Business

Sour note at Abboud’s Jaz

As Joseph Abboud takes the helm of a number of men’s clothing brands, including Hickey Freeman and Hart Schaffner Marx, the designer has suffered a fashion setback of his own.

Abboud last month was named president and creative chief of HMX Group, which manages labels purchased from now-defunct Hartmarx, the Chicago-based suitmaker for President Obama.

Recently, however, Abboud has also seen his pricey apparel line, “Jaz,” go kaput after less than three years, sources said. Manufacturer Jack Victor allowed its license for the tailored clothing to expire in a “mutual decision” with Abboud, according to one source.

Abboud, whose knack with sophisticated fabrics and American style catapulted him to fame in the 1980s, confirmed in an interview with The Post that there will be radio silence for Jaz this fall.

Nevertheless, Abboud said he aims to revive the brand under HMX’s umbrella, most likely in fall 2011.

“The world fell apart during the past 18 months,” Abboud told The Post. The brutal economy, he said, was particularly hard on the small boutiques that carried the Jaz line, which included shirts priced at more than $200 each, and suits at more than $1,000.

Abboud noted that when Jaz was launched in 2007, it provoked a trademark lawsuit from JA Apparel, a New York manufacturer that purchased the rights to his name in 2004. Last month, a judge ruled that Abboud can use his own name to hawk his fashions, as long as it’s in the fine print and not in the trademark.

“If you can imagine what it’s like to launch a business in the middle of a lawsuit — it’s not an easy thing,” Abboud said. Nevertheless, “we were completely vindicated and got what we wanted.”

Jaz wasn’t able to break $4 million in annual sales. But Abboud’s Black & Brown 1826, a proprietary label for Lord & Taylor, is now a $40 million business that’s still growing, Abboud said.

As Abboud looks to revamp Hickey Freeman and Hart Schaffner Marx, he said HMX’s US factories will use top-quality fabrics.

“People should be proud that there’s still product at this level being made in the United States,” he said.

Still, Marc Beckman of Designers Management Agency says it’s going to be an uphill battle for Abboud. HMX’s brands have “very little relevance for young consumers,” and the designer “should consider hiring a team that understands what the 25- to 35-year-old guy really wants.”

james.covert@nypost.com