Article: Expansion strategy for Marisa Christina: revitalizing Vittadini.

NEW YORK -- Marisa Christina Inc., a mid-size, expansion-minded public knitwear company, has bought Adrienne Vittadini for $19 million in cash and stock in the hopes that the one-time $100-million-plus brand will rise again.

The purchase price could rise, however, to $58 million, depending on the profitability of Adrienne Vittadini Inc. in 1998 and 2000.

The move could give Marisa Christina the ammunition to compete with the likes of better-priced megabrands such as Liz Claiborne and Jones New York -- and it gives Vittadini a badly needed financial foundation.

While the Vittadini brand is still a mainstay of most department store bridge departments, its ...

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