VANCOUVER, March 23, 2018 /CNW/ - Network Media Group
Inc. (TSX: NTE.V) (OTCMKTS:
NMGGF) and Network Entertainment Inc. ("Network"
or "the Company") is pleased to announce a joint
venture with legendary menswear designer and global entrepreneur
John Varvatos to create original
content for television and film focusing on the worlds of music,
fashion, and pop culture. Varvatos is now expanding his brand into
filmed entertainment and related products in this collective with
acclaimed producer Derik Murray and
his company Network Entertainment. The mission of the partnership
is to create premium content that will be distributed globally on
multiple platforms and will be designed to feature complementary
merchandising, publishing, sponsorship, and special event
opportunities.
"My lifelong passion with music, and the eclectic style of the
many artists I admire, was the catalyst for my interest in fashion,
and my love of film and photography is a natural extension of my
spirit of creativity," stated John
Varvatos. "The opportunity to partner with Derik Murray in creating and delivering
unparalleled content to a global audience ensures that our
collaborations will be crafted with superior quality that is the
hallmark of Network Entertainment's work, which in turn delivers
the foundation to co-create works of lasting importance that speak
directly to my ambitions."
Since launching his brand in 2000 after beginning his career
with stints at Ralph Lauren and Calvin
Klein, John Varvatos has
carved out an influential place in the landscape of American
Design. With a brand that now encompasses an entire lifestyle, from
clothing to jewelry, fragrance, and beyond, he has been recognized
multiple times as Designer of the Year from the most
prestigious fashion organizations of the world, including the
Council of Fashion Designers of America and
GQ. In addition to being the Founder & Chief
Creative Officer of John Varvatos
Ent., John continues to pursue his love of music, most
illustrated by the founding of John
Varvatos Records in 2014 along with co-hosting the annual
LOVE ROCKS NYC!, a benefit
concert for New York based God's
Love We Deliver.
Varvatos infuses all of his work with creative spirit and
intrinsic edge that has elevated his collections, which
includes a sensibility perfectly aligned with award-winning
filmmaker and Network founder and C.E.O Derik Murray as they embark on this
collaboration. Murray will bring his brand of iconic storytelling
to the partnership, which has inspired Network's roster of films on
the world's most celebrated icons that consistently sets record
ratings and has been recognized by the most prestigious bodies in
the industry, including the Academy Awards and the Emmys.
"John Varvatos' artistic and
cultural sensibility is deeply rooted in music, freedom of
expression and old world quality, which he has harnessed in the
formation of a global menswear brand with a DNA that is an
authentic extension of John's creativity," added Derik Murray. "The opportunity to collaborate
with John Varvatos has quickly
inspired a slate of projects in development that we are both
excited and honored to co-create together."
One of the first projects to be developed on the Varvatos and
Network Entertainment slate, is a series based upon Varvatos'
bestselling book, John Varvatos:
Rock in Fashion. There will be additional announcements for new
projects coming soon.
About Network
Network Media Group is the parent
company of Network Entertainment Inc.
Network Entertainment,
founded and headquartered in Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada, produces premium content
for global audiences. Network's documentaries and docu-series
showcase the lives of the world's most inspiring cultural icons and
their endearing legacy. Our films have featured a compelling lineup
of icons from the worlds of Music, Movies, Comedy, Sports, Politics
and Business. The Network premium brand of programming features
outstanding casts and highly cinematic, richly crafted
storytelling. Our productions are consistently embraced by both
popular and critical acclaim garnering awards, record ratings and
unparalleled media coverage.
Network's broadcast and distribution
partners include: AHC, AMC, Discovery, CBC, CMT,
CTV, Entertainment One, FremantleMedia, HBO Canada, History
Channel, iTunes, Lionsgate, National Geographic, Paramount
Network, Spike, Sundance TV, Thunderbird and
TMN. Our work has been recognized by the Academy
Awards, The Emmys, Realscreen Awards, The Gemini's, The
Leo's, the Los Angeles Film
Festival, Washington D.C. Silver
Docs, Seattle International Film
Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival,
Houston International Film
Festival, Vancouver International
Film Festival, Banff Television Festival, and the International
Film and Television Festival of New York.
For additional information on Network Entertainment Inc.,
visit www.networkentertainment.ca
About John
Varvatos
Launched in 2000 with a collection of
tailored clothing and sportswear, John
Varvatos now represents an entire men's lifestyle that
includes footwear, bags, belts, eyewear, limited edition watches,
men's fragrances, and the John Varvatos Star USA Collection. The designer has been
recognized three times by the CFDA with an American Fashion Award
for New Menswear Designer (June 2000)
and Menswear Designer of the Year (June
2001 and June 2005) and was
honored as GQ's "Designer of the Year" in 2007. In
October 2013, John released his first
book entitled John Varvatos: Rock
in Fashion, which documents the elements of rock style that are
intrinsic in the music community. Further rooting the brand in
music, John Varvatos formally
launched John Varvatos Records in
February 2014. In 2015, John received several accolades
including Most Innovative at MR Magazine's MR Awards Honoring Game
Changers in the Menswear Industry, the Cultural Icon Award at the
T.J. Martell Foundation's 40th Anniversary Gala, the ACE Award for
Designer of the Year given by the Accessories Council, and the
Fashion Cares award given by the Samuel Waxman Foundation. In
2016, John was awarded Footwear News' ICON Award for Social Impact
for his conscience charitable work with The Stuart House Foundation
and God's Love We Deliver.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-looking
Information
Except for historical information
contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking
statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including the
Company not obtaining required TSX Venture Exchange approval of the
Transaction and the Transaction not being completed as proposed or
at all. These statements are necessarily based upon management's
perceptions, beliefs, assumptions and expectations, as well as a
number of specific factors and assumptions that, while considered
reasonable by management of the Company as of the date of such
statements, are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and
contingencies that could result in the forward-looking information
ultimately, perhaps materially, being incorrect. All forward
looking information in this news release involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that are beyond the control
of the Company and may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of the Company to be materially different from those
expressed or implied by such forward looking information. Except as
required pursuant to applicable securities laws, the Company will
not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or
circumstances after the date hereof.
SOURCE Network Entertainment Group Inc.