended October 29, 2022, due to an overall reduction of debt primarily through the termination of the term loan credit facility in the second quarter of fiscal 2023.

Provision (benefit) for income taxes for the three months ended October 28, 2023 was an expense of $509, which resulted primarily from discrete tax expense associated with the Authentic Transaction.

The benefit for income taxes was $6,615 for the three months ended October 29, 2022 and primarily reflected the impact of a decrease in the Company’s estimated effective tax rate for the full fiscal year. The Company's estimated effective tax rate for the fiscal year was driven by the non-cash deferred tax expense created by the current period amortization of indefinite-lived goodwill and intangible assets for tax but not for book purposes. See Note 11 "Income Taxes" to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report for further information.

Equity in net income of equity method investment for the three months ended October 28, 2023 was $656 related to the Company's 25% membership interest in ABG Vince.

Performance by Segment

The Company has identified three reportable segments as further described below:

• Vince Wholesale segment—consists of the Company's operations to distribute Vince brand products to major department stores and specialty stores in the United States and select international markets;
• Vince Direct-to-consumer segment—consists of the Company's operations to distribute Vince brand products directly to the consumer through its Vince branded full-price specialty retail stores, outlet stores, and e-commerce platform, and its subscription service Vince Unfold; and
• Rebecca Taylor and Parker segment—consisted of the Company's operations to distribute Rebecca Taylor and Parker brand products to major department stores and specialty stores in the U.S. and select international markets, directly to the consumer through their own branded e-commerce platforms and Rebecca Taylor retail and outlet stores, and through its subscription service Rebecca Taylor RNTD.

On September 12, 2022, the Company announced its decision to wind down the Rebecca Taylor business. On December 22, 2022, the Company's indirectly wholly owned subsidiary, Rebecca Taylor, Inc., completed the sale of its intellectual property and certain related ancillary assets to RT IPCO, LLC, an affiliate of Ramani Group. Substantially all Rebecca Taylor inventory was liquidated as of January 28, 2023. Additionally, all Rebecca Taylor retail and outlet stores operated by the Company were closed as of January 28, 2023 and the e-commerce site operated by the Company ceased in December 2022.

On February 17, 2023, the Company's indirectly wholly owned subsidiary, Parker Lifestyle, LLC, completed the sale of its intellectual property and certain related ancillary assets to Parker IP Co. LLC, an affiliate of BCI Brands. See Note 1 "Description of Business and Basis of Presentation - (F) Recent Transactions" to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report for additional information.

Unallocated corporate expenses are related to the Vince brand and are comprised of SG&A expenses attributable to corporate and administrative activities (such as marketing, design, finance, information technology, legal and human resource departments), and other charges that are not directly attributable to the Company's Vince Wholesale and Vince Direct-to-consumer reportable segments. In addition, unallocated corporate includes the transaction related expenses associated with the Asset Sale.

(in thousands)

Vince Wholesale

(in thousands)

Net sales from our Vince Wholesale segment decreased $5,183, or 9.4%, to $49,840 in the three months ended October 28, 2023 from $55,023 in the three months ended October 29, 2022, primarily due to lower full-price and off-price shipments.

Income from operations from our Vince Wholesale segment increased $815, or 5.7%, to $15,167 in the three months ended October 28, 2023 from $14,352 in the three months ended October 29, 2022, primarily due to improved gross margin which was unfavorably impacted by royalty expenses associated with the License Agreement with ABG Vince, partially offsetting lower net sales.

Vince Direct-to-consumer

(in thousands)

Net sales from our Vince Direct-to-consumer segment decreased $415, or 1.2%, to $34,236 in the three months ended October 28, 2023 from $34,651 in the three months ended October 29, 2022. Comparable sales increased $84, or 0.2%, including e-commerce, primarily due to an increase in e-commerce traffic. Non-comparable sales declined $499, which includes new stores which have not completed 13 full fiscal months of operations and Vince Unfold. Since October 29, 2022, one net store has closed bringing our total retail store count to 66 (consisting of 49 full price stores and 17 outlet stores) as of October 28, 2023, compared to 67 (consisting of 50 full price stores and 17 outlet stores) as of October 29, 2022.

Our Vince Direct-to-consumer segment had a loss from operations of $48 in the three months ended October 28, 2023 compared to income from operations of $696 in the three months ended October 29, 2022. The change was primarily driven by an increase in SG&A expenses, due to lower rent expense in fiscal 2022 related to lease modifications, which offset an improved gross margin that was unfavorably impacted by royalty expenses associated with the License Agreement with ABG Vince.

Rebecca Taylor and Parker

(in thousands)

Net sales from our Rebecca Taylor and Parker segment decreased $8,890, or 100.0%, to $- in the three months ended October 28, 2023 from $8,890 in the three months ended October 29, 2022, as a result of the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor and Parker businesses.

Our Rebecca Taylor and Parker segment had a loss from operations of $6 in the three months ended October 28, 2023 compared to a loss from operations of $13,155 in the three months ended October 29, 2022. The change was primarily driven by the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor business.

Nine Months Ended October 28, 2023 Compared to Nine Months Ended October 29, 2022

Net sales for the nine months ended October 28, 2023 were $217,579, decreasing $48,555, or 18.2%, versus $266,134 for the nine months ended October 29, 2022.

Gross profit decreased 2.6% to $99,125 for the nine months ended October 28, 2023 from $101,810 in the nine months ended October 29, 2022. As a percentage of sales, gross margin was 45.6%, compared with 38.3% in the nine months ended October 29, 2022. The total gross margin rate increase was primarily driven by the following factors:

• The favorable impact from the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor business, which historically operated at a lower overall gross margin, contributed positively by approximately 350 basis points;
• The favorable impact from lower promotional activity in the Direct-to-consumer segment which contributed approximately 290 basis points;
• The favorable impact of year-over-year adjustments to inventory reserves contributed positively by approximately 270 basis points; and
• The favorable impact from lower freight costs which contributed positively by approximately 210 basis points; partly offset by
• The unfavorable impact from royalty expense associated with the License Agreement with ABG Vince contributed negatively by approximately 280 basis points.

Impairment of intangible assets for the nine months ended October 29, 2022 was $1,700 related to the impairment of the Rebecca Taylor tradename. See Note 3 "Goodwill and Intangible Assets" to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report for further information.

Impairment of long-lived assets for the nine months ended October 29, 2022 was $866 related to the impairment of property and equipment for certain Rebecca Taylor retail locations.

Gain on sale of intangible assets for the nine months ended October 28, 2023 was $32,808, of which $32,043 is related to the sale of the Vince intellectual property and certain related ancillary assets and $765 is related to the sale of the Parker intellectual property and certain ancillary assets. See Note 1 "Description of Business and Basis of Presentation - (F) Recent Transactions" to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report for further information.

SG&A expenses for the nine months ended October 28, 2023 were $98,630, decreasing $20,498, or 17.2%, versus $119,128 for the nine months ended October 29, 2022. SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales were 45.3% and 44.8% for the nine months ended October 28, 2023 and October 29, 2022, respectively. The change in SG&A expenses compared to the prior fiscal year period was primarily due to:

• $21,227 net decrease in total SG&A expenses resulting from the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor brand;
• $1,224 of decreased product development costs;
• $1,072 of decreased consulting and other third-party costs primarily due to investments in the prior year related to our customer facing technologies to further expand our omni-channel capabilities and our e-commerce platforms;
• $725 of decreased marketing and advertising costs; and
• $446 of decreased compensation and benefits, partly due to lower incentive-based compensation; partly offset by
• $5,030 of transaction related expenses associated with the Asset Sale; and
• $723 of increased rent expense primarily due to lease modifications effective in the third quarter of fiscal 2022.

Interest expense, net increased $3,198, or 51.4%, to $9,420 in the nine months ended October 28, 2023 from $6,222 in the nine months ended October 29, 2022 primarily due to a $1,755 write-off of deferred financing costs and a $553 prepayment penalty both associated with the termination of the Term Loan Credit Facility, as well as an $828 write-off of deferred financing costs associated with the termination of the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility.

Provision (benefit) for income taxes for the nine months ended October 28, 2023 was a benefit of $5,368. This benefit was due to a $6,022 discrete tax benefit resulting from the change in classification of the Company's Vince tradename indefinite-lived intangibles to Assets Held for Sale during the first quarter of fiscal 2023, offset by $499 of discrete state tax expense associated with the Authentic Transaction and tax expense from applying the Company's estimated effective tax rate for the fiscal year to the nine-month income (loss) before income taxes and equity in net income of equity method investment, excluding discrete items.

The change in classification of the Company's Vince tradename indefinite-lived intangibles resulted in a reversal of the non-cash deferred tax liability previously created by the amortization of indefinite-lived tradename intangible asset recognized for tax, but not for book purposes, as this non-cash deferred tax liability can now be used as a source to support the realization of certain deferred tax assets related to the Company's net operating losses.

The Company's estimated effective tax rate for the fiscal year is primarily driven by the non-cash deferred tax expense created by the current period amortization of indefinite-lived goodwill for tax but not for book purposes. A portion of these deferred tax liabilities cannot be used as a source to support the realization of certain deferred tax assets related to the Company's net operating losses, which results in additional tax expense for the amortization difference for goodwill.

The provision for income taxes was $1,288 for the nine months ended October 29, 2022, which reflected the impact of applying the Company's estimated effective tax rate for the fiscal year to the nine month income (loss) before income taxes and equity in net income of equity method investment. The Company's estimated effective tax rate for the fiscal year was driven by the non-cash deferred tax expense created by the current period amortization of indefinite-lived goodwill and intangible assets for tax but not for book purposes. See Note 11 "Income Taxes" to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report for further information.

Equity in net income of equity method investment for the nine months ended October 28, 2023 was $863 related to the Company's 25% membership interest in ABG Vince.

Performance by Segment

(in thousands)

(1) Unallocated corporate for the nine months ended October 28, 2023 includes the $32,043 gain related to the sale of the Vince intellectual property and certain related ancillary assets.

Vince Wholesale

(in thousands)

Net sales from our Vince Wholesale segment decreased $16,465, or 12.2%, to $118,714 in the nine months ended October 28, 2023 from $135,179 in the nine months ended October 29, 2022, primarily due to lower full-price shipments, partly due to a shift in timing.

Income from operations from our Vince Wholesale segment decreased $2,214, or 5.9%, to $35,098 in the nine months ended October 28, 2023 from $37,312 in the nine months ended October 29, 2022, primarily due to lower net sales that were partially offset by an improved gross margin, which was unfavorably impacted by royalty expenses associated with the License Agreement with ABG Vince.

Vince Direct-to-consumer

(in thousands)

Net sales from our Vince Direct-to-consumer segment decreased $4,959, or 4.8%, to $98,674 in the nine months ended October 28, 2023 from $103,633 in the nine months ended October 29, 2022. Comparable sales decreased $3,386, or 3.4%, including e-commerce, primarily due to a decrease in e-commerce traffic. Non-comparable sales declined $1,573 which includes new stores which have not completed 13 full fiscal months of operations and Vince Unfold. Since October 29, 2022, one net store has closed bringing our total retail store count to 66 (consisting of 49 full price stores and 17 outlet stores) as of October 28, 2023, compared to 67 (consisting of 50 full price stores and 17 outlet stores) as of October 29, 2022.

Our Vince Direct-to-consumer segment had income from operations of $2,151 in the nine months ended October 28, 2023 compared to a loss from operations of $723 in the nine months ended October 29, 2022. The change was primarily driven by an improved gross margin, which was unfavorably impacted by royalty expenses associated with the License Agreement with ABG Vince, partially offset by lower net sales and increased SG&A expenses attributable to compensation and benefits.

Rebecca Taylor and Parker

(in thousands)

Net sales from our Rebecca Taylor and Parker segment decreased $27,131, or 99.3%, to $191 in the nine months ended October 28, 2023 from $27,322 in the nine months ended October 29, 2022 primarily due to the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor and Parker businesses.

Our Rebecca Taylor and Parker segment had income from operations of $2,443 in the nine months ended October 28, 2023 compared to a loss from operations of $20,124 in the nine months ended October 29, 2022. The change was primarily driven by the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor business. In addition, income from operations for the nine months ended October 28, 2023 includes a net benefit of $1,750 from the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor business, primarily related to the release of operating lease liabilities as a result of lease terminations, a $765 gain associated with the sale of the Parker tradename and $150 of transaction related expenses associated with the sale of the Parker tradename. Loss from operations for the nine months ended October 29, 2022 included $2,566 of impairment charges related to the impairment of the Rebecca Taylor tradename and property and equipment.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our sources of liquidity are cash and cash equivalents, cash flows from operations, if any, borrowings available under the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility and our ability to access the capital markets, including our Sales Agreement entered into with Virtu Americas LLC in June 2023 (see Note 8 "Stockholders' Equity" to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report for further information). Our primary cash needs are funding working capital requirements, including royalty payments under the License Agreement, meeting our debt service requirements, and capital expenditures for new stores and related leasehold improvements. The most significant components of our working capital are cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, inventories, accounts payable and other current liabilities. Based on our current expectations, we believe that our sources of liquidity will generate sufficient cash flows to meet our obligations during the next twelve months from the date these financial statements are issued.

Operating Activities

(in thousands)

Net cash used in operating activities during the nine months ended October 28, 2023 was $13,121, which consisted of net income of $30,114, impacted by non-cash items of $(27,433) and cash used in working capital of $15,802. Net cash used in working capital primarily resulted from cash outflows in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $23,921, primarily due to the timing of payments to vendors, and an increase in receivables driven by the timing of sales, offset by a reduction in inventory levels related to more efficient inventory management.

Net cash used in operating activities during the nine months ended October 29, 2022 was $28,886, which consisted of a net loss of $27,394, impacted by non-cash items of $13,942 and cash used in working capital of $15,434. Net cash used in working capital primarily resulted from a cash outflow in inventory of $37,913 primarily due to a higher level of current season inventory and replenishment product, as well as higher product costs, partly offset by a cash inflow in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $20,954 primarily due to the timing of payments to vendors.

Investing Activities

(in thousands)

Net cash provided by investing activities of $76,080 during the nine months ended October 28, 2023 primarily represents $76,500 of proceeds received from the sale of the Vince intangible assets and $1,025 of proceeds received from the sale of the Parker intangible assets (see Note 1 "Description of Business and Basis of Presentation - (F) Recent Transactions" to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report for additional information).

Net cash used in investing activities of $2,100 during the nine months ended October 29, 2022 represents capital expenditures primarily related to the investment in our e-commerce platforms, as well as retail store buildouts, including leasehold improvements and store fixtures.

Financing Activities

(in thousands)

Net cash used in financing activities was $61,614 during the nine months ended October 28, 2023, primarily consisting of $29,121 of net repayments of borrowings under the Company's revolving credit facilities, the repayment of $29,378 of borrowings under the Term Loan Credit Facility, and financing fees of $3,012 (which includes a $553 prepayment penalty associated with the termination of the Term Loan Credit Facility during the nine months ended October 28, 2023).

Net cash provided by financing activities was $31,094 during the nine months ended October 29, 2022, primarily consisting of $32,577 of net proceeds from borrowings under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility.

Term Loan Credit Facility

On September 7, 2021, Vince, LLC entered into a $35,000 senior secured term loan credit facility (the "Term Loan Credit Facility") pursuant to a Credit Agreement (the "Term Loan Credit Agreement"), as amended from time to time, by and among Vince, LLC, as the borrower, the guarantors named therein, PLC Agent, LLC, as administrative agent and collateral agent, and the other lenders from time to time party thereto. Vince Holding Corp. and Vince Intermediate Holding, LLC ("Vince Intermediate") were guarantors under the Term Loan Credit Facility. The Term Loan Credit Facility would have matured on the earlier of September 7, 2026, and 91 days after the maturity date of the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility.

On May 25, 2023, utilizing proceeds from the Asset Sale, the Company repaid all outstanding amounts of $28,724, which included accrued interest and a prepayment penalty of $553 (which is included within financing fees on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows), under the Term Loan Credit Facility. The Term Loan Credit Facility was terminated. The Company also repaid $850 of fees due in accordance with an amendment entered into on September 30, 2022. Additionally, the Company recorded expense of $1,755 during the nine months ended October 28, 2023, related to the write-off of the remaining deferred financing costs. Prior to May 25, 2023, on an inception to date basis, the Company had made repayments of $7,335 on the Term Loan Credit Facility.

2023 Revolving Credit Facility

On June 23, 2023, Vince, LLC, entered into a new $85,000 senior secured revolving credit facility (the "2023 Revolving Credit Facility") pursuant to a Credit Agreement (the "2023 Revolving Credit Agreement") by and among Vince, LLC, the guarantors named therein, Bank of America, N.A. ("BofA"), as Agent, the other lenders from time to time party thereto, and BofA Securities, Inc., as sole lead arranger and sole bookrunner.

All outstanding amounts under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility (as defined below) were repaid in full and such facility was terminated pursuant to the terms thereof as a result of all parties completing their obligations under such facility.

The 2023 Revolving Credit Facility provides for a revolving line of credit of up to the lesser of (i) the Borrowing Base (as defined in the 2023 Revolving Credit Agreement) and (ii) $85,000, as well as a letter of credit sublimit of $10,000. The 2023 Revolving Credit Agreement also permits Vince, LLC to request an increase in aggregate commitments under the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility of up to $15,000, subject to customary terms and conditions. The 2023 Revolving Credit Facility matures on the earlier of June 23, 2028, and 91 days prior to the earliest maturity date of any Material Indebtedness (as defined in the 2023 Revolving Credit Agreement), including the subordinated indebtedness pursuant to the Third Lien Credit Agreement.

Interest is payable on the loans under the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility, at Vince LLC's request, either at Term SOFR, the Base Rate, or SOFR Daily Floating Rate, in each case, with applicable margins subject to a pricing grid based on an average daily excess availability calculation. The "Base Rate" means, for any day, a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (i) the Federal Funds Rate for such day, plus 0.5%; (ii) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by BofA as its prime rate; (iii) the SOFR Daily Floating Rate on such day, plus 1.0%; and (iv) 1.0%. During the continuance of certain specified events of default, at the election of BofA in its capacity as Agent, interest will accrue at a rate of 2.0% in excess of the applicable non-default rate.

The applicable margins for SOFR Term and SOFR Daily Floating Rate Loans are: (i) 2.0% when the average daily Excess Availability (as defined in the 2023 Revolving Credit Agreement) is greater than 66.7% of the Loan Cap (as defined in the 2023 Revolving Credit Agreement); (ii) 2.25% when the average daily Excess Availability is greater than or equal to 33.3% but less than or equal to 66.7% of the Loan Cap; and (iii) 2.5% when the average daily Excess Availability is less than 33.3% of the Loan Cap. The applicable margins for Base Rate Loans are: (a) 1.0% when the average daily Excess Availability is greater than 66.7% of the Loan Cap; (b) 1.25% when the average daily Excess Availability is greater than or equal to 33.3% but less than or equal to 66.7% of the Loan Cap; and (c) 1.5% when the average daily Excess Availability is less than 33.3% of the Loan Cap.

The 2023 Revolving Credit Facility contains a financial covenant requiring Excess Availability at all times to be no less than the greater of (i) 10.0% of the Loan Cap in effect at such time and (ii) $7,500.

The 2023 Revolving Credit Facility contains representations and warranties, covenants and events of default that are customary for this type of financing, including limitations on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, liens, burdensome agreements, investments, loans, asset sales, mergers, acquisitions, prepayment of certain other debt, the repurchase of capital stock, transactions with affiliates, and the ability to change the nature of its business or its fiscal year. The 2023 Revolving Credit Facility generally permits dividends in the absence of any default or event of default (including any event of default arising from a contemplated dividend), so long as (i) after giving pro forma effect to the contemplated dividend and on a pro forma basis for the 30-day period immediately preceding such dividend, Excess Availability will be at least the greater of 20.0% of the Loan Cap and $15,000 and (ii) after giving pro forma effect to the contemplated dividend, the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (as defined in the 2023 Revolving Credit Agreement) for the 12 months preceding such dividend will be greater than or equal to 1.0 to 1.0.

All obligations under the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility are guaranteed by the Company and Vince Intermediate and any future subsidiaries of the Company (other than Excluded Subsidiaries as defined in the 2023 Revolving Credit Agreement) and secured by a lien on substantially all of the assets of the Company, Vince, LLC and Vince Intermediate and any future subsidiary guarantors, other than among others, equity interests in ABG Vince, as well as the rights of Vince, LLC under the License Agreement.

The Company incurred a total of $1,124 of financing costs. In accordance with ASC Topic 470, "Debt", these financing costs were recorded as deferred debt issuance costs (which is presented within Other assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets) and will be amortized over the term of the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility.

As of October 28, 2023, the Company was in compliance with applicable covenants. As of October 28, 2023, $38,976 was available under the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility, net of the Loan Cap, and there were $29,377 of borrowings outstanding and $4,694 of letters of credit outstanding under the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility. The weighted average interest rate for borrowings outstanding under the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility as of October 28, 2023 was 8.2%.

2018 Revolving Credit Facility

On August 21, 2018, Vince, LLC entered into an $80,000 senior secured revolving credit facility (the "2018 Revolving Credit Facility") pursuant to a credit agreement, as amended and restated from time to time, by and among Vince, LLC, as the borrower, VHC and Vince Intermediate, as guarantors, Citizens Bank, N.A. ("Citizens"), as administrative agent and collateral agent, and the other lenders from time to time party thereto. On January 31, 2023, the Company repaid $125 of fees due in accordance with an amendment entered into on September 30, 2022. Upon the contemporaneous consummation of the Asset Sale, the lenders' commitments to extend credit was reduced to $70,000. The 2018 Revolving Credit Facility would have matured on June 30, 2024.

On June 23, 2023, all outstanding amounts under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility were repaid in full and the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility was terminated pursuant to the terms thereof as a result of all parties completing their obligations under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility. The Company recorded expense of $828 during the nine months ended October 28, 2023, related to the write-off of the remaining deferred financing costs. Certain letters of credit remain in place with Citizens which were secured with restricted cash, totaling $1,060 as of October 28, 2023. Restricted cash is included in Prepaid Expenses and other current assets in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Third Lien Credit Facility

On December 11, 2020, Vince, LLC entered into a $20,000 subordinated term loan credit facility (the "Third Lien Credit Facility") pursuant to a credit agreement (the "Third Lien Credit Agreement"), as amended from time to time, dated December 11, 2020, by and among Vince, LLC, as the borrower, VHC and Vince Intermediate, as guarantors, and SK Financial Services, LLC ("SK Financial"), as administrative agent and collateral agent, and other lenders from time to time party thereto. The proceeds were received on December 11, 2020 and were used to repay a portion of the borrowings outstanding under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility.

SK Financial is an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Inc. ("Sun Capital"), whose affiliates own, as of October 28, 2023, approximately 68% of the Company's common stock. The Third Lien Credit Facility was reviewed and approved by the Special Committee of the Company's Board of Directors, consisting solely of directors not affiliated with Sun Capital, which committee was represented by independent legal advisors.

Interest on loans under the Third Lien Credit Facility is payable in kind at a rate revised in connection with the Third Lien Third Amendment (as defined and discussed below) to be equal to the Daily Simple SOFR, subject to a credit spread adjustment of 0.10% per annum, plus 9.0%. During the continuance of certain specified events of default, interest may accrue on the loans under the Third Lien Credit Facility at a rate of 2.0% in excess of the rate otherwise applicable to such amount.

The Company incurred $485 in deferred financing costs associated with the Third Lien Credit Facility of which a $400 closing fee is payable in kind and was added to the principal balance. These deferred financing costs are recorded as deferred debt issuance costs which will be amortized over the remaining term of the Third Lien Credit Facility.

All obligations under the Third Lien Credit Facility are guaranteed by the Company, Vince Intermediate and the Company's existing material domestic restricted subsidiaries as well as any future material domestic restricted subsidiaries and are secured on a junior basis relative to the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility by a lien on substantially all of the assets of the Company, Vince Intermediate, Vince, LLC and the Company's existing material domestic restricted subsidiaries as well as any future material domestic restricted subsidiaries.

On April 21, 2023, Vince, LLC entered into that certain Consent and Third Amendment to Credit Agreement (the "Third Lien Third Amendment"), which, among other things, (a) permitted the sale of the intellectual property of the Vince Business contemplated in the Asset Sale, (b) replaced LIBOR as an interest rate benchmark in favor of Daily Simple SOFR, subject to a credit spread adjustment of 0.10% per annum, (c) amended the Third Lien Credit Agreement's maturity date to the earlier of (i) March 30, 2025 and (ii) 180 days after the maturity date under the ABL Credit Agreement, (d) reduced the capacity to incur indebtedness and liens, make investments, restricted payments and dispositions and repay certain indebtedness and (e) modified certain representations and warranties, covenants and events of default in respect of documentation related to the Asset Sale. The Third Lien Third Amendment became effective upon the consummation of the Asset Sale, the prepayment of the Term Loan Credit Facility in full and other transactions contemplated by the Asset Purchase Agreement.

On June 23, 2023, Vince, LLC entered into the Fourth Amendment (the "Third Lien Fourth Amendment") to the Third Lien Credit Agreement which, among other things, (a) extended the Third Lien Credit Agreement's maturity date to the earlier of (i) September 30, 2028 and (ii) 91 days prior to the earliest maturity date of any Material Indebtedness (as defined therein) other than the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility and (b) modified certain representations and warranties, covenants and events of default in respect of documentation conforming to the terms of the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility.

Contractual Obligations

On May 25, 2023, in connection with the Closing, Vince, LLC and ABG Vince entered into the License Agreement. The initial term of the License Agreement begins on May 25, 2023, the date on which the Closing actually occurred, and ends at the end of the Company's 2032 fiscal year, unless sooner terminated pursuant to the terms of the License Agreement. Vince, LLC is required to pay ABG Vince a royalty on net sales of Licensed Products and committed to an annual guaranteed minimum royalty of $11,000 during the initial term of the License Agreement, except that the guaranteed minimum royalty for the first contract year during the initial term will be prorated to the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending at the end of the Company's 2023 fiscal year. See Note 1 "Description of Business and Basis of Presentation - (F) Recent Transactions" to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in this Quarterly Report for further information.

Seasonality

The apparel and fashion industry in which we operate is cyclical and, consequently, our revenues are affected by general economic conditions and the seasonal trends characteristic to the apparel and fashion industry. Purchases of apparel are sensitive to a number of factors that influence the level of consumer spending, including economic conditions and the level of disposable consumer income, consumer debt, interest rates and consumer confidence as well as the impact of adverse weather conditions. In addition, fluctuations in the amount of sales in any fiscal quarter are affected by the timing of seasonal wholesale shipments and other events affecting direct-to-consumer sales; as such, the financial results for any particular quarter may not be indicative of results for the fiscal year. We expect such seasonality to continue.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations relies on our condensed consolidated financial statements, as set forth in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report, which are prepared based on certain critical accounting policies that require management to make judgments and estimates that are subject to varying degrees of uncertainty. While we believe that these accounting policies are based on reasonable measurement criteria, actual future events can and often do result in outcomes materially different from these estimates.

A summary of our critical accounting estimates is included in the Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section of our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K. As of October 28, 2023, there have been no material changes to the critical accounting estimates contained therein.

As a "smaller reporting company," as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), we are not required to provide the information in this Item.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Attached as exhibits to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are certifications of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Rule 13a-14 of the Exchange Act requires that we include these certifications with this report. This Controls and Procedures section includes information concerning the disclosure controls and procedures referred to in the certifications. You should read this section in conjunction with the certifications.

Under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, management has evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act) as of October 28, 2023.

Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective due to the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as described below.

As a result of the material weakness identified, we performed additional analysis, substantive testing and other post-closing procedures intended to ensure that our condensed consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Accordingly, management believes that the condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q fairly state, in all material respects, the Company's financial condition, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented.

Material Weakness in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

As described in Management's Annual Report On Internal Control Over Financial Reporting in Part II, Item 9A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 28, 2023, we did not maintain adequate user access controls to ensure appropriate segregation of duties and to adequately restrict access to financial applications and data.

This material weakness did not result in a material misstatement to the annual or interim consolidated financial statements. However, this material weakness could impact the effectiveness of IT-dependent controls (such as automated controls that address the risk of material misstatement to one or more assertions, along with the IT controls and underlying data that support the effectiveness of system-generated data and reports) that could result in a misstatement impacting account balances or disclosures that would result in a material misstatement to the annual or interim consolidated financial statements that would not be prevented or detected.

Remediation Efforts to Address the Material Weakness

To date, we made continued progress on our comprehensive remediation plan related to this material weakness by implementing the following controls and procedures:

• The Company modified its system access rights to limit the use of generic IDs, particularly in instances where those ID's possessed privileged access rights; and
• The Company effectively designed and implemented a full recertification of AX user access rights.

To fully address the remediation of deficiencies related to segregation of duties, we will need to fully remediate the deficiencies regarding systems access.

Management continues to follow a comprehensive remediation plan to fully address this material weakness. The remediation plan includes implementing and effectively operating controls related to the routine reviews of user system access and user re-certifications, inclusive of those related to users with privileged access, as well as to ensure user's access rights to systems are removed timely upon termination.

While we have reported a material weakness that is not yet remediated, we believe we have made continued progress in addressing financial, compliance, and operational risks and improving controls across the Company. Until the material weakness is remediated, we will continue to perform additional analysis, substantive testing, and other post-closing procedures to ensure that our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Limitations on the Effectiveness of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Because of inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Accordingly, our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of our disclosure system are met. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the fiscal quarter ended October 28, 2023 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

The risk factors disclosed in the Company's 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K, in addition to the other information set forth in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, could materially affect the Company's business, financial condition or results.

The section in the Company's 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K titled "Risks Related to our Business and Industry" is replaced in its entirety by the following:

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

The failure to maintain our license agreement relating to the Vince brand would cause us to lose all our revenues.

On May 25, 2023, Vince, LLC, the Company's wholly owned indirect subsidiary, sold all its intellectual property assets related to the business operated under the VINCE brand to ABG Vince, an indirect subsidiary of Authentic Brands Group, LLC ("Authentic”), pursuant to the Asset Purchase Agreement, entered into by and among Vince, LLC, ABG Vince, the Company and ABG Intermediate Holdings 2 LLC. Simultaneously with the Asset Sale, Vince, LLC entered into a license agreement (the "License Agreement") with ABG Vince which provides us with a license to use the Licensed Property (as defined in the License Agreement) in the Territory, which is defined as the United States, Canada, Andorra, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Republic of Cyprus (excluding Northern Cyprus), United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and Korea (the "Core Territory"), together with all other territories (the "Option Territory"), which Option Territory may be changed unilaterally by ABG Vince at any time after the effective date of the License Agreement. Additionally, we may use the Licensed Property to design, manufacture, promote, market, distribute, and sell ready-to-wear sportswear products and outerwear products (the "Core Products") and home décor and baby layettes (the "Option Products," together with the Core Products, the "Licensed Products"), which Option Products may be changed unilaterally by ABG Vince at any time after the effective date of the License Agreement. The License Agreement has an initial term of ten years with eight options to renew for a ten-year period each.

Our revenues are generated solely from sales of products pursuant to the license granted under the License Agreement. We are required under the License Agreement, among other things, to achieve specified minimum net sales, make specified royalty payments, spend specified advertising and promotion expenditures, and maintain a minimum number of retail stores. If we do not satisfy any of the material requirements of the License Agreement, ABG Vince has the right to terminate the license or not renew the License Agreement. The failure to maintain or renew the License Agreement will cause us to lose all our revenues and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Our business is impacted by ABG Vince's expansion of the Vince brand into other categories and territories.

Under the License Agreement, ABG Vince may produce and sell Vince products other than the Licensed Products and operate the Vince brand in Option Territories into which it may decide to enter in the future. ABG Vince may do so by granting additional licenses to other third parties. We are unable to control the business strategies of ABG Vince relating to the expansion of the Vince brand outside of the license granted to us under the License Agreement, including how those strategies impact our own business strategies, the quality of products produced by other Vince brand licensees as well as how the overall Vince brand image may evolve. If there is a change in the parameters of the Vince brand's design, pricing, distribution, target market or competitive set as a result of the brand's expansion into other categories and territories, we may be unable to maintain our historical product design and marketing direction or appeal to the brand's customer base as originally intended and our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Our business is subject to ABG Vince's approval rights and other actions.

Under the License Agreement, ABG Vince has broad approval rights at its sole good faith discretion, including over, among other things, design direction of Licensed Products and marketing strategies, as well as any addition of new customer accounts and new retail locations. In addition, ABG Vince may remove any customer account that was pre-approved at the time of the closing of the Asset Sale if using its good faith, commercially reasonable judgment, it believes that such account is no longer consistent with the brand positioning for the Licensed Property. If ABG Vince chooses to exercise any of these approval rights, we may be unable to operate our business as intended. Furthermore, as part of the Asset Sale, our license agreements, including our e-commerce website domain name license, were sold to ABG Vince. ABG Vince will be required to maintain such license agreements going forward, and its failure to do so could materially and adversely affect our business and operations. Lastly, Vince, LLC's governance rights as a minority equity holder of ABG Vince are limited and therefore, ABG Vince could choose to take corporate actions that would materially and negatively impact the results of operations of ABG Vince, which could in turn adversely affect the amount of cash available for distribution to Vince, LLC.

Our ability to continue to have the liquidity necessary to service our debt, meet contractual payment obligations, including royalty payments under the License Agreement, and fund our operations depends on many factors, including our ability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations, maintain adequate availability under our 2023 Revolving Credit Facility or obtain other financing.

Our ability to timely service our indebtedness, meet contractual payment obligations, including royalty payments under the License Agreement, and to fund our operations will depend on our ability to generate sufficient cash, either through cash flows from operations, borrowing availability under the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility or other financing. While we expect to meet our monthly Excess Availability (as defined in the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility Agreement) covenant and believe that our other sources of liquidity will generate sufficient cash flows to meet our obligations for the next twelve months, the foregoing expectation is dependent on a number of factors, including, among others, our ability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations, our ongoing ability to manage our operating obligations, the results of any future inventory valuations and the potential borrowing restrictions imposed by our lenders based on their credit judgment, which could materially and negatively impact our borrowing capacity, the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor business, as well as macroeconomic factors. In the event that we are unable to timely service our debt, meet other contractual payment obligations or fund our other liquidity needs, we may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness before maturity, seek waivers of or amendments to our contractual obligations for payment, reduce or delay scheduled expansions and capital expenditures, liquidate inventory through additional discounting, sell material assets or operations or seek other financing opportunities. There can be no assurance that these options would be readily available to us and our inability to address our liquidity needs could materially and adversely affect our operations and jeopardize our business, financial condition and results of operations, including a default under the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility which could result in all amounts outstanding under such facility becoming immediately due and payable.

Our operations are restricted by our credit facilities.

Our credit facility contains significant restrictive covenants. The 2023 Revolving Credit Facility includes covenants that may impair our financing and operational flexibility and make it difficult for us to react to market conditions and satisfy our ongoing capital needs and unanticipated cash requirements. Specifically, such covenants significantly restrict our ability and, if applicable, the ability of our subsidiaries to, among other things: incur additional debt; make certain investments and acquisitions; enter into certain types of transactions with affiliates; use assets as security in other transactions; pay dividends; sell certain assets or merge with or into other companies; guarantee the debt of others; enter into new lines of businesses; make capital expenditures; prepay, redeem, or exchange our debt; and form any joint ventures or subsidiary investments.

Our ability to comply with the covenants and other terms of our debt obligations will depend on our future operating performance. If we fail to comply with such covenants and terms, and are unable to cure such failure under the terms of our credit facilities, if applicable, we would be required to obtain additional waivers from our lenders to maintain compliance with our debt obligations. If we are unable to obtain any necessary waivers and the debt is accelerated, a material adverse effect on our financial condition and future operating performance would likely result.

We may not be able to realize the benefits of our strategic initiatives.

Our business growth depends on the successful execution of our strategic initiatives for our brand. The success of our strategic initiatives depends on a number of factors, including our ability to execute and realize the enhanced profitability expectations of our planned transformation program, position our retail and e-commerce businesses for further strategic growth, particularly through enhancement of our customer data platform to drive greater loyalty and conversion and capture broader customer base, expand our presence internationally including in Asia and Europe, grow men's business, our ability to properly identify appropriate future growth opportunities, and other macroeconomic impacts on our business. There can be no assurance that the strategic initiatives would produce intended positive results, particularly as we adapt to the new operational landscape as a result of the Asset Sale and the entry into the License Agreement. If we are unable to realize the benefits of the strategic initiatives, our financial conditions, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

We may be unable to improve our profitability.

We expect a negative impact on our operating and net income resulting from the royalty payments under the License Agreement as well as the loss of our footwear and soft accessories licenses as a result of the Asset Sale. We plan to offset such negative impact by driving margin expansion through disciplined cost management and reduced promotional activity. There is no assurance that we will be successful in implementing this strategy as such success depends on a number of factors, such as our ability to properly identify and execute cost management initiatives and macroeconomic factors that could impact our promotional cadence. If we are unable to implement the strategy to drive margin expansion, we may not be able to offset the negative impact on our financial results and our profitability may not improve as intended.

We may be unable to effectively execute our customer strategy.

One of our strategic priorities is to utilize a customer data platform and marketing strategy from which we will be able to drive customer initiatives underpinned by data and technology, creating improved segmentation and personalization for an enhanced customer experience both domestically and internationally. This will require significant investment in technology and infrastructure, as well as an increased reliance on leveraging micro and macro influencer networks to increase brand awareness and loyalty through social media and the digital dissemination of advertising campaigns. We must keep up to date with other competitive technology trends, including the use of innovative technology, creative and attractive user interfaces, and other e-commerce marketing tools such as paid search and mobile applications, among others, which may increase our costs as well as our exposure to legal and reputational liability for online content, but may not succeed in increasing sales or attracting new customers. Any failure on our part to effectively execute on our strategy to enhance our customers' experience and realize the expected return on our investment in these initiatives could negatively affect sales as well as the reputation of our brands, which could adversely impact our growth and profitability.

Our limited operating experience and brand recognition in international markets may delay our expansion strategy and cause our business and growth to suffer.

We face risks with respect to our strategy to expand internationally, including our efforts to further expand our business in Canada, select European countries, Asia, including China, and the Middle East through company-operated locations, wholesale arrangements as well as with international partners. Our current operations are based largely in the U.S., with international wholesale sales representing approximately 8% of net sales for fiscal 2022. Therefore, we have a limited number of customers and experience in operating outside of the U.S. We also do not have extensive experience with regulatory environments and market practices outside of the U.S. and cannot guarantee that we will be able to penetrate or successfully operate in any market outside of the U.S. Many of these markets also have different operational characteristics, including employment and labor regulations, transportation, logistics, real estate (including lease terms) and local reporting or legal requirements, and the impact on the international markets remains unclear. In addition, pursuant to the License Agreement, our exclusive license to operate the Vince brand may be limited by the terms of the License Agreement. Some of the regions in which we currently operate are designated as Option Territories, including the Middle East and Latin America. If Authentic chooses to operate in these Option Territories, we become unable to directly operate in those areas.

In fiscal 2021, we commenced a strategy to expand our international retail and e-commerce presence in China and a select list of neighboring countries in Asia via a joint venture arrangement. We are in the initial stages of establishing this relationship and there can be no guarantee that it will materialize. Further, we may face counterparty and/or operational risks as this joint venture arrangement makes us susceptible to the actions of our third-party partner. Our joint venture partner may have views that differ or conflict with ours, such as the timing of new store openings and the pricing of our products, or our partner may become bankrupt, which may as a practical matter subject us to our partner's liabilities in connection with the joint venture. Although we have sought and generally will seek to maintain sufficient control of any investment to permit our objectives to be achieved, we might not be able to take certain actions without the approval of our partners. Reliance on joint venture relationships and our partners exposes us to increased risk that our joint ventures will not be successful and will result in competitive harm to our brand image that could cause our expansion efforts, profitability and results of operations to suffer.

One of our strategic initiatives is to focus on our direct-to-consumer business, which includes opening retail stores in select locations under more favorable and shorter lease terms and operating and maintaining our new and existing retail stores successfully. If we are unable to execute this strategy in a timely manner, or at all, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

As part of our strategy to increase focus on our direct-to-consumer business, we continue to seek retail opportunities in targeted streets or malls with desirable size and adjacencies, typically near luxury retailers that we believe are consistent with our key customers' demographics and shopping preferences, and seek to negotiate more favorable leases including shorter terms. The success of this strategy depends on a number of factors, including the identification of suitable markets and sites, negotiation of acceptable lease terms while securing those favorable locations, including desired term, rent and tenant improvement allowances, and if entering a new market, the timely achievement of brand awareness and proper evaluation of the market particularly for locations with shorter term, affinity and purchase intent in that market, as well as our business condition in funding the opening and operations of stores. In addition, under the License Agreement, we are required to obtain prior approval from ABG Vince with respect to new retail locations which may be provided at its sole good faith discretion. We may be unable to execute this strategy as intended if ABG Vince chooses to withhold such approval. Furthermore, we may not be able to maintain the successful operation of our retail stores if the areas around our existing retail locations undergo changes that result in reductions in customer foot traffic or otherwise render the locations unsuitable, such as economic downturns in the area, changes in demographics and customer preferences, and the closing or decline in popularity of adjacent stores.

As of January 28, 2023, we operated 67 stores, including 49 company-operated Vince full-price stores and 17 company-operated Vince outlet stores throughout the United States and one company-operated Vince full price store in the United Kingdom.

During fiscal 2022 and 2020, we recorded non-cash asset impairment charges of $1,880 and $13,026, respectively, within Impairment of long-lived assets on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) related to the impairment of property and equipment and operating lease right-of-use assets of certain retail stores with carrying values that were determined not to be recoverable and exceeded their fair value. We may in the future record further impairments of these assets.

We are subject to risks associated with leasing retail and office space, are historically subject to long-term non-cancelable leases and are required to make substantial lease payments under our operating leases, and any failure to make these lease payments when due would likely harm our business, profitability and results of operations.

We do not own any of our stores or our offices, including our New York, Los Angeles or Paris offices and showroom spaces, but instead lease all of such space under operating leases. Although a majority of our leases are subject to shorter terms as a result of the implementation of our strategy to pursue shorter lease terms, we still have some leases with initial terms of 10 years, and generally can be extended only for one additional 5-year term. Substantially all of our leases require a fixed annual rent, and most require the payment of additional rent if store sales exceed a negotiated amount. Most of our leases are "net" leases, which require us to pay the cost of insurance, taxes, maintenance, and utilities, and we generally cannot cancel these leases solely at our option. Additionally, certain of our leases allow the lessor to terminate the lease if we do not achieve a specified gross sales threshold. We cannot assure you that we will be able to achieve these required thresholds and in the event we are not able to do so, we may be forced to find an alternative store location and may not be successful in doing so. Any loss of our store locations due to underperformance may harm our results of operations, stock price and reputation.

Payments under these leases account for a significant portion of our selling, general and administrative expenses. For example, as of January 28, 2023, we were a party to 77 operating leases associated with our retail stores and our office and showroom spaces requiring future minimum lease payments of $26,072 in the aggregate through fiscal 2023 and $86,851 thereafter. Any new retail stores leased by us under operating leases will further increase our operating lease expenses, and some of those stores may require significant capital expenditures. We depend on cash flows from operations to pay our lease expenses and to fulfill our other cash needs. If our business does not generate sufficient cash flow from operating activities, and sufficient funds are not otherwise available to us from borrowings under our credit facilities or from other sources, we may not be able to service our operating lease expenses, grow our business, respond to competitive challenges or fund our other liquidity and capital needs, which would harm our business. In addition, we may remain obligated under the applicable lease for, among other things, payment of the base rent for the remaining lease term, even after the space is exited or otherwise closed (such as our temporary store closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic). Such costs and obligations related to the early or temporary closure of our stores or termination of our leases could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

If an existing or future store is not profitable, and we decide to close it, we may nonetheless be committed to perform our obligations under the applicable lease including, among others, paying the base rent for the balance of the lease term if we cannot negotiate a mutually acceptable termination payment. In addition, as our leases expire, we may fail to negotiate renewals, either on commercially acceptable terms or at all, or to find a suitable alternative location, which could cause us to close stores in desirable locations or in the case of office leases, incur costs in relocating our office space. In fiscal 2023, sixteen (16) of our existing store leases will expire.

A substantial portion of our revenue is derived from a small number of large wholesale partners, and the loss of any of these wholesale partners could substantially reduce our total revenue.

We historically had and continue to have a small number of wholesale partners who account for a significant portion of our net sales. Our consolidated net sales to the full-price, off-price and e-commerce operations of our largest wholesale partner comprised 16% of our total revenue for fiscal 2022. We do not have formal written agreements with any of our wholesale partners and purchases generally occur on an order-by-order basis. A decision by any of our major wholesale partners, whether motivated by marketing strategy, competitive conditions, financial difficulties or otherwise, to significantly decrease the amount of merchandise purchased from us or our licensing partners, or to change their manner of doing business with us or our licensing partners, could substantially reduce our revenue and have a material adverse effect on our profitability. In addition, due to the concentration of and/or ownership changes in our wholesale partner base, our results of operations could be adversely affected if any of these wholesale partners fails to satisfy its payment obligations to us when due or no longer takes part in the distribution arrangements. These changes could also decrease our opportunities in the market and decrease our negotiating strength with our wholesale partners. Furthermore, under the License Agreement, ABG Vince may remove any customer account that was pre-approved at the time of the closing of the Asset Sale if it believes using its good faith, commercially reasonable judgment, that such account is no longer consistent with the brand positioning for the Licensed Property or reject at its sole good faith discretion any new customer account we submit for its approval. If we lose any of our existing wholesale partners as a result of ABG Vince's decision to remove them, or if we are unable to expand our wholesale partnership or any addition of new wholesale partners is rejected by ABG Vince, our results of operations could be significantly and negatively impacted. These factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.

If we are unable to accurately forecast customer demand for our products, our results of operations could be materially impacted.

We stock our stores, and provide inventory to our wholesale partners, based on our or their estimates of future demand for particular products. Our inventory management and planning team determines the number of pieces of each product that we will order from our manufacturers based upon past sales of similar products, sales trend information and anticipated demand at our suggested retail prices. Our ability to accurately forecast demand for our products could be affected by many factors, including an increase or decrease in demand for our products or for products of our competitors, product introductions by competitors, unanticipated changes in general market conditions, and weakening of economic conditions or consumer confidence in future economic conditions. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to match supply with demand in all cases in the future, to produce sufficient levels of desirable product or to forecast demand accurately. If we fail to accurately forecast customer demand, we may experience excess inventory levels or a shortage of products. Inventory levels in excess of customer demand may result in inventory write-downs or write-offs and the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices, which would negatively impact our gross margin, as was the case in fiscal 2022. Conversely, if we underestimate customer demand for our products, our manufacturers may not be able to deliver products to meet our requirements, and this could harm our business. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully manage our inventory at a level appropriate for future customer demand.

General economic conditions in the U.S. and other parts of the world, including a weakening of the economy and restricted credit markets, can affect consumer confidence and consumer spending patterns.

The success of our operations depends on consumer spending. Consumer spending is impacted by a number of factors, including actual and perceived economic conditions affecting disposable consumer income, customer traffic within shopping and selling environments, business conditions, interest rates and availability of credit and tax rates in the general economy and in the international, regional and local markets in which our products are sold, including those resulting from inflation and other macroeconomic pressures in the United States and the global economy (including rising interest rates, fears of recession and continued market volatility and instability in the banking sector), health epidemics or pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic), and catastrophic events, such as war (including the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the related governmental and non-governmental global responses to such conflict), terrorist attacks, civil unrest, and other acts of violence. A worsening of the economy may negatively affect consumer and wholesale purchases of our products and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial conditions.

We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting that could, if not remediated, result in material misstatements in our financial statements.

A material weakness continued to exist relating to our internal control over financial reporting which was previously identified in fiscal 2016. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of an entity's financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weakness will not be remediated until all necessary internal controls have been implemented, tested and determined to be operating effectively. In addition, we may need to take additional measures to address such material weakness or modify the planned remediation steps, and we cannot be certain that the measures we have taken, and expect to take, to improve our internal controls will be sufficient to address the issues identified, to ensure that our internal controls are effective or to ensure that the identified material weakness will not result in a material misstatement of our consolidated financial statements. Moreover, other material weaknesses or deficiencies may develop or be identified in the future. If we are unable to correct material weaknesses or deficiencies in internal controls in a timely manner, our ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information accurately and within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, will be adversely affected. This failure could negatively affect the market price and trading liquidity of our common stock, cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, subject us to civil and criminal investigations and penalties, and otherwise materially and adversely impact our business and financial condition.

For so long as we remain a "non-accelerated filer" under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, our independent registered public accounting firm is not required to deliver an annual attestation report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. We will cease to be a non-accelerated filer if either (i) the aggregate market value of our outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter (our "public float") is $75,000 or more and our annual revenues for the most recently completed fiscal year are $100,000 or more or (ii) our public float is $700,000 or more, in which case we would become subject to the requirement for an annual attestation report by our independent registered public accounting firm on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

Failure to comply with laws and regulations could adversely impact our business.

We are subject to numerous domestic and international laws, regulations and advisories, including labor and employment, wage and hour, customs, truth-in-advertising, consumer protection, data and privacy protection, and zoning and occupancy laws and ordinances that regulate retailers generally or govern the importation, promotion and sale of merchandise and the operation of stores and warehouse facilities. If these regulations were violated by our management, employees, vendors, independent manufacturers or partners, the costs of certain goods could increase, or we could experience delays in shipments of our products, be subject to fines or penalties, or suffer reputational harm, which could reduce demand for our merchandise and hurt our business and results of operations. Moreover, changes in product safety or other consumer protection laws could lead to increased costs to us for certain merchandise, or additional labor costs associated with readying merchandise for sale. It is often difficult for us to plan and prepare for potential changes to applicable laws and future actions or payments related to such changes could be material to us.

Intense competition in the apparel and fashion industry could reduce our sales and profitability.

As a fashion company, we face intense competition from other domestic and foreign apparel, footwear and accessories manufacturers and retailers. Competition has and may continue to result in pricing pressures, reduced profit margins, lost market share or failure to grow our market share, any of which could substantially harm our business and results of operations. Some of our competitors have more established relationships with a broader set of suppliers, greater brand recognition and greater financial, research and development, marketing, distribution and other resources than we do. These capabilities of our competitors may allow one or more of them to better withstand downturns in the economy or apparel and fashion industry. Any increased competition, or our failure to adequately address any of these competitive factors which we have seen from time to time, could result in reduced sales, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and operating results.

Competition, along with such other factors as consolidation within the retail industry and changes in consumer spending patterns, could also result in significant pricing pressure and cause the sales environment to be more promotional, as it has been in recent years, impacting our financial results. For instance, we operated through a highly promotional sales environment during fiscal 2022 which had a negative impact on our operating results. If promotional pressure remains intense, either through actions of our competitors or through customer expectations, this may cause a further reduction in our sales and gross margins and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

If we lose any key personnel, are unable to attract key personnel, or assimilate and retain our key personnel, we may not be able to successfully operate or grow our business.

Our continued success is dependent on our ability to attract, assimilate, retain, and motivate qualified management, designers, administrative talent, and sales associates to support existing operations and future growth. Competition for qualified talent in the apparel and fashion industry is intense, and we compete for these individuals with other companies that in many cases have greater financial and other resources. The loss of the services of any members of senior management or board of directors or the inability to attract and retain qualified executives or members of our board of directors could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, we will need to continue to attract, assimilate, retain, and motivate highly talented employees with a range of other skills and experience. Competition for employees in our industry, especially at the store management levels, is intense and we may from time to time experience difficulty in retaining our associates or attracting the additional talent necessary to support the growth of our business. We will also need to attract, assimilate, and retain other professionals across a range of disciplines, including design, production, sourcing, and international business, as we develop new product categories and continue to expand our international presence.

Our operating results may be subject to seasonal and quarterly variations in our net revenue and income from operations.

The apparel and fashion industry in which we operate is cyclical and, consequently, our revenues are affected by general economic conditions and the seasonal trends characteristic to the apparel and fashion industry. Purchases of apparel are sensitive to a number of factors that influence the level of consumer spending, including economic conditions and the level of disposable consumer income, consumer debt, interest rates, consumer confidence as well as the impact from adverse weather conditions. In addition, fluctuations in the amount of sales in any fiscal quarter are affected by the timing of seasonal wholesale shipments and other events affecting direct-to-consumer sales; as such, the financial results for any particular quarter may not be indicative of results for the fiscal year. Any future seasonal or quarterly fluctuations in our results of operations may not match the expectations of market analysts and investors to assess the longer-term profitability and strength of our business at any particular point, which could lead to increased volatility in our stock price.

Our goodwill could become further impaired, which may require us to take significant non-cash charges against earnings.

In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board ASC Topic 350 Intangibles-Goodwill and Other ("ASC 350"), goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually and in an interim period if a triggering event occurs. Determining the fair value of goodwill is judgmental in nature and requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including estimates of projected revenues, EBITDA margins, long-term growth rates, working capital and discount rates, among others. We base our estimates on assumptions we believe to be reasonable, but which are unpredictable and inherently uncertain. Actual future results may differ from those estimates. It is possible that our current estimates of future operating results could change adversely and impact the evaluation of the recoverability of the remaining carrying value of goodwill, the impact of which could be material. There can be no assurances that we will not be required to record further charges in our financial statements, which would negatively impact our results of operations during the period in which any impairment of our goodwill is determined.

Our competitive position could suffer if the intellectual property rights relating to the Vince brand are not protected.

As a result of the Asset Sale, the intellectual property rights relating to the Vince brand will be protected and enforced by Authentic and we have no control over their actions to do so. If Authentic does not protect the intellectual property rights of the Vince brand, we may become unable to operate our business as intended, which could harm our business and cause our results of operations, liquidity, and financial condition to suffer.

We may be unable to successfully complete the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor business.

On September 12, 2022, the Company announced its decision to wind down the Rebecca Taylor business. The execution of the wind down is subject to various remaining risks and uncertainties surrounding the actions of customers, vendors and other counterparties, including legal risks associated with the wind down. As a result, we may not be able to successfully complete the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor business or the overall cost of the wind down may exceed our expectations. Furthermore, if we are unable to successfully complete the wind down of the Rebecca Taylor business or the cost exceeds our expectations, the Vince business may be adversely impacted.