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As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 4, 2026

Registration Statement No. 333-

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

XCEL BRANDS, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

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550 Seventh Ave, 11th Floor

New York, New York 10018

(347) 727-2474

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Robert W. D’Loren

Chief Executive Officer

550 Seventh Ave, 11th Floor

New York, New York 10018

(347) 727-2474

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

with copies to:

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Brad L. Shiffman, Esq.
Blank Rome LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
(212) 885-5442

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Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to public:

As soon as practicable after the effective date hereof.

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If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act check the following box. ☒

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If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

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If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

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If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

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The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to Section 8(a), may determine.

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Xcel Brands, Inc.

13,628,865 Shares of Common Stock

This prospectus relates to the resale from time to time of 13,628,865 shares (the “Resale Shares”) of common stock, par value of $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) of Xcel Brands, Inc. (the “Company”, “Xcel”, or “us”) by the selling stockholders identified in this prospectus, including their pledgees, assignees or successors-in-interest (collectively, the “Selling Stockholders”). The Resale Shares being registered for resale herewith consist of: (i) up to 11,019,485 shares of Common Stock that we may elect to issue and sell to White Lion Capital, LLC (“White Lion”), in our sole discretion from time to time after the date of this prospectus (the “Purchase Shares”), pursuant to a common stock purchase agreement, dated as of January 21, 2026, that we entered into with White Lion (the “Common Stock Purchase Agreement”), providing for up to $15.0 million of committed equity financing (the “Commitment Amount”), (ii) up to 37,500 shares of Common Stock issued to White Lion Capital, LLC as consideration for its irrevocable commitment to purchase Common Stock under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Commitment Shares”) (iii) 896,126 shares of Common Stock (the “Private Placement Shares”), which Private Placement Shares were issued pursuant to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), dated as of December 17, 2025, by and among us and the purchasers named therein (the “Purchasers”); (iv) pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase from the Company a total of 773,929 shares of Common Stock (the “Pre-Funded Warrant Shares”), at an exercise price per share equal to $0.001, which Pre-Funded Warrants were issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement; (v) warrants (the “Warrants”) to purchase from the Company a total of 835,023 shares of Common Stock (the “Warrant Shares”), at an exercise price per share equal to $3.00, which Warrants were issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement; and (vi) placement agent warrants (the “Placement Agent Warrants”) to purchase 4% of the aggregate number of Shares and Pre-Funded Warrants sold in the Private Placement, for an aggregate of up to 66,802 shares of Common Stock (the “Placement Agent Warrant Shares”), at an exercise price per share equal to $1.165 per share, issued pursuant to the Placement Agency Agreement, dated December 17, 2025 (the “Placement Agency Agreement”), by and between the Company and Wellington Shields & Co. LLC (the “Placement Agent” or “Wellington”). The Private Placement Shares, Pre-Funded Warrants, Warrants, and Placement Agent Warrants were issued in a private placement transaction that closed on December 18, 2025 (the “Private Placement”). The Warrants, Pre-Funded Warrants, and Placement Agent Warrants are referred collectively herein as the “Private Placement Warrants.”

We are filing this registration statement on Form S-1, of which this prospectus forms a part, to fulfill our contractual obligations with the Selling Stockholders to provide for the resale by the Selling Stockholders of the shares of common stock offered hereby. See “Selling Stockholders” beginning on page 81 of this prospectus for more information about the Selling Stockholders. The registration of the shares of common stock to which this prospectus relates does not require the Selling Stockholders to sell any of their shares of our common stock. We are not offering any shares of common stock under this prospectus and will not receive any proceeds from the sale or other disposition of the shares of our common stock covered hereby. See “Use of Proceeds” beginning on page 29 of this prospectus.

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The Selling Stockholders identified in this prospectus, or its pledgees, assignees, donees, transferees or their respective successors-in-interest, from time to time may offer and sell through public or private transactions at prevailing market prices, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices the shares held by them directly or through underwriters, agents or broker-dealers on terms to be determined at the time of sale, as described in more detail in this prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 86 of this prospectus for more information about how the Selling Stockholders may sell their respective shares of common stock. The Selling Stockholders may be deemed “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Pursuant to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement and the Purchase Agreement, we agreed to bear all of the expenses in connection with the registration of the Resale Shares pursuant to this prospectus. The Selling Stockholders will pay or assume all commissions, discounts and fees of underwriters, agents, selling brokers or dealer managers and similar expenses, if any, attributable to their respective sales of the shares of common stock.

The Common Stock being registered pursuant to this prospectus represent a substantial percentage of our public float and of our outstanding Common Stock. The number of shares being registered in this prospectus represents approximately 231% of the total Common Stock outstanding as of January 30, 2026, which was 5,893,815 shares of Common Stock. The sale of the securities being registered in this prospectus, or the perception in the market that such sales may occur, could result in a significant decline in the public trading price of our Common Stock.

We are a “smaller reporting company” under applicable Securities and Exchange Commission rules and, as such, have elected to comply with certain reduced public company disclosure requirements for this prospectus and future filings. See “Prospectus Summary—Implications of Being a Smaller Reporting Company.”

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “XELB.” On January 30, 2026, the closing price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $1.49 per share.

Investing in our common stock involves risks. You should review carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as described beginning on page 5 of this prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The securities are not being offered in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.

The date of this prospectus is        , 2026

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The registration statement containing this prospectus, including the exhibits to the registration statement, provides additional information about us and the shares offered under this prospectus. The registration statement, including the exhibits, can be read on our website and the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

Information contained in, and that can be accessed through our web site, www.xcelbrands.com, shall not be deemed to be part of this prospectus or incorporated herein by reference and should not be relied upon by any prospective investors for the purposes of determining whether to purchase the shares offered hereunder.

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references in this prospectus to the terms “Xcel,” “Xcel Brands, Inc.,” the “Company,” “us,” “we”, “our” and the “Registrant” refer to Xcel Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries and “this offering” refers to the offering contemplated in this prospectus.

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About This Prospectus

You should rely only on the information that we have provided in this prospectus. Neither we nor the Selling Stockholders have authorized anyone to provide you with different or additional information. If anyone provides you with different or additional information, you should not rely on it. You should assume that the information in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the cover of the document, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of a security. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

This prospectus includes statistical and other industry and market data that we obtained from industry publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties. Industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies generally indicate that their information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, although they do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. Although we believe these third-party sources are reliable as of their respective dates, neither we nor the Selling Stockholders have independently verified the accuracy or completeness of this information.

The Selling Stockholders are offering the shares of Common Stock only in jurisdictions where such issuances are permitted. The distribution of this prospectus and the issuance of the shares of Common Stock in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the issuance of the shares and the distribution of this prospectus outside the United States. This prospectus does not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, the shares of Common Stock offered by this prospectus by any person in any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful for such person to make such an offer or solicitation.

This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the sections entitled “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”

This prospectus includes trademarks, service marks and trade names owned by us or other companies. All trademarks, service marks and trade names included in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus are the property of their respective owners.

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Prospectus Summary

This summary contains basic information about us and this offering. Because it is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider before deciding to invest in our securities. Before you decide to invest in our securities, you should read this entire prospectus carefully, any related free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with the offering, including the information included under the heading titled “Risk Factors.”

Overview

We are a media and consumer products company engaged in the design, licensing, marketing, live streaming, and social commerce sales of branded apparel, footwear, accessories, fine jewelry, home goods and other consumer products, and the acquisition of dynamic consumer lifestyle brands. Xcel was founded in 2011 with a vision to reimagine shopping, entertainment, and social media as one thing. Currently, our brand portfolio consists of the following:

We also currently own a 19% interest in ORME Live Inc., a short-form video and social commerce marketplace that launched in April 2024.

Xcel is pioneering a true omni-channel and social commerce sales strategy which includes the promotion and sale of products under its brands through interactive television, digital live-stream shopping, social commerce, brick-and-mortar retailers, and e-commerce channels. Xcel currently operates in a working-capital light model, with our licensees and/or retail partners responsible for the procurement and sale of inventory. As such, our revenues primarily consist of royalty revenues, and we do not have risk of carrying aged inventory. As a result, fluctuations in product costs and tariffs do not have a direct impact on us, but do impact us indirectly as our royalty revenues are typically based on the net sales and success of our licensees.

Our objective is to build a diversified portfolio of lifestyle consumer products brands through organic growth and the strategic acquisition of new brands. To grow our brands, we are focused on the following primary strategies:

We believe that Xcel offers a unique value proposition to our retail partners and our licensees for the following reasons:

Recent Developments

On October 7, 2025, Xcel entered into the Third Amendment and Consent to Loan and Security Agreement (the “Third Amendment”), by and among Xcel, the other parties thereto, each Lender party thereto under the Loan and Security Agreement dated as of June 30, 2025, and FEAC Agent, LLC, as administrative agent and collateral agent for the Lenders (in such capacities, together with its successors and assigns in such capacities, the “Administrative Agent”). Pursuant to the Third Amendment, (i) the Agents (as defined in the Loan and Security Agreement) and the Lenders consented to the Transfer and the release of the termination of the pledge agreement and the release of the Agents’ liens on the equity interests of IM Topco, LLC; (ii) the liquid asset covenant requirement was reduced to $1,000,000 and (iii) Xcel made a prepayment of $250,000, of which $140,000 was paid from the blocked account.

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On December 17, 2025, we entered into the Purchase Agreement with several institutional and accredited investors for the issuance and sale in a private placement of securities for gross proceeds of $2.05 million. The Purchase Agreement provides for the issuance and sale of: (i) 896,126 shares of the Company’s Common Stock, (ii) Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase from the Company a total of 773,929 shares of Common Stock, at an exercise price per share equal to $0.001, and (iii) Warrants to purchase from the Company a total of 835,023 shares of Common Stock, at an exercise price per share equal to $3.00. Also on this date, we entered into the Placement Agency Agreement with Wellington, pursuant to which Wellington received (i) a fee equal to up to 8% of the gross proceeds from the Private Placement Shares and Pre-Funded Warrants sold in the Private Placement, (ii) Placement Agent Warrants to purchase 4% of the aggregate number of Shares and Pre-Funded Warrants sold in the Private Placement, for an aggregate of up to 66,802 shares of Common Stock, at an exercise price per share equal to $1.165 per share, and (iii) $50,000 for expenses incurred in the Private Placement. See the section entitled “Description of the Private Placement” included elsewhere in this prospectus for more information.

On January 21, 2026, Xcel Brands, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a common stock purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) and a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), with White Lion Capital, LLC (the “Investor”), pursuant to which White Lion has committed to purchase up to $15.0 million of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), subject to certain limitations and satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement.

Under the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement, the Company has the right, but not the obligation, to sell to White Lion, and White Lion is obligated to purchase, up to $15.0 million of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Purchase Shares”). Such sales of Common Stock by the Company, if any, will be subject to certain limitations specified in the Purchase Agreement and may occur from time to time, at the Company’s sole discretion, during the 24-month period beginning on the date of the Purchase Agreement (the “Commitment Period”).

Company Information

We were incorporated on August 31, 1989 in the State of Delaware under the name Houston Operating Company. On April 19, 2005, we changed our name to NetFabric Holdings, Inc. On September 29, 2011, Xcel Brands, Inc., a privately-held Delaware corporation (which we refer to as Old Xcel), Netfabric Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation and our wholly owned subsidiary, and certain of our stockholders entered into an agreement of merger and plan of reorganization pursuant to which Netfabric Acquisition Corp. was merged with and into Old Xcel, with Old Xcel surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary. On September 29, 2011, we changed our name to Xcel Brands, Inc.

Our principal office is located at 550 Seventh Ave, New York, NY 10018. Our telephone number is (347) 727-2474. Our website address is www.xcelbrands.com. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus, and you should not rely on any such information in making the decision of whether to purchase shares of our common stock.

Implications of Being a Smaller Reporting Company

We are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in the Exchange Act, and have elected to take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies. To the extent that we continue to qualify as a “smaller reporting company” as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act we may take advantage of specified reduced reporting requirements and other burdens that are otherwise applicable generally to other public companies including exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirements pursuant to SOX and reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements. We will continue to be a “smaller reporting company” until we have $250 million or more in public float (based on our common stock) measured as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or, in the event we have no public float (based on our common stock) or a public float (based on our common stock) that is less than $700 million, annual revenues of $100 million or more during the most recently completed fiscal year.

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The Offering

This prospectus relates to the resale or other disposition from time to time by the Selling Stockholders identified in this prospectus of 13,628,865 shares. None of the shares registered for resale hereby are being offered for sale by us.

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The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 5,893,815 shares of our common stock outstanding as of January 30, 2026 and excludes:

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Risk Factors

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our securities, you should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus. The risks described below are material risks currently known, expected or reasonably foreseeable by us. However, the risks described below are not the only ones that we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business, operating results, prospects or financial condition. If any of these risks actually materialize, our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations could be seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our securities to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment. For more information, see the section entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.”

Summary of Risk Factors

Our business is subject to a number of risks, which include, but are not limited to, risks related to:

An investment in our securities is subject to a number of risks, which include, but are not limited to, risks related to:

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We are also subject to general risks, which include, but are not limited to, risks related to:

Risks Related to Our Business

We have a limited amount of cash to grow our operations. If we cannot obtain additional sources of cash, our growth prospects and future profitability will likely be materially adversely affected, and we may not be able to implement our business plan. Such additional financing may not be available on satisfactory terms or it may not be available when needed, or at all.

As of December 31, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $1.3 million, and during the year ended December 31, 2024, we used $4.7 million of cash in operating activities. On March 19, 2024, we closed on a public offering and private placement of our common stock, which resulted in aggregate net proceeds to us of approximately $2.0 million. In December 2024, we refinanced our debt by entering into a new loan agreement for an aggregate amount of $10.0 million of term loans, resulting in the net receipt of $2.8 million of cash after repayment of expenses and repayment of our prior loan agreement. In April 2025, we refinanced our debt with a new lender, resulting in the net receipt of approximately $3.0 million of cash after repayment of principal and payment of fees and expenses.

We may require significant additional cash to satisfy our working capital requirements, expand our operations, or acquire and develop additional brands. Our inability to finance our growth, either internally through our operations or externally, may limit our growth potential and our ability to execute our business strategy successfully. If we issue additional securities to raise capital to finance operations and/or pay down or restructure our debt, our existing stockholders may experience dilution. In addition, the new securities may have rights senior to those of our common stock.

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Our financial statements have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern.

We incurred net losses of approximately $22.6 million and $22.2 million during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively (which included non-cash expenses of approximately $20.3 million and $9.0 million, respectively), and had an accumulated deficit of approximately $76.2 million and $53.8 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Net cash used in operating activities was $4.7 million in 2024 and $6.5 million in 2023. Our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 were prepared under the assumption that we will continue as a going concern; however, we have incurred significant losses over the past several years and have used a significant amount of cash in operating activities. These factors raise significant uncertainties regarding our ability to meet our financial obligations and financing requirements. As such, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our ability to continue as a going concern is dependent on executing our business plans and meeting our obligations as they come due within the next twelve months from the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Accordingly, the accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments related to the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and calculations of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

Our auditor also included an explanatory paragraph in its report on our financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2024 with respect to this uncertainty. Our auditor determined our ability to continue as a going concern is a critical audit matter due to the estimation and uncertainty regarding our available capital and the risk of bias in management’s judgments and assumptions in their determination. Although we intend to continue exploring strategic financing alternatives and operational efficiencies to improve liquidity, there can be no assurance that funding will be available on acceptable terms on a timely basis, or at all, or otherwise improve our liquidity. The various ways that we could raise capital carry potential risks. Any additional sources of financing will likely involve the issuance of our equity securities, which will have a dilutive effect on our stockholders. Any debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants that may impact our ability to conduct our business. As such, we cannot conclude that such plans will be effectively implemented within one year after the date that the financial statements included in this Annual Report are filed with the SEC and there is uncertainty regarding our ability to maintain liquidity sufficient to operate our business effectively, which raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

Our debt obligations could impair our liquidity and financial condition, and in the event we are unable to meet our debt obligations, we could lose ownership of our trademarks and/or other assets.

On December 12, 2024, we and certain of our subsidiaries entered into a loan and security agreement with FEAC Agent, LLC, as administrative agent and collateral agent, pursuant to which the lenders made term loans to the Company and agreed to make additional term loans to the Company upon the satisfaction of a condition precedent described in the loan agreement. The current outstanding loan balances are as follows: (1) Term Loan A in the amount of $3.75 million and (2) Term Loan B in the amount of $9.66 million.

These term loans are guaranteed by certain direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company, and are secured by all of the assets of the Company and such subsidiaries. The April 21, 2025 amendment also contains various financial covenants, including minimum liquid asset, minimum revenues, and minimum unrestricted cash covenants, and reporting requirements, as specified and defined therein.

As a result of our failure to satisfy the minimum revenues covenant for the three month periods ended June 30, 2025 and September 30, 2025, on November 18, 2025, we entered into a further amendment to the loan and security agreement to (i) amend certain financial covenants, (ii) waive our failure to satisfy the minimum revenues covenant for the three months ended June 30, 2025 and September 30, 2025, (iii) require a payment of $3.25 million of principal amount of Term Loan A by February 20, 2026, (iv) after such payment of Term Loan A, defer the quarterly installment payments of Term Loan A until December 31, 2026 and require a $500,000 principal payment of Term Loan A on that date, and (v) require us to pay an amendment fee of $450,000 (of which $125,000 is payable on December 5, 2025 and the remaining $325,000 will be due if the $3.25 million principal amount of Term Loan A is not repaid on or prior to February 20, 2026). Upon the payment of $3.25 million of principal of Term Loan A, $1.0 million of restricted cash shall be released from the blocked account, which would result in the Company funding a net amount of $2.25 million, together with the release of the $1.0 million from the restricted cash account to satisfy the repayment. The Company would also be required to fund all other obligations to FEAC Agent, LLC, including accrued interest, fees, and out-of-pocket costs.

Principal on the Term Loan B is payable on the maturity date of December 12, 2028.

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Our debt obligations:

In the event that we fail in the future to satisfy other obligations under the agreements governing our indebtedness, including meeting milestone obligations towards selling a portion of our assets or completing an alternative transaction to repay $3.25 million principal amount of Term Loan A (collectively, a “Refinancing Event”) by February 20, 2026, or complying with the minimum revenue covenant, the minimum liquid asset covenant, or the minimum unrestricted cash covenants, or if we have additional failures to comply with other covenants contained in those agreements, we would be in default with respect to that indebtedness and the lenders could declare such indebtedness to be immediately due and payable. Certain of the milestone obligations, such as entering into an engagement letter with an investment banker and receiving a letter of intent and completing a Refinancing Event are not within our control and there can be no assurance that we will be able to satisfy such milestone obligations. Moreover, the revenue targets for 2026 and thereafter will be significantly in excess of our current revenues if we do not make the $3.25 million Term Loan A repayment and we cannot assure you the lenders will amend or grant waivers to the loan agreement to adjust or eliminate covenants or waive our future non-compliance or breach of a financial or other covenant in the future. Failure to maintain our listing on Nasdaq would also result in a default under our term loan debt agreements. A debt default could significantly diminish the market value and marketability of our common stock and could result in the acceleration of the payment obligations under all or a portion of our indebtedness, or a renegotiation of our loan agreement with more onerous terms and/or additional equity dilution.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting.

We are ultimately responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal controls over our financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. A material weakness is defined as a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024 (see “Controls and Procedures” in Item 9A for further information). We are actively developing and plan to implement a remediation plan designed to address these material weaknesses. However, we cannot guarantee these steps will be sufficient to address the material weaknesses. If this remediation proves ineffective, if we fail to develop and maintain proper and effective internal controls over financial reporting, or if additional material weaknesses in our disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting are discovered or occur in the future, our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements, comply with applicable laws and regulations, or access the capital markets could be impaired and we could be required to restate our financial results.

If we identify any new material weaknesses in the future, or if our remediation measures are not effective, any such newly identified or existing material weakness could limit our ability to prevent or detect a misstatement of our accounts or disclosures that could result in a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements. In such case, we may be unable to maintain compliance with securities law requirements regarding the timely filing of periodic reports, in addition to applicable stock exchange listing requirements. Investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting, and our stock price may decline as a result. We cannot assure you that the measures we have taken to date, or any measures we may take in the future, will be sufficient to avoid potential future material weaknesses.

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A substantial portion of our revenue is concentrated with a limited number of licensees such that the loss of any of such licensees could decrease our revenue and impair our cash flows.

A substantial portion of our revenue is generated from Qurate, through the respective agreements with Qurate through QVC and HSN, and from G-III Apparel Group, through our master license agreement relating to the Halston Brand. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, Qurate accounted for approximately 44% and 34%, respectively, of our total net revenue, while the Halston Master License represented approximately 31% and 9% of our total net revenue, respectively.

Because we are dependent on these agreements for a significant portion of our revenues, if Qurate or G-III were to have financial difficulties, or if Qurate and/or G-III decide not to renew or extend their existing agreements with us, our revenue and cash flows could be reduced substantially. Our cash flow would also be significantly impacted if there were significant delays in our collection of receivables from these licensees. Additionally, we have limited control over the programming that Qurate devotes to our brands or its promotional sales with our brands (such as “Today’s Special Value” sales). If Qurate reduces or modifies its programming or promotional sales related to our brands, our revenues and cash flows could be reduced substantially. In order to increase sales of a brand through Qurate, we generally require additional television programming time dedicated to the brand by Qurate. Qurate is not required to devote any minimum amount of programming time for any of our brands.

Our Qurate revenues have declined since 2021, and there can be no guarantee that our Qurate revenues will grow in the future or that they will not decline further. Additionally, there can be no assurance that our other licensees will be able to generate sales of products under our brands or grow their existing sales of products under our brands, and if they do generate sales, there is no guarantee that they will not cause a decline in sales of products being sold through Qurate.

Our agreements with Qurate restrict us from selling products under our brands with certain retailers, or branded products we sell on Qurate to any other retailer except certain interactive television channels in other territories approved by Qurate, and provides Qurate with a right to terminate the respective agreement if we breach these provisions.

Although most of our licenses and our Qurate Agreements prohibit the sale of products under our brands to retailers who are restricted by Qurate, and our license agreements with other interactive television companies prohibit such licensees from selling products to retailers restricted by Qurate under the brands we sell on Qurate outside of certain approved territories, one or more of our licensees could sell to a restricted retailer or territory, putting us in breach of our agreements with Qurate and exposing us to potential termination by Qurate. A breach of any of these agreements could also result in Qurate seeking monetary damages, seeking an injunction against us and our other licensees, reducing the programming time allocated to our brands, and/or terminating the respective agreement, which could have a material adverse effect on our net income and cash flows.

We conduct certain of our operations through joint ventures. Joint ventures could fail to meet our expectations or cease to deliver anticipated benefits. There could also be disagreements with our joint venture partners that could adversely affect our interest in a joint venture.

We currently hold a 17.5% interest in IM Topco, LLC and a 19% interest in ORME. We may enter into additional joint ventures in the future. Our operating results are, in part, dependent upon the performance of IM Topco, LLC and ORME, and, in the future, could also be dependent in part upon the performance of future joint ventures. Joint ventures involve numerous risks, and could fail to meet our initial or ongoing expectations. While we provide certain services to IM Topco, LLC and may provide services to future joint ventures, we do not control the day-to-day operations of IM Topco, LLC or ORME, and may not control the day-to-day operations of future joint ventures. The anticipated synergies or other benefits of a joint venture may fail to materialize due to changing business conditions or changes in our business priorities or those of our joint venture partners.

Our joint venture partners, as well as any future partners, may have interests that are different from our interests that may result in conflicting views as to the conduct of the business or future direction of the joint venture. In the event that we have a disagreement with a joint venture partner with respect to a particular issue to come before the joint venture, or as to the management or conduct of the business of the joint venture, we may not be able to resolve such disagreement in our favor. Any such disagreement could have a material adverse effect on our interest in the joint venture, the business of the joint venture, or the portion of our growth strategy related to the joint venture.

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We are dependent on our joint ventures to provide timely and accurate information about their sales and operations, which we rely upon to effectively manage their brands.

IM Topco, LLC and ORME are, and we expect any future joint ventures will be, contractually obligated to provide timely and accurate information regarding their sales and operations. We rely on this information to prepare our consolidated financial statements. Any delay in reporting reduces our visibility into the results of operations for our current and any future joint ventures, and our inability to collect timely and accurate information may affect our ability to timely complete our financial statements and timely file reports and other information with the SEC and may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

In connection with our fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, we were not able to complete the audit of IM Topco in a timely manner, which resulted in our late filing of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and our late filing of such year’s audit of IM Topco. IM Topco information was not timely received for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, which contributed to our late filing of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. Effective the second quarter of 2025, our equity interest in IM Topco has decreased to the extent that our investment in IM Topco will no longer be accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

The failure of our licensees to adequately produce, market, source, and sell quality products bearing our brand names in their license categories or to pay their obligations under their license agreements could result in a decline in our results of operations.

Our revenues are dependent on payments made to us under our licensing agreements. Although the licensing agreements for our brands typically require the advance payment to us of a portion of the licensing fees and in many cases provide for guaranteed minimum royalty payments to us, the failure of our licensees to satisfy their obligations under these agreements or their inability to operate successfully or at all, could result in their breach and/or the early termination of such agreements, the non-renewal of such agreements, or our decision to amend such agreements to reduce the guaranteed minimums or sales royalties due thereunder, thereby eliminating some or all of that stream of revenue. Moreover, during the terms of the license agreements, we are substantially dependent upon the efforts and abilities of our licensees to maintain the quality and marketability of the products bearing our trademarks, as their failure to do so could materially tarnish our brands, thereby harming our future growth and prospects. In addition, the failure of our licensees to meet their production, manufacturing, sourcing, and distribution requirements or actively market the branded licensed products could cause a decline in their sales and potentially decrease the amount of royalty payments (over and above the guaranteed minimums) due to us. A weak economy or softness in the apparel and retail sectors could exacerbate this risk. This, in turn, could decrease our potential revenues. The concurrent failure by several of our material licensees to meet their financial obligations to us could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and cash flows.

If our retail customers change their buying patterns, request additional allowances, develop their own private label brands or enter into agreements with national brand manufacturers to sell their products on an exclusive basis, our sales to these customers could be materially adversely affected.

Our retail customers’ buying patterns, as well as the need to provide additional allowances to customers, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Customers’ strategic initiatives, including developing their own private label brands, selling national brands on an exclusive basis, reducing the number of vendors they purchase from, or reducing the floor space dedicated to our brands could also impact our sales to these customers. There is a trend among major retailers to concentrate purchasing among a narrowing group of vendors. To the extent that any key customer reduces the number of its vendors or allocates less floor space for our products and, as a result, reduces or eliminates purchases from us, there could be a material adverse effect on us.

Our business is dependent on continued market acceptance of our brands, our joint venture brands, and any future brands we may acquire directly or through a joint venture, and the products of our licensees.

Although certain of our licensees guarantee minimum net sales and minimum royalties to us, some of our licensees are not yet selling licensed products or currently have limited distribution of licensed products, and a failure of our brands or of our joint venture brands or of products bearing our brands or our joint venture brands to achieve or maintain broad market acceptance could cause a reduction of our licensing revenues, diminish the value of and generally affect the operating results of our joint ventures, and could further cause existing licensees not to renew their agreements. Such failure could also cause the devaluation of our trademarks, which are our primary assets and the primary assets of our joint ventures, making it more difficult for us or our joint ventures to renew our current licenses upon their expiration or enter into new or additional licenses for such trademarks. In addition, if such devaluation of our trademarks were to occur, a material impairment in the carrying value of one or more of our trademarks, which had an aggregate carrying value of $34.8 million as of December 31, 2024, could also occur and be charged as an expense to our operating results. Continued market

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acceptance of our brands, our joint ventures’ brands, and our licensees’ products, as well as market acceptance of any future products bearing any future brands we may acquire, is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and constantly changing consumer tastes, preferences, and purchasing patterns. Creating and maintaining market acceptance of our licensees’ products and creating market acceptance of new products and categories of products bearing our marks may require substantial marketing efforts, which may, from time to time, also include our expenditure of significant additional funds to keep pace with changing consumer demands, which funds may or may not be available on a timely basis, on acceptable terms or at all. Additional marketing efforts and expenditures may not, however, result in either increased market acceptance of, or additional licenses for, our trademarks or increased market acceptance, or sales, of our licensees’ products. Furthermore, we do not actually design or manufacture all of the products bearing our marks, and therefore, have less control over such products’ quality and design than a traditional product manufacturer might have. The failure of our licensees and joint ventures to maintain the quality of their products could harm the reputation and marketability of our brands and our joint ventures’ brands, which would adversely impact our business and the business of our joint ventures.

Negative claims or publicity regarding Xcel, IM Topco, LLC, our brand co-developers, any future joint ventures, our or their brands, or products could adversely affect our reputation and sales regardless of whether such claims are accurate. Social media, which accelerates the dissemination of information, can increase the challenges of responding to negative claims. In the past, many apparel companies have experienced periods of rapid growth in sales and earnings followed by periods of declining sales and losses. Our businesses may be similarly affected in the future.

Use of social media and influencers may materially and adversely affect our reputation or subject us to fines or other penalties.

We use and our joint ventures may use third-party social media platforms as, among other things, marketing tools. We also maintain, and our joint ventures may maintain, relationships with many social media influencers and engage in sponsorship initiatives. As existing e-commerce and social media platforms continue to rapidly evolve and new platforms develop, we and our joint ventures must continue to maintain a presence on these platforms and establish presences on new or emerging popular social media platforms. If we or our joint ventures are unable to cost-effectively use social media platforms as marketing tools or if the social media platforms we or our joint ventures use change their policies or algorithms, we or our joint ventures may not be able to fully optimize such platforms, and our and their ability to maintain and acquire customers and our financial condition may suffer.

Furthermore, as laws and regulations and public opinion rapidly evolve to govern the use of these platforms and devices, the failure by us, our employees, our network of social media influencers, our sponsors or third parties acting at our direction to abide by applicable laws and regulations in the use of these platforms and devices or otherwise could subject us to regulatory investigations, class action lawsuits, liability, fines or other penalties and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

In addition, an increase in the use of social media for product promotion and marketing may cause an increase in the burden on us and our joint ventures to monitor compliance of such materials, and increase the risk that such materials could contain problematic product or marketing claims in violation of applicable regulations. For example, in some cases, the Federal Trade Commission has sought enforcement action where an endorsement has failed to clearly and conspicuously disclose a financial relationship or material connection between an influencer and an advertiser.

We do not prescribe what our influencers post, and if we were held responsible for the content of their posts or their actions, we could be fined or forced to alter our practices, which could have an adverse impact on our business.

Negative commentary regarding us, our joint ventures or our or their products or influencers and other third parties who are affiliated with us or our joint ventures may also be posted on social media platforms and may be adverse to our or our joint ventures’ reputation or business. Influencers with whom we or our joint ventures maintain relationships could engage in behavior or use their platforms to communicate directly with our customers in a manner that reflects poorly on our or our joint ventures’ brand and may be attributed to us or our joint ventures or otherwise adversely affect us or our joint ventures. It is not possible to prevent such behavior, and the precautions we and our joint ventures take to detect this activity may not be effective in all cases. Our and our joint ventures’ target consumers often value readily available information and often act on such information without further investigation and without regard to its accuracy. The harm may be immediate, without affording us and our joint ventures an opportunity for redress or correction.

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If we are unable to anticipate and respond to changing customer preferences and shifts in fashion and industry trends in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, and operating results could be harmed.

Our success largely depends on our ability to consistently gauge tastes and trends and provide a diverse and balanced assortment of merchandise that satisfies customer demands in a timely manner. 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, our failure to accurately forecast acceptance of new products, product introductions by competitors, unanticipated changes in general market conditions, and weakening of economic conditions or consumer confidence in future economic conditions. We typically enter into agreements to manufacture and purchase our merchandise in advance of the applicable selling season and our failure to anticipate, identify or react appropriately, or in a timely manner to changes in customer preferences, tastes and trends or economic conditions could lead to, among other things, missed opportunities, excess inventory or inventory shortages, markdowns and write-offs, all of which could negatively impact our profitability and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results. Failure to respond to changing customer preferences and fashion trends could also negatively impact the image of our brands with our customers and result in diminished brand loyalty.

If major department, mass merchant, and specialty store chains consolidate, continue to close stores, or cease to do business, our business could be negatively affected.

Certain of our licensees sell our branded products through major department, mass merchant, and specialty store chains. Continued consolidation in the retail industry, as well as store closures or retailers ceasing to do business, could negatively impact our business. Consolidation could also reduce the number of our customers and potential customers who can access our branded products. A store group could decide to close stores, decrease the amount of our branded product purchased from our licensees, modify the amount of floor space allocated to apparel in general or to our brands specifically, or focus on promoting private label products or national brand products for which it has exclusive rights rather than promoting our brands. Customers are also concentrating purchases among a narrowing group of vendors. These types of decisions could adversely affect our business.

We expect to achieve growth based upon our plans to expand our business under our existing brands and brands we may develop independently or through collaborations or acquire. If we fail to manage our expected future growth, our business and operating results could be materially harmed.

We expect to achieve growth in our existing brands and brands we may develop independently or through collaborations or acquire through expansion of our licensing activities and social media e-commerce platforms, including ORME. We continue to seek new opportunities and international expansion through interactive television and licensing arrangements, as well as joint ventures and collaborations. The success of our company, however, will remain largely dependent on our ability to build and maintain broad market acceptance of our brands, co-developed brands, and joint venture brands to contract with and retain key licensees and on our licensees’ and join venture partners’ ability to accurately predict upcoming fashion and design trends within customer bases and fulfill the product requirements of retail channels within the global marketplace.

Our ability to compete effectively and to manage future growth, if any, will depend on the sufficiency and adequacy of our current resources and infrastructure and our ability to continue to identify, attract and retain personnel to manage our brands and integrate any brands we may acquire into our operations. There can be no assurance that our personnel, systems, procedures and controls will be adequate to support our operations and properly oversee our brands. The failure to support our operations effectively and properly oversee our brands could cause harm to our brands and have a material adverse effect on the value of such brands and on our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may be unable to leverage our core competencies in managing apparel and jewelry brands to managing brands in new product categories.

Also, there can be no assurance that we will be able to achieve and sustain meaningful growth. Our growth may be limited by a number of factors including increased competition among branded products at brick-and-mortar, internet and interactive retailers, decreased airtime on QVC, HSN, and JTV, competition for retail licenses and brand acquisitions, joint ventures and collaborations, and insufficient capitalization for future transactions.

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We are dependent upon our Chief Executive Officer and other key executives. If we lose the services of these individuals, we may not be able to fully implement our business plan and future growth strategy, which would harm our business and prospects.

Our success is largely dependent upon the efforts of Robert W. D’Loren, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our board of directors. Our continued success is largely dependent upon his continued efforts and those of our other key executives. Although we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. D’Loren, as well as employment agreements with other executives and key employees, such persons can terminate their employment with us at their option, and there is no guarantee that we will not lose the services of our executive officers or key employees. To the extent that any of their services become unavailable to us, we will be required to hire other qualified executives, and we may not be successful in finding or hiring adequate replacements. This could impede our ability to fully implement our business plan and future growth strategy, which would harm our business and prospects.

If we are unable to identify and successfully acquire additional trademarks or enter into joint ventures or collaborations for brands, our growth may be limited and, even if additional trademarks are acquired or joint ventures and collaborations are formed, we may not realize anticipated benefits due to integration or licensing difficulties.

While we are focused on growing our existing brands, we intend to selectively seek to acquire additional intellectual property, either directly or through the formation of joint ventures or collaborations. However, as our competitors continue to pursue a brand management model, acquisitions, joint ventures, and collaborations may become more expensive and suitable candidates could become more difficult to find. In addition, even if we successfully acquire additional intellectual property or the rights to use additional intellectual property, we may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability levels that justify our investment in, or realize planned benefits with respect to, those additional brands.

Although we will seek to temper our acquisition, joint venture, and collaboration risks by following guidelines relating to purchase price and valuation, projected returns, existing strength of the brand, its diversification benefits to us, its potential licensing scale and creditworthiness of licensee base, acquisitions, joint ventures, and collaborations, whether they be of additional intellectual property assets or of the companies that own them, entail numerous risks, any of which could detrimentally affect our reputation, our results of operations, and/or the value of our common stock. These risks include, among others:

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When we acquire intellectual property assets or the companies that own them, or enter into joint ventures or collaborations, our due diligence reviews are subject to inherent uncertainties and may not reveal all potential risks. We may therefore fail to discover or inaccurately assess undisclosed or contingent liabilities, including liabilities for which we may have responsibility as a successor to the seller or the target company. As a successor, we may be responsible for any past or continuing violations of law by the seller or the target company. Although we will generally attempt to seek contractual protections through representations, warranties and indemnities, we cannot be sure that we will obtain such provisions or that such provisions will fully protect us from all unknown, contingent or other liabilities or costs. Finally, claims against us relating to any acquisition may necessitate our seeking claims against the seller for which the seller may not, or may not be able to, indemnify us or that may exceed the scope, duration or amount of the seller’s indemnification obligations.

Acquiring additional intellectual property could also have a significant effect on our financial position and could cause substantial fluctuations in our quarterly and yearly operating results. Acquisitions and joint ventures could result in the recording of significant goodwill and intangible assets on our financial statements, the amortization or impairment of which would reduce our reported earnings in subsequent years. No assurance can be given with respect to the timing, likelihood or financial or business effect of any possible transaction. Moreover, our ability to grow through the acquisition of additional intellectual property, joint ventures and collaborations will also depend on the availability of capital to complete the necessary acquisition arrangements. In the event that we are unable to obtain debt financing on acceptable terms for a particular transaction, we may elect to pursue the transaction through the issuance by us of shares of our common stock (and, in certain cases, convertible securities) as equity consideration, which could dilute our common stock and reduce our earnings per share, and any such dilution could reduce the market price of our common stock unless and until we were able to achieve revenue growth or cost savings and other business economies sufficient to offset the effect of such an issuance. Acquisitions of additional brands may also involve challenges related to integration into our existing operations, merging diverse cultures, and retaining key employees. Any failure to integrate additional brands successfully in the future may adversely impact our reputation and business.

As a result, there is no guarantee that our stockholders will achieve greater returns as a result of any future acquisitions we complete.

Intense competition in the apparel, fashion, and jewelry industries could reduce our sales and profitability.

As a fashion company, we face intense competition from other domestic and foreign apparel, footwear, accessories, and jewelry 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. Competition is based on many factors including, without limitation, the following:

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Competition in the apparel, fashion and jewelry industries is intense and is dominated by a number of very large brands, many of which have longer operating histories, larger customer bases, more established relationships with a broader set of potential licensees, greater brand recognition, and greater financial, research and development, marketing, distribution, and other resources than we do. These capabilities of our competitors may allow them to better withstand downturns in the economy or apparel, fashion and jewelry industries. 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. 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.

Because of the intense competition within our existing and potential wholesale licensees’ markets and the strength of some of their competitors, we and our licensees may not be able to continue to compete successfully.

We expect our existing and future licenses to relate to products in the apparel, footwear, accessories, jewelry, home goods, and other consumer industries, in which our licensees face intense competition, including from our other brands and licensees. In general, competitive factors include quality, price, style, name recognition, and service. In addition, various fashion trends and the limited availability of shelf space could affect competition for our licensees’ products. Many of our licensees’ competitors have greater financial, distribution, marketing, and other resources than our licensees and have achieved significant name recognition for their brand names. Our licensees may be unable to successfully compete in the markets for their products, and we may not be able to continue to compete successfully with respect to our contractual arrangements.

If our competition for licenses increases, or any of our current licensees elect not to renew their licenses or renew on terms less favorable than today, our growth plans could be slowed and our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.

To the extent we seek to acquire additional brands, we will face competition to retain licenses and to complete such acquisitions. The ownership, licensing, and management of brands is becoming a more widely utilized method of managing consumer brands as production continues to become commoditized and manufacturing capacity increases worldwide. We face competition from numerous direct competitors, both publicly and privately-held, including traditional apparel and consumer brand companies, other brand management companies and private equity groups. Companies that traditionally focused on wholesale manufacturing and sourcing models are now exploring licensing as a way of growing their businesses through strategic licensing partners and direct-to-retail contractual arrangements. Furthermore, our current or potential licensees may decide to develop or purchase brands rather than renew or enter into contractual agreements with us. In addition, this increased competition could result in lower sales of products offered by our licensees under our brands. If our competition for licenses increases, it may take us longer to procure additional licenses, which could slow our growth rate.

Difficulties with foreign sourcing may adversely affect our business.

Our licensees work with several manufacturers overseas, primarily located overseas, including in China and Thailand. A manufacturing contractor’s failure to ship products to our licensees in a timely manner or to meet the required quality standards could cause the licensee to miss the delivery date requirements of its customers for those items or not have seasonal product available for a selling season. The failure to make timely deliveries may cause their customers to cancel orders, refuse to accept deliveries or demand reduced prices, any of which could reduce our licensing royalties, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

As a result of the magnitude of our licensees’ foreign sourcing, our business is subject to the following risks:

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If these risks limit or prevent our licensees from manufacturing products in any significant international market, prevent us from acquiring products from foreign suppliers, the production and sale of our brands could be seriously disrupted until alternative suppliers are found or alternative markets are developed, which could negatively impact our business.

Our failure to protect our proprietary rights could compromise our competitive position and decrease the value of our brands.

We own, through our wholly owned subsidiaries, various U.S. federal trademark registrations and foreign trademark registrations for our brands, together with pending applications for registration, which are vital to the success and further growth of our business and which we believe have significant value. We rely primarily upon a combination of trademarks, copyrights, and contractual restrictions to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights domestically and internationally. We believe that such measures afford only limited protection and, accordingly, there can be no assurance that the actions taken by us to establish, protect, and enforce our trademarks and other proprietary rights will prevent infringement of our intellectual property rights by others, or prevent the loss of licensing revenue or other damages caused therefrom.

For instance, despite our efforts to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy aspects of our intellectual property, which could harm the reputation of our brands, decrease their value, and/or cause a decline in our licensees’ sales and thus our revenues. Further, we and our licensees may not be able to detect infringement of our intellectual property rights quickly or at all, and at times, we or our licensees may not be successful in combating counterfeit, infringing, or knockoff products, thereby damaging our competitive position. In addition, we depend upon the laws of the countries where our licensees’ products are sold to protect our intellectual property. Intellectual property rights may be unavailable or limited in some countries because standards of registration and ownership vary internationally. Consequently, in certain foreign jurisdictions, we have elected or may elect not to apply for trademark registrations.

While we generally apply for trademarks in most countries where we license or intend to license our trademarks, we may not accurately predict all of the countries where trademark protection will ultimately be desirable. If we fail to timely file a trademark application in any such country, we may be precluded from obtaining a trademark registration in such country at a later date. Failure to adequately pursue and enforce our trademark rights could damage our brands, enable others to compete with our brands and impair our ability to compete effectively.

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In addition, in the future, we may be required to assert infringement claims against third parties or more third parties may assert infringement claims against us. Any resulting litigation or proceeding could result in significant expense to us and divert the efforts of our management personnel, whether or not such litigation or proceeding is determined in our favor. To the extent that any of our trademarks were ever deemed to violate the proprietary rights of others in any litigation or proceeding or as a result of any claim, we may be prevented from using them, which could cause a termination of our contractual arrangements, and thus our revenue stream, with respect to those trademarks. Litigation could also result in a judgment or monetary damages being levied against us.

Risks Related to an Investment in Our Securities

Management exercises significant control over matters requiring shareholder approval, which may result in the delay or prevention of a change in our control.

Pursuant to voting agreements, certain shareholders agreed to appoint a person designated by our board of directors as their collective irrevocable proxy and attorney-in-fact with respect to the shares of the common stock received by them. The proxy holder will vote in favor of matters recommended or approved by the board of directors. The board of directors has designated Robert W. D’Loren as proxy. Also, pursuant to separate voting agreements, certain other stockholders have agreed to appoint Mr. D’Loren as their respective irrevocable proxy and attorney-in-fact with respect to the shares of the common stock issued to them by us. The proxy holder shall vote in favor of matters recommended or approved by the board of directors.

The combined voting power of the common stock ownership of our directors and executive officers was approximately 40% of our voting securities as of April 5, 2025. As a result, our management through such stock ownership will exercise significant influence over all matters requiring shareholder approval, including the election of our directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership in management may also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of us that may be otherwise viewed as beneficial by stockholders other than management. There is also a risk that our existing management and a limited number of stockholders may have interests which are different from certain stockholders and that they will pursue an agenda which is beneficial to themselves at the expense of other stockholders.

Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market could result in a delisting of our common stock, which could negatively impact the market price and liquidity of our common stock and our ability to access the capital markets.

On April 16, 2024, we received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) notifying us that the minimum bid price per share for our common stock fell below $1.00 for a period of 30 consecutive business days. Therefore, the Company did not meet the minimum bid price requirement set forth in the Nasdaq listing rules. On October 15, 2024, Nasdaq notified us that we would be provided an additional 180 days, or until April 14, 2025, to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement.

In order to assist in bringing us in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement, we effected a one-for-ten (1:10) reverse stock split of our outstanding shares of common stock effective March 24, 2025. On April 8, 2025, we received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq confirming that we had regained compliance with the applicable listing rules, and this matter was closed. As of May 2, 2025, the closing price of our common stock was $2.79.

However, there can be no assurance that the minimum bid price for our common stock will continue to stay above $1.00 per share in the future.

If our shares of common stock were to lose their status on Nasdaq, we believe that they would likely be eligible to be quoted on the inter-dealer electronic quotation and trading system operated by OTC Markets Group Inc., commonly referred to as the Pink Open Market and we may also qualify to be traded on their OTCQB market (The Venture Market). These markets are generally not considered to be as efficient as, and not as broad as, Nasdaq. Selling our shares on these markets could be more difficult because smaller quantities of shares would likely be bought and sold, and transactions could be delayed. In addition, in the event our shares are delisted, broker-dealers have certain regulatory burdens imposed upon them, which may discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our common stock or even holding our common stock, further limiting the liquidity of our common stock. These factors could result in lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our common stock.

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Our common stock may be subject to the penny stock rules adopted by the SEC that require brokers to provide extensive disclosure to their customers prior to executing trades in penny stocks. These disclosure requirements may cause a reduction in the trading activity of our common stock, which could make it more difficult for our stockholders to sell their securities.

Rule 3a51-1 of the Exchange Act establishes the definition of a “penny stock,” for purposes relevant to us, as any equity security that has a minimum bid price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to a limited number of exceptions, including for having securities registered on certain national securities exchanges. If our common stock were delisted from the NASDAQ, market liquidity for our common stock could be severely and adversely affected.

For any transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, the penny stock rules require that a broker or dealer approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks and the broker or dealer receive from the investor a written agreement to the transaction setting forth the identity and quantity of the penny stock to be purchased. In order to approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks, the broker or dealer must obtain financial information and investment experience and objectives of the person and make a reasonable determination that the transactions in penny stocks are suitable for that person and that that person has sufficient knowledge and experience in financial matters to be capable of evaluating the risks of transactions in penny stocks.

The broker or dealer must also deliver, prior to any transaction in a penny stock, a disclosure schedule prepared by the SEC relating to the penny stock market, which, in highlight form, sets forth:

Disclosure also has to be made about the risks of investing in penny stocks in both public offerings and in secondary trading and commission payable to both the broker-dealer and the registered representative, current quotations for the securities and the rights and remedies available to an investor in cases of fraud in penny stock transactions. Finally, monthly statements have to be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock held in the account and information on the limited market in penny stocks.

Because of these regulations, broker-dealers may not wish to engage in the above-referenced necessary paperwork and disclosures and/or may encounter difficulties in their attempt to sell shares of our common stock, which may affect the ability of selling stockholders or other holders to sell their shares in any secondary market and have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in any secondary market. These additional sales practices and disclosure requirements could impede the sale of our common stock even if and when our common stock becomes listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market. In addition, the liquidity for our common stock may decrease, with a corresponding decrease in the price of our common stock.

No assurance can be given that our stock will not be subject to these “penny stock” rules in the future.

Investors should be aware that, according to Commission Release No. 34-29093, the market for “penny stocks” has suffered in recent years from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns include: (1) control of the market for the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer; (2) manipulation of prices through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading press releases; (3) boiler room practices involving high-pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons; (4) excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differential and markups by selling broker-dealers; and (5) the wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired level, along with the resulting inevitable collapse of those prices and with consequent investor losses. The occurrence of these patterns or practices could increase the future volatility of our share price.

Our common stock has historically been thinly traded, and you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all if you need to sell or liquidate a substantial number of shares at one time.

Although our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market, our common stock has historically been traded at relatively low volumes. As a result, the number of persons interested in purchasing our common stock at or near bid prices at any given time may be relatively small. This situation is attributable to a number of factors, including that we are currently a small company which is still relatively unknown to securities analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we become more seasoned and viable. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares is minimal, as compared to

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a seasoned issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. We cannot provide any assurance that a broader or more active public trading market for our common stock will develop or be sustained, or that trading levels will be sustained.

The market price of our common stock has declined over the past several years and may be volatile, which could reduce the market price of our common stock.

Currently the publicly traded shares of our common stock are not widely held, and do not have significant trading volume, and, therefore, may experience significant price and volume fluctuations. Although our common stock is quoted on the NASDAQ Capital Market, this does not assure that a meaningful, consistent trading market will develop or that the volatility will decline. This market volatility could reduce the market price of the common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In addition, the trading price of the common stock has been volatile over the past several years and could change significantly over short periods of time in response to actual or anticipated variations in our quarterly operating results, announcements by us, our licensees or our respective competitors, factors affecting our licensees’ markets generally and/or changes in national or regional economic conditions, making it more difficult for shares of the common stock to be sold at a favorable price or at all. The market price of the common stock could also be reduced by general market price declines or market volatility in the future or future declines or volatility in the prices of stocks for companies in the trademark licensing business or companies in the industries in which our licensees compete.

We may issue a substantial number of shares of common stock upon exercise of outstanding warrants and options.

As of December 31, 2024, we had outstanding warrants and options to purchase 736,349 shares of our common stock with a weighted average exercise price of $15.69. The holders of warrants and options will likely exercise such securities at a time when the market price of our common stock exceeds the exercise price. Therefore, exercises of warrants and options will result in a decrease in the net tangible book value per share of our common stock and such decrease could be material.

The issuance of shares upon exercise of outstanding warrants and options will dilute our then-existing stockholders’ percentage ownership of our company, and such dilution could be substantial. In addition, our growth strategy includes the acquisition of additional brands, and we may issue shares of our common stock as consideration for acquisitions. Sales or the potential for sale of a substantial number of such shares could adversely affect the market price of our common stock, particularly if our common stock remains thinly traded at such time.

As of December 31, 2024, we had an aggregate of 279,957 shares of common stock available for grants under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”) to our directors, executive officers, employees, and consultants. Issuances of common stock pursuant to the exercise of stock options or other stock grants or awards which may be granted under our 2021 Plan will dilute your interest in us.

Holders of our common stock may be subject to restrictions on the use of Rule 144 by shell companies or former shell companies.

Historically, the SEC has taken the position that Rule 144 under the Securities Act, is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by companies that are, or previously were, shell companies (we were considered a shell company on and prior to September 29, 2011), to their promoters or affiliates despite technical compliance with the requirements of Rule 144. The SEC prohibits the use of Rule 144 for resale of securities issued by shell companies (other than business transaction related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. The SEC has provided an important exception to this prohibition, however, if the following conditions are met: the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company; the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Form 8-K reports; and at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company. As such, due to the fact that we had been a shell company prior to September 2011, holders of “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144, when reselling their shares pursuant to Rule 144, shall be subject to the conditions set forth herein.

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We do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock.

You should not rely on an investment in our common stock to provide dividend income, as we have not paid dividends on our common stock, and we do not plan to pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. Instead, we plan to retain any earnings to maintain and expand our existing licensing operations, further develop our trademarks, and finance the acquisition of additional trademarks. Accordingly, investors must rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any return on their investment. In addition, our credit facility limits the amount of cash dividends we may pay while amounts under the credit facility are outstanding.

Provisions of our corporate charter documents could delay or prevent change of control.

Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors to issue up to 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock without stockholder approval, in one or more series, and to fix the dividend rights, terms, conversion rights, voting rights, redemption rights and terms, liquidation preferences, and any other rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions applicable to each new series of preferred stock. The designation of preferred stock in the future could make it difficult for third parties to gain control of our company, prevent or substantially delay a change in control, discourage bids for the common stock at a premium, or otherwise adversely affect the market price of the common stock.

General Risks

A pandemic outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, or fear of such an event, could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business, operating results and financial condition.

A pandemic or outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or fear of such an event, could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results, and financial condition. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a disruption to our business, beginning in March 2020.

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic (including actions taken by national, state, and local governments in response to COVID-19) negatively impacted the U.S. and global economy, disrupted consumer spending and global supply chains, and created significant volatility and disruption of financial markets. The initial onset of the pandemic in 2020 resulted in a sudden decrease in sales for many of the Company’s products, from which we have yet to fully recover. The global pandemic affected the financial health of certain of our customers, and the bankruptcy of certain other customers; as a result, we may be required to make additional adjustments to our allowances for credit losses in future periods, which would increase our operating expenses and negatively impact our operating results.

In addition, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the shipping industry negatively impacted our licensees’ ability to import products in a manner that allowed for timely delivery to customers. Congestion at ports of loading and ports of entry caused significant delays in deliveries and changes to the itineraries of steamship carriers. Truck driver shortages, shortages of truck equipment and the inability of ports to provide reliable pick up times, also negatively impacted our and our licensees’ ability to timely receive goods in the past. If our licensees are unable to mitigate any potential future supply chain disruptions, their ability to meet customer expectations, manage inventory and complete sales could be materially adversely affected, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

A decline in general economic conditions resulting in a decrease in consumer spending levels and an inability to access capital may adversely affect our business.

The success of our operations depends on consumer spending. Consumer spending is impacted by a number of factors which are beyond our control, including actual and perceived economic conditions affecting disposable consumer income (such as unemployment, wages, energy costs and consumer debt levels), 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 and the impact of natural disasters and pandemics and disease outbreaks. Global economic conditions historically included significant recessionary pressures and declines in employment levels, disposable income and actual and/or perceived wealth and further declines in consumer confidence and economic growth. A depressed economic environment is often characterized by a decline in consumer discretionary spending and has disproportionately affected retailers and sellers of consumer goods, particularly those whose goods are viewed as discretionary or luxury purchases, including fashion apparel and accessories such as ours. Such factors as well as another shift towards recessionary conditions have in the past, and could in the future, devalue our brands, which could result in an impairment in its carrying value, which could be material, create downward pricing pressure on the products carrying our brands, and adversely impact our sales volumes and overall profitability. Further, economic and political volatility and declines in the value of

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foreign currencies could negatively impact the global economy as a whole and have a material adverse effect on the profitability and liquidity of our operations, as well as hinder our ability to grow through expansion in the international markets. In addition, domestic and international political situations also affect consumer confidence, including the threat, outbreak or escalation of terrorism, military conflicts or other hostilities around the world.

Furthermore, changes in the credit and capital markets, including market disruptions, limited liquidity, and interest rate fluctuations, may increase the cost of financing or restrict our access to potential sources of capital for future acquisitions.

The risks associated with our business are more acute during periods of economic slowdown or recession. Accordingly, any prolonged economic slowdown or a lengthy or severe recession with respect to either the U.S. or the global economy is likely to have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, and business prospects.

Macroeconomic conditions and international trade conditions could adversely impact our business and results of operations.

Poor economic and market conditions, including a potential recession, may negatively impact market sentiment, decreasing the demand for apparel, footwear, accessories, fine jewelry, home goods, and other consumer products, which would adversely affect our operating income and results of operations. If we are unable to take effective measures in a timely manner to mitigate the impact of the inflation as well as a potential recession, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Our business is also subject to risks associated with U.S. and foreign legislation, regulations and trade agreements (including those resulting from the transition to new political administrations) relating to the products and materials our licensees import, including quotas, duties, tariffs or taxes, and other charges or restrictions on imports on our branded and co-branded products. For example, the United States has recently enacted and proposed to enact significant new tariffs, including a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada into the United States. While these tariffs are currently suspended while negotiations take place for a long-term agreement, there continues to exist significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.S. and other countries (including China) with respect to trade policies, treaties and tariffs. These developments, or the perception that they could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted countries.

We cannot predict whether additional U.S. and foreign customs quotas, duties (including antidumping or countervailing duties), tariffs and any retaliatory counter measures, taxes or other charges or restrictions, requirements as to where raw materials and component parts must be purchased, additional workplace regulations or other restrictions on our imports will be imposed in the future or adversely modified, or what effect such actions would have on our revenues and costs of operations. Recently imposed or future quotas, duties or tariffs and any retaliatory counter measures may have a material adverse effect on the cost of our products and the related components and raw materials and our ability to sell products and services outside the United States. Future trade agreements or modifications to existing trade agreements could also provide our competitors with an advantage over us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. The ultimate impact of any tariffs and any retaliatory counter measures will depend on various factors, including if any tariffs are ultimately implemented, the timing of implementation, and the amount, scope and nature of the tariffs.

Changes in U.S. and foreign government administrative policy, including the imposition of or increases in tariffs and changes to existing trade agreements could have a material adverse effect on us.

As a result of changes to U.S. and foreign government administrative policy, there may be changes to existing trade agreements, greater restrictions on free trade generally, the imposition of or significant increases in tariffs on goods imported into the U.S., including tariffs on products manufactured in China, Canada, or Mexico, and adverse responses by foreign governments to U.S. trade policies, among other possible changes. The U.S. administration has announced it intends to implement or increase tariffs, and it remains unclear what the U.S. administration or foreign governments will or will not do with respect to tariffs or trade agreements and policies. A trade war, other governmental action related to tariffs or trade agreements, changes in U.S. social, political, regulatory and economic conditions or in laws and policies governing foreign trade, manufacturing, development and investment in the territories and countries where the products of our licensees are manufactured may have a negative impact on the wholesale sales of our licensees and retail sales of our retail partners, and any resulting negative sentiments towards the U.S. as a result of such changes, could have a material adverse effect on license revenues, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

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Extreme or unseasonable weather conditions could adversely affect our business.

Extreme weather events and changes in weather patterns can influence customer trends and shopping habits. Extended periods of unseasonably warm temperatures during the fall and winter seasons, or cool weather during the summer season, may diminish demand for our seasonal merchandise. Heavy snowfall, hurricanes or other severe weather events in the areas in which our retail stores and the retail stores of our wholesale customers are located may decrease customer traffic in those stores and reduce our sales and profitability. If severe weather events were to force closure of or disrupt operations at the distribution centers we use for our merchandise, we could incur higher costs and experience longer lead times to distribute our products to our retail stores, wholesale customers or digital channel customers. If prolonged, such extreme or unseasonable weather conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our trademarks and other intangible assets are subject to impairment charges under accounting guidelines.

Our intangible assets including our trademarks had a net carrying value of $34.8 million as of December 31, 2024 and represent a substantial portion of our assets. Under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives, and reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. Non-renewal of license agreements or other factors affecting our market segments or brands could result in significantly reduced revenue for a brand, which could result in a devaluation of the affected trademark. If such devaluations of our trademarks were to occur, a material impairment in the carrying value of one or more of our trademarks could also occur and be charged as a non-cash expense to our operating results, which could be material. Any write-down of intangible assets resulting from future periodic evaluations would, as applicable, either decrease our net income or increase our net loss and those decreases or increases could be material.

Changes in effective tax rates or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our income or other tax returns could adversely affect our results.

Our future effective tax rates could be adversely affected by changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, or by changes in tax laws or by a change in allocation of state and local jurisdictions, or interpretations thereof. The Company currently files U.S. federal tax returns and various state tax returns. Tax years that remain open for assessment for federal and state purposes include the years ended December 31, 2020 through December 31, 2024. We regularly assess the likelihood of recovering the amount of deferred tax assets recorded on the balance sheet and the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from examinations by various taxing authorities in order to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes. Although under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Federal tax rates are lower, certain expenses will be either reduced or eliminated, causing the Company to have increased taxable income, which may have an adverse effect on our future income tax obligations. We cannot guarantee that the outcomes of these evaluations and continuous examinations will not harm our reported operating results and financial condition.

We must successfully maintain and/or upgrade our information technology systems.

We rely on various information technology systems to manage our operations, which subject us to inherent costs and risks associated with maintaining, upgrading, replacing, and changing these systems, including impairment of our information technology, potential disruption of our internal control systems, substantial capital expenditures, demands on management time, cyber security breaches and other risks of delays or difficulties in upgrading, transitioning to new systems, or of integrating new systems into our current systems.

System security risk issues as well as other major system failures could disrupt our internal operations or information technology services, and any such disruption could negatively impact our revenues, increase our expenses, and harm our reputation.

Consumers are increasingly concerned over the security of personal information transmitted over the internet, consumer identity theft, and user privacy, and any compromise of customer information could subject us to customer or government litigation and harm our reputation, which could adversely affect our business and growth. Moreover, we could incur significant expenses or disruptions of our operations in connection with system failures or breaches. In addition, sophisticated hardware and operating system software and applications that we procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture, including “bugs” and other problems that could unexpectedly interfere with the operation of our systems. The costs to us to eliminate or alleviate security problems, viruses, and bugs, or any problems associated with our newly transitioned systems or outsourced services could be significant, and the efforts to address these problems could result in interruptions, delays or cessation of service that may impede our sales, distribution or other critical functions. In addition to taking the necessary precautions ourselves, we require that third-party service providers implement reasonable security measures to protect our customers’ identity and privacy as well as credit card information. We do not, however,

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control these third-party service providers and cannot guarantee that no electronic or physical computer break-ins and security breaches will occur in the future. We could also incur significant costs in complying with the multitude of state, federal, and foreign laws regarding the use and unauthorized disclosure of personal information, to the extent they are applicable. In the case of a disaster affecting our information technology systems, we may experience delays in recovery of data, inability to perform vital corporate functions, tardiness in required reporting and compliance, failures to adequately support our operations, and other breakdowns in normal communication and operating procedures that could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We rely significantly on information technology systems and any failure, inadequacy, interruption, or security lapse of that technology, including any cybersecurity incidents, could harm our ability to operate our business effectively and have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition, and results of operations.

We rely significantly on our information technology systems to effectively manage and maintain our operations, and internal reports. Any failure, inadequacy, or interruption of that infrastructure or security lapse (whether intentional or inadvertent) of that technology, including cybersecurity incidents or attacks, could harm our ability to operate our business effectively. Our investment in ORME also leverages certain artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which ORME’s technology partner licenses from several third parties including but not limited to Amazon and ChatGPT, and which technologies are nascent and rapidly evolving.

In addition, our technology systems, including our cloud technologies, continue to increase in multitude and complexity, making them potentially vulnerable to breakdown, cyberattack, and other disruptions. Potential problems and interruptions associated with the implementation of new or upgraded technology systems or with maintenance or adequate support of existing systems could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations and expose us to greater risk of security breaches. Cybersecurity incidents resulting in the failure of our enterprise resource planning system, production management, or other systems to operate effectively or to integrate with other systems, or a breach in security or other unauthorized access or unavailability of these systems or those of any third parties on whom we depend, have occurred in the past and may affect our ability in the future to manage and maintain our operations, internal reports, and result in reduced efficiency of our operations.

As part of our business, we collect, store, and transmit large amounts of confidential information, proprietary data, intellectual property, and personal data. The information and data processed and stored in our technology systems, and those of our licensees, joint ventures, and other third parties on whom we depend to operate our business, may be vulnerable to loss, damage, denial-of-service, unauthorized access, or misappropriation. Data security incidents may be the result of unauthorized or unintended activity (or lack of activity) by our employees, contractors, or others with authorized access to our network or malware, hacking, business email compromise, phishing, ransomware, or other cyberattacks directed by third parties. While we have implemented measures to protect our information and data stored in our technology systems and those of the third parties that we rely on, our efforts may not be successful. In addition, employee error, malfeasance, or other errors in the storage, use, or transmission of any such information could result in a disclosure to third parties outside of our network. As a result, we could incur significant expenses addressing problems created by any such inadvertent disclosure or any security breaches of our network.

We have experienced and may continue to experience cybersecurity incidents, including an unsuccessful ransomware attack in February 2024, although to our knowledge we have not experienced any material incident or interruption to date. If such a significant event were to occur, it could result in a material disruption of our business and commercial operations, including due to a loss, corruption, or unauthorized disclosure of our trade secrets, personal data, or other proprietary or sensitive information. Further, these cybersecurity incidents can lead to the public disclosure of personal information (including sensitive personal information) of our employees, customers, and others and result in demands for ransom or other forms of blackmail. Such attacks, including phishing attacks and attempts to misappropriate or compromise confidential or proprietary information or sabotage enterprise information technology systems, are of ever-increasing levels of sophistication and are made by groups and individuals with a wide range of motives (including industrial espionage) and expertise, including by organized criminal groups, “hacktivists,” nation states, and others. Moreover, the costs to us to investigate and mitigate cybersecurity incidents could be significant. Any security breach that results in the unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of personal data may require us to notify individuals, governmental authorities, credit reporting agencies, or other parties pursuant to privacy and security laws and regulations or other obligations. Such a security compromise could harm our reputation, erode confidence in our information security measures, and lead to regulatory scrutiny. To the extent that any disruption or security breach resulted in a loss of, or damage to, our data or systems, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential, proprietary, or personal information, we could be exposed to a risk of loss, enforcement measures, penalties, fines, indemnification claims, litigation and potential civil or criminal liability, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Not all our contracts contain limitations of liability, and even where they do, there can be no assurance that limitations of liability in our contracts are sufficient to protect us from liabilities, damages, or claims related to our data privacy and security obligations. We cannot be sure that our insurance coverage will be adequate or sufficient to protect us from or to mitigate liabilities arising out of our privacy and security practices, that such coverage will continue to be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or that such coverage will pay future claims.

Further, the SEC has adopted new rules that require us to provide greater disclosures around proactive security protections that we employ and reactive issues (e.g., security incidents). Any such disclosures, including those under state data breach notification laws, can be costly, and the disclosures we make to comply with, or the failure to comply with, such requirements could lead to adverse consequences.

Changes in laws could make conducting our business more expensive or otherwise change the way we do business.

We are subject to numerous domestic and international regulations, including labor and employment, customs, truth-in-advertising, consumer protection, data 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 to change or 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.

In addition to increased regulatory compliance requirements, changes in laws could make ordinary conduct of business more expensive or require us to change the way we do business. Laws related to employee benefits and treatment of employees, including laws related to limitations on employee hours, supervisory status, leaves of absence, mandated health benefits, overtime pay, unemployment tax rates and citizenship requirements, could negatively impact us, by increasing compensation and benefits costs, which would in turn reduce our profitability.

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.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control, we may not be able to report our financial results accurately or in a timely fashion, and we may not be able to prevent fraud. In such case, our stockholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which would harm our business and could negatively impact the price of our stock.

Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we are required to include in our Annual Report on Form 10-K our assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. We have dedicated a significant amount of time and resources to comply with this legislation for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, and will continue to do so for future fiscal periods. However, our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 due to material weaknesses. We cannot be certain that our internal controls will become effective or that future material changes to our internal control over financial reporting will be effective. If we cannot adequately obtain and maintain the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, we may be subject to sanctions or investigation by regulatory authorities, such as the SEC. Any such action could adversely affect our financial results and the market price of our common stock. Moreover, if we discover a material weakness, the disclosure of that fact, even if quickly remedied, could reduce the market’s confidence in our financial statements and harm our stock price.

Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until we are no longer a “smaller reporting company.” At such time that an attestation is required, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse or qualified in the event that they are not satisfied with the level at which our controls are documented, designed or operating. Our remediation efforts may not enable us to avoid a material weakness or significant deficiency in the future.

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There are limitations on the liabilities of our directors and executive officers. Under certain circumstances, we are obligated to indemnify our directors and executive officers against liability and expenses incurred by them in their service to us.

Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and under Delaware law, our directors are not liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty, except for liability for breach of a director’s duty of loyalty, acts or omissions by a director not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, dividend payments or stock repurchases that are unlawful under Delaware law or any transaction in which a director has derived an improper personal benefit. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. These agreements, among other things, require us to indemnify each director and executive officer for certain expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts, incurred by any such person in any action or proceeding, including any action by us or in our right, arising out of the person’s services as one of our directors or executive officers. The costs associated with providing indemnification under these agreements could be harmful to our business and have an adverse effect on results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Stock and the Resale of Shares by the Selling Stockholders

It is not possible to predict the actual number of shares of Common Stock we may sell to White Lion under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, or the actual gross proceeds resulting from those sales.

Because the purchase price per share to be paid by White Lion for the shares of Common Stock that we may elect to sell to White Lion under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, if any, will fluctuate based on the market prices of our Common Stock at the time we elect to sell shares to White Lion pursuant to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, if any, it is not possible for us to predict, as of the date of this prospectus and prior to any such sales, the number of shares of Common Stock that we will sell to White Lion under the Purchase Agreement, the purchase price per share that White Lion will pay for shares purchased from us under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, or the aggregate gross proceeds that we will receive from those purchases by White Lion under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement.

White Lion may sell the shares of our Common Stock described in this prospectus in a number of different ways and at varying prices. The number of shares of our Common Stock ultimately offered for sale by White Lion is dependent upon the number of shares of Common Stock, if any, we ultimately sell to White Lion under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement.

The terms of the Common Stock Purchase Agreement limit the amount of shares of Common Stock we may issue to White Lion, which may limit our ability to utilize the arrangement to enhance our cash resources.

The Common Stock Purchase Agreement includes restrictions on our ability to sell shares of Common Stock to White Lion, including, subject to specified limitations, if a sale would cause White Lion and its affiliates to beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of the then total outstanding shares of Common Stock, provided that, White Lion may increase this beneficial ownership limitation up to 9.99% at its sole discretion upon 61 days prior written notice to the Company. In addition, under applicable rules of Nasdaq, in no event may we issue or sell to White Lion under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement shares of our Common Stock, including the Commitment Shares, in excess of 1,178,173 shares, which is equal to the Exchange Cap, unless (i) we obtain stockholder approval to issue shares of our Common Stock in excess of the Exchange Cap or (ii) the average price of all shares of Common Stock issued to White Lion under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement (including the Commitment Shares) equals or exceeds $1.36 per share, so that the Exchange Cap limitation would not apply to issuances and sales of Common Stock under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement pursuant to the rules and regulations of Nasdaq.

Accordingly, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to sell all 15,000,000 Purchase Shares in this offering. If we cannot sell the full amount of the shares of Common Stock that White Lion has committed to purchase because of these limitations, we may be required to utilize more costly and time-consuming means of accessing the capital markets, which could materially adversely affect our liquidity and cash position. If we choose to sell more shares of Common Stock than are offered under this prospectus, we must first register for resale under the Securities Act such additional shares of Common Stock.

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The sale or issuance of our Common Stock to White Lion may cause dilution and the sale of the shares of Common Stock by White Lion that it acquires pursuant to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, or the perception that such sales may occur, could cause the price of our Common Stock to decrease.

On January 21, 2026, we entered into the Common Stock Purchase Agreement with White Lion, pursuant to which White Lion has committed to purchase up to $15.0 million of our Common Stock. On the date hereof, we will issue up to 37,500 Commitment Shares to White Lion as a fee for its commitment to purchase shares of our Common Stock under the Purchase Agreement, for which we will not receive any cash consideration. The shares of our Common Stock that may be issued under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement may be sold by us to White Lion at our sole discretion from time to time during the Commitment Period. The purchase price for the shares that we may sell to White Lion under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement will fluctuate based on the trading price of our Common Stock. Depending on market liquidity at the time, sales of such shares may cause the trading price of our Common Stock to decrease. We generally have the right to control the timing and amount of any future sales of our shares to White Lion. Additional sales of our Common Stock, if any, to White Lion will depend upon market conditions and other factors to be determined by us. We may ultimately decide to sell to White Lion all, some or none of the shares of our Common Stock that are available for us to sell pursuant to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement. If and when we do sell shares to White Lion, after White Lion has acquired the shares, White Lion may resell all, some or none of those shares at any time or from time to time in its discretion. Therefore, sales to White Lion by us could result in substantial dilution to the interests of other holders of our Common Stock. Additionally, the sale of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock to White Lion, or the anticipation of such sales, could make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we might otherwise wish to effect sales.

The Common Stock being registered in this prospectus represent a substantial percentage of our public float and of our outstanding Common Stock, and the sale of such shares could cause the market price of Common Stock to decline significantly.

The Common Stock being registered pursuant to this prospectus represent a substantial percentage of our public float and of our outstanding Common Stock. The number of shares being registered in this prospectus represents approximately 231% of the total Common Stock outstanding as of January 30, 2026 which was 5,893,815 shares of Common Stock. The sale of the securities being registered in this prospectus, or the perception in the market that such sales may occur, could result in a significant decline in the public trading price of our Common Stock.

Resales of our common stock in the public market by our stockholders as a result of this offering may cause the market price of our common stock to fall.

We are registering common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales might occur, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. The issuance of new shares of common stock could result in resales of our common stock by our current stockholders concerned about the potential ownership dilution of their holdings. Furthermore, in the future, we may issue additional shares of common stock or other equity or debt securities exercisable or convertible into common stock. Any such issuance could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders and could cause our stock price to decline.

We have additional securities available for issuance, which, if issued, could adversely affect the rights of the holders of common stock.

Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of 50,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share. In certain circumstances, shares of common stock and preferred stock, as well as the awards available for issuance under our equity incentive plans, can be issued by our Board of Directors, without stockholder approval. Any future issuances of such stock would further dilute the percentage ownership of us held by holders of common stock and preferred stock. In addition, the issuance of certain securities, including pursuant to the terms of our stockholder rights plan, may be used as an “anti-takeover” device without further action on the part of our stockholders, and may adversely affect the holders of the common stock.

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Investors who buy shares at different times will likely pay different prices.

Investors who purchase shares in this offering at different times will likely pay different prices, and so may experience different levels of dilution and different outcomes in their investment results. Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the proceeds from any cash exercise of the Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants, you may not agree with how we use the proceeds, and the proceeds may not be used in ways that may not enhance our operating results or the price of the common stock.

Our management will have broad discretion over the use of proceeds, if any, from this offering resulting from the sale of the Purchase Shares under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement and any cash exercise of Warrants, or Placement Agent Warrants, and we could spend the proceeds from this offering in ways our stockholders may not agree with or that do not yield a favorable return, if at all. We intend to use the net proceeds, if any, from the exercise of the Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants for working capital and general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds” on page 29 of this prospectus for additional detail. However, our use of these proceeds may differ substantially from our current plans. If we do not invest or apply the proceeds from this offering in ways that improve our operating results, we may fail to achieve expected financial results, which could cause our stock price to decline.

Moreover, the Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants permit the exercise of such warrants on a “Cashless” basis. If such warrants are exercised on a cashless basis, we will not receive any proceeds from such exercises.

We do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, you must rely on stock appreciation for any return on your investment.

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on the common stock and do not anticipate paying cash dividends on the common stock in the foreseeable future. Any payment of cash dividends will also depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements and other factors and will be at the discretion of our board of directors, subject to limitations under applicable law. Accordingly, you will have to rely on capital appreciation, if any, to earn a return on your investment in common stock.

If we require additional funding while these restrictive covenants remain in effect, we may be unable to effect a financing transaction on terms acceptable to us, or at all, while also remaining in compliance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement, or we may be forced to seek a waiver from the Purchasers, which such Purchasers are not obligated to grant to us.

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Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. The statements contained in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions or variations intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of our management based on information currently available to management. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results and the timing of certain events to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below and those discussed in this section of the prospectus titled “Risk Factors.” Furthermore, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

Please consider our forward-looking statements in light of those risks as you read this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein is accurate as of any date other than as of the date of this prospectus or that any information incorporated by reference into this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date of the document so incorporated by reference. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Thus, you should not assume that our silence over time means that actual events are bearing out as expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.

If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materializes, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially from what we anticipate. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or individuals acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this Note. Before purchasing any shares, you should consider carefully all of the factors set forth or referred to in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference that could cause actual results to differ.

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Use Of Proceeds

The Selling Stockholders will receive all of the proceeds of the sale of shares of common stock offered from time to time pursuant to this prospectus. Accordingly, we will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of common stock that may be sold from time to time pursuant to this prospectus; however, we will receive proceeds from the cash exercise of the Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants. We may also receive up to $15.0 million aggregate gross proceeds under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement from any sales of shares of our Common Stock we make to White Lion pursuant to the Purchase Agreement after the commencement, assuming that we sell the full amount of our Common Stock that we have the right, but not the obligation to sell to White Lion under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement. We currently intend to use the net proceeds from sales of shares of our Common Stock to White Lion under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement and cash exercises of Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants for working capital and general corporate purposes. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds from such cash exercise, if any, to be used specifically for any particular purposes.

The expected use of net proceeds, if any, from the cash exercise of the Warrants, and Placement Agent Warrants represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions, which could change in the future as our plans and business conditions evolve and change. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures, specifically with respect to working capital, may vary significantly depending on numerous factors. As a result, our management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the net proceeds from such cash exercise, if any. We have no current agreements, commitments or understandings for any material acquisitions or licenses of any products, businesses or technologies that are definitive or probable to close.

We will bear the out-of-pocket costs, expenses and fees incurred in connection with the registration of shares of our common stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholders pursuant to this prospectus. Other than registration expenses, the Selling Stockholders will bear any underwriting discounts, commissions, placement agent fees or other similar expenses payable with respect to sales of shares of our common stock.

DIVIDEND POLICY

We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund the growth and development of our business. We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock. We do not intend to pay cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Investors should not purchase our common stock with the expectation of receiving cash dividends.

Any future determination to declare dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions, and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.

DETERMINATION OF THE OFFERING PRICE

The prices at which the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus may actually be sold will be determined by the prevailing public market price for shares of our common stock or by negotiations between the Selling Stockholders and buyers of our common stock in private transactions or as otherwise described in “Plan of Distribution.”

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements that are not historical facts contained in this report are forward-looking statements that involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict and many of which are beyond our control, which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “continue,” “estimate,” “appear,” “suggest,” “goal,” “potential,” “predicts,” “seek,” “will,” “confident,” “project,” “provide,” “plan,” “likely,” “future,” “ongoing,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “guidance,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

Overview

We are a media and consumer products company engaged in the design, licensing, marketing, live streaming, and social commerce sales of branded apparel, footwear, accessories, fine jewelry, home goods and other consumer products, and the acquisition of dynamic consumer lifestyle brands. Xcel was founded in 2011 with a vision to reimagine shopping, entertainment, and social media as one thing. Currently, our brand portfolio consists of the following:

We also currently own a 19% interest in ORME Live Inc., a short-form video and social commerce marketplace that launched in April 2024.

Xcel is pioneering a true omni-channel and social commerce sales strategy which includes the promotion and sale of products under its brands through interactive television, digital live-stream shopping, social commerce, brick-and-mortar retailers, and e-commerce channels. Xcel currently operates in a working-capital light model, with our licensees and/or retail partners responsible for the procurement and sale of inventory. As such, our revenues primarily consist of royalty revenues, and we do not have risk of carrying aged inventory. As a result, fluctuations in product costs and tariffs do not have a direct impact on us, but do impact us indirectly as our royalty revenues are typically based on the net sales and success of our licensees.

Our objective is to build a diversified portfolio of lifestyle consumer products brands through organic growth and the strategic acquisition of new brands. To grow our brands, we are focused on the following primary strategies:

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We believe that Xcel offers a unique value proposition to our retail partners and our licensees for the following reasons:

Business Model and Operations Restructuring

During 2023, we restructured our business operations by shifting our business from a more capital-intensive wholesale/licensing hybrid model to a capital-light “licensing plus” model. These efforts included entering into new structured contractual arrangements with best-in-class business partners (including G-III for the Halston Brand, JTV for the Ripka Brand, and One Jeanswear Group, LLC for wholesale production related to certain of our other brands) in order to more efficiently operate our wholesale and e-commerce businesses and reduce and better manage our exposure to operating risks. The restructuring initiatives, which were largely completed by June 30, 2023, provided us with approximately $15 million of cost savings on an annualized basis compared to our previous operating model.

During 2024, we took further actions to optimize our cost structure and manage our liquidity, including entering into a divestiture transaction (related to the Lori Goldstein Brand) which eliminated certain operating and compensation expenses, and relieved us of our contractual obligations to make certain future cash payments and as well as potential future contingent obligation to make future cash payments of up to approximately $11 million.

Based on these actions and initiatives taken by management over the past two years, we have reduced the Company’s direct operating costs on an annualized basis from approximately $8 million per quarter under our previous operating model to approximately $2.5 million to $3.0 million per quarter on a going-forward basis. This represents approximately $21 million of cost savings on an annualized basis compared to our cost structure in 2022. We believe that our current “licensing plus” operating model provides us with the appropriate level of resources and flexibility to execute our strategy and grow our business in light of the current economic environment and market/industry conditions.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Critical accounting policies are those that are the most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations, and that require our most difficult, subjective, and complex judgments as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Critical accounting estimates are those that involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. While our significant accounting policies and estimates are described in more detail in the notes to our consolidated financial statements, our most critical accounting policies and estimates, discussed below, pertain to revenue recognition, trademarks and other intangible assets, equity method investments, and income taxes. These include but are not limited to: the estimation of the useful lives of our trademarks, and the estimation of future cash flows related to our trademarks; the estimation of the fair value of our equity method investments, and judgment as to whether any declines in value are temporary; and the estimation of our future income projections and the likelihood that we will be able to realize our deferred tax assets. In applying such policies, we must use some amounts that are based upon our informed judgments and best estimates. Estimates, by their nature, are based upon judgments and available information. The estimates that we make are based upon historical factors, current circumstances, and the experience and judgment of management. We evaluate our assumptions and estimates on an ongoing basis.

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Revenue Recognition

Licensing

In connection with our “licensing plus” business model, we follow Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606-10-55-65, by which we recognize licensing revenue at the later of when (1) the subsequent sale or usage occurs or (2) the performance obligation to which some or all of the sales- or usage-based royalty has been allocated is satisfied (in whole or in part). More specifically, we separately identify:

Wholesale Sales

Prior to the restructuring of our business model and operations, we generated a portion of our revenue through sale of branded jewelry and apparel to both domestic and international customers who, in turn, sold the products to their consumers. We recognized revenue from such transactions within net sales in our consolidated statements of operations when performance obligations identified under the terms of contracts with our customers were satisfied, which occurred upon the transfer of control of the merchandise in accordance with the contractual terms and conditions of the sale. Shipping to customers was accounted for as a fulfillment activity and was recorded within other selling, general and administrative expenses.

Direct-to-Consumer Sales

Our revenue associated with our e-commerce jewelry operations and the Longaberger brand (prior to the restructuring of our business model and operations) was recognized within net sales in our consolidated statements of operations at the point in time when product is shipped to the customer. Shipping to customers was accounted for as a fulfillment activity and was recorded within other selling, general and administrative expenses.

Trademarks and Other Intangible Assets

Our finite-lived intangible assets (primarily trademarks, along with other intangible assets) are amortized over their estimated useful lives, which are estimated based principally on our expected use and strategic plans for each asset, our own historical experience with similar assets, and our expectations related to demand, competition, and other economic factors.

Our finite-lived intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. To test our finite-lived intangible assets for impairment, we group assets and liabilities at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities and evaluate the asset group against the sum of undiscounted future cash flows. If the undiscounted cash flows do not indicate the carrying amount of the asset is recoverable, an impairment charge is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset group exceeds its fair value based on discounted cash flows analysis or appraisals.

There were no impairment charges recorded for our intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Equity Method Investments

We account for our investments in entities over which we have the ability to exercise significant influence, but do not control, under the equity method of accounting, and we recognize our proportionate share of income or losses from the entity within other operating costs and expenses (income) in our consolidated statements of operations.

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We initially measure our investment in an equity method investee at cost. In cases where we retain a noncontrolling interest in an investee which we had previously consolidated, we initially measure such retained interest at fair value. In estimating fair value in such cases, we seek to maximize the use of observable inputs (market data obtained from independent sources) and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs (internal assumptions about how market participants would price assets and liabilities).

Subsequent recognition of an investor’s proportionate share of income or losses of an equity method investee is generally determined based on the investor’s proportional ownership interest. However, in cases where contractual agreements specify allocation ratios for profits and losses, specified costs and expenses, and/or distributions of cash from operations, that differ from our ownership interest, we use such specified allocation ratios for purposes of determining our share of income or losses from the investee if the agreement is considered substantive.

In addition, we review our equity method investments whenever there are indicators that their carrying value may not be recoverable; if a decrease in value of the investment has occurred and such decrease is determined to be other than temporary in nature, we record an impairment charge to reduce the carrying amount of the investment to its fair value. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recognized a $5.75 million non-cash charge for the other-than-temporary impairment of our investment in IM Topco, LLC, stemming from a decline in the fair value of the investment as a result of decreases in IM Topco, LLC’s revenues and cash flows. There were no such comparable impairment charges for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense is the tax payable for the period and the change during the period in deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred income taxes are determined based on the temporary difference between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted rates in effect during the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. We consider forecasted earnings, future taxable income, and prudent and feasible tax planning strategies in determined the need for these valuation allowances.

With respect to any uncertainties in income taxes recognized in our financial statements, tax positions are initially recognized in the financial statements when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities. Such tax positions are initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that has a probability of fifty percent or greater of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the tax authority, assuming full knowledge of the position and all relevant facts.

Summary of Operating Results

Three months ended September 30, 2025 (the “current quarter”) compared with the three months ended September 30, 2024 (the “prior year quarter”)

Revenues

Current quarter net revenue decreased by $0.79 million to $1.12 million from $1.91 million for the prior year quarter. This decrease was driven by the combination of (i) the fact that in the prior year quarter, we recognized $0.41 million of net product sales from the sale of all remaining inventory of the Longaberger Brand to a third party at cost, and (ii) declines in our licensing revenues. The declines in licensing revenue were primarily attributable to (i) lower service fees related to IM Topco (see Note 10 to the financial statements for additional details related to the services agreement with IM Topco) and (ii) lower sales of branded products by our licensees mainly due to more cautious consumer spending in the current economic environment.

Direct Operating Costs and Expenses

Direct operating costs and expenses decreased approximately $0.66 million, from $2.83 million in the prior year quarter to $2.17 million in the current quarter. This decrease was primarily attributable to the 2023 restructuring and transformation of our business operating model, along with additional cost reduction actions taken by management in 2024, which significantly reduced the Company’s payroll, operating, and overhead costs.

Management has continued to implement additional cost cutting measures throughout 2025 to further optimize the Company’s cost structure. Currently, the Company has reduced its direct operating expenses to an expected run rate of less than $10 million per annum.

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Other Operating Costs and Expenses (Income)

Depreciation and amortization expense was reasonably consistent with the prior year, approximating $0.90 million in the current quarter and $0.91 million in the prior year quarter.

We recognized losses related to our equity investments in unconsolidated affiliates (IM Topco, LLC and ORME Live Inc.) of approximately $5.49 million and $6.85 million for the current quarter and prior year quarter, respectively. The current quarter loss was primarily attributable to a non-cash impairment charge related to the disposition of our remaining equity interest in IM Topco, which closed in October 2025. The prior year quarter amount was primarily attributable to the combination of (i) $0.60 million of equity method losses and (ii) a $6.25 million non-cash charge to recognize a contractual contingent obligation related to IM Topco, which was subsequently satisfied and discharged in April 2025.

Interest and Finance Expense

Interest and finance expense was approximately $0.52 million for the current quarter, compared with approximately $0.14 million for the prior year quarter. This increase was primarily attributable to the higher interest rate and higher principal balance on outstanding term loan debt in the current quarter as compared to the prior year quarter.

Income Taxes

The estimated annual effective income tax rate for the current quarter and the prior year quarter was approximately -0.3% and 0% respectively, resulting in an income tax provision (benefit) of $0.03 million and $0, respectively. The federal statutory rate differed from the effective tax rate due to the recording of a valuation allowance against the benefit that would have otherwise been recognized, as it was considered not more likely than not that the net operating losses generated during each period will be utilized in future periods.

Net Loss Attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. Stockholders

We had a net loss of $7.90 million for the current quarter, compared with a net loss of $9.21 million for the prior year quarter, due to the combination of the factors outlined above.

Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss), Non-GAAP Diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA

We had a non-GAAP net loss of approximately $1.34 million, or $(0.34) per diluted share (“non-GAAP diluted EPS”), for the current quarter and a non-GAAP net loss of $1.33 million, or $(0.57) per diluted share, for the prior year quarter. Non-GAAP net income (loss) is a non-GAAP unaudited term, which we define as net income (loss) attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders, exclusive of amortization of trademarks, income (loss) from equity method investments, stock-based compensation and cost of licensee warrants, loss on early extinguishment of debt (if any), gains on sales of assets and investments (if any), asset impairment charges (if any), and income taxes (if any). Non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP diluted EPS measures do not include the tax effect of the aforementioned adjusting items, due to the nature of these items and the Company’s tax strategy.

We had Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $(0.65) million for the current quarter, compared with approximately $(1.05) million for the prior year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP unaudited measure, which we define as net income (loss) attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders before interest and finance expense (including loss on extinguishment of debt, if any), accretion of lease liability for exited leases, income taxes, other state and local franchise taxes, depreciation and amortization, income (loss) from equity method investments, asset impairment charges (if any), stock-based compensation and cost of licensee warrants, gains on sales of assets and investments (if any), and costs associated with restructuring of operations.

Management uses non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA as measures of operating performance to assist in comparing performance from period to period on a consistent basis and to identify business trends relating to the Company’s results of operations. Management believes non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA are also useful because these measures adjust for certain costs and other events that management believes are not representative of our core business operating results, and thus, these non-GAAP measures provide supplemental information to assist investors in evaluating the Company’s financial results.

Non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as alternatives to net income, earnings per share, or any other measure of financial performance calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

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Given that non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA are financial measures not deemed to be in accordance with GAAP and are susceptible to varying calculations, our non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, including companies in our industry, because other companies may calculate non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA in a different manner than we calculate these measures.

In evaluating non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA, you should be aware that in the future we may or may not incur expenses similar to some of the adjustments in this report. Our presentation of non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA does not imply that our future results will be unaffected by these expenses or any other unusual or non-recurring items. When evaluating our performance, you should consider non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA alongside other financial performance measures, including our net income and other GAAP results, and not rely on any single financial measure.

The following table is a reconciliation of net loss attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders (our most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with GAAP) to non-GAAP net loss:

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The following table is a reconciliation of diluted loss per share (our most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with GAAP) to non-GAAP diluted EPS:

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The following table is a reconciliation of net loss attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders (our most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with GAAP) to Adjusted EBITDA:

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Nine months ended September 30, 2025 (the “current nine months”) compared with the nine months ended September 30, 2024 (the “prior year nine months”)

Revenues

Current nine months net revenue decreased $3.28 million to $3.77 million from $7.05 million for the prior year nine months. This decrease was primarily attributable to the June 30, 2024 divestiture of the Lori Goldstein brand and the loss of the licensing revenues associated with that brand. This decrease was also partially driven by the fact that in the prior year nine months we recognized $0.54 million of net product sales from the final sale of certain residual jewelry inventories and the sale of all remaining inventory related to the Longaberger brand.

Direct Operating Costs and Expenses

Direct operating costs and expenses decreased approximately $3.56 million, from $9.91 million in the prior year nine months to $6.35 million in the current nine months. This decrease was primarily attributable to the combination of (i) the 2023 restructuring and transformation of our business operating model, along with additional cost reduction actions taken by management in 2024, which significantly reduced the Company’s payroll, operating, and overhead costs, and (ii) the impact of the employee retention tax credit recognized in the current nine months.

Management has continued to implement additional cost cutting measures throughout 2025 to further optimize the Company’s cost structure. Currently, the Company has reduced its direct operating expenses to an expected run rate of less than $10 million per annum.

Other Operating Costs and Expenses (Income)

Depreciation and amortization expense decreased approximately $1.34 million, from $4.04 million in the prior year nine months to $2.70 million in the current nine months. This decrease is primarily attributable to the June 30, 2024 divestiture of the Lori Goldstein brand, which included trademarks related to that brand with a net book value of approximately $1.93 million at the time of the divestiture.

We recognized losses related to our equity investments in unconsolidated affiliates (IM Topco, LLC and ORME Live Inc.) of $6.01 million and $7.94 million for the current nine months and prior year nine months, respectively. The current nine months loss was primarily attributable to a $5.53 million non-cash impairment charge related to the disposition of our remaining equity interest in IM Topco, which closed in October 2025. The prior year nine months amount was composed of (i) $1.69 million of equity method losses and (ii) a $6.25 million non-cash charge to recognize a contractual contingent obligation related to IM Topco, which was subsequently satisfied and discharged in April 2025.

During the prior year nine months we recognized asset impairment charges of $3.48 million related to our exit from and sublease of our office space at 1333 Broadway, of which approximately $3.1 million related to the operating lease right-of-use asset and approximately $0.4 million related to leasehold improvements at that location. There were no similar asset impairment charges recognized during the current nine months.

Also during the prior year nine months, we recognized a $3.80 million gain on the divestiture of the Lori Goldstein Brand. The consideration received from this transaction was non-cash in nature, and consisted of approximately $6.08 million of relief from certain accrued earn-out payments and the release of contingent obligations under contractual agreements with the buyer. The net book value of the intangible assets sold was approximately $1.93 million, and we also incurred approximately $0.35 million of legal fees in connection with the sale.

Interest and Finance Expense

Interest and finance expense was approximately $3.42 million for the current nine months, representing an increase of approximately $2.98 million compared with interest and finance expense of approximately $0.44 million for the prior year nine months. This increase was primarily attributable to the combination of (i) the $1.85 million loss on early extinguishment of debt recognized during the current nine months as a result of the April 2025 refinancing of our term loan debt, and (ii) the higher interest rates and higher principal balance on outstanding term loan debt in the current nine months as compared to the prior year nine months.

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Income Taxes

The estimated annual effective income tax rate for the current nine months and the prior year nine months was approximately -0.5% and 0% respectively, resulting in an income tax provision (benefit) of $0.08 million and $0, respectively. The federal statutory rate differed from the effective tax rate due to the recording of a valuation allowance against the benefit that would have otherwise been recognized, as it was considered not more likely than not that the net operating losses generated during each period will be utilized in future periods.

Net Loss Attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. Stockholders

We had a net loss of $14.68 million for the current nine months, compared with a net loss of $15.31 million for the prior year nine months, due to the combination of the factors outlined above.

Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss), Non-GAAP Diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA

We had a non-GAAP net loss of approximately $3.61 million, or $(1.24) per diluted share (“non-GAAP diluted EPS”), for the current nine months and a non-GAAP net loss of approximately $3.44 million, or $(1.53) per diluted share, for the prior year nine months.

We had Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $(1.65) million for the current nine months, compared with approximately $(2.66) million for the prior year nine months.

The following table is a reconciliation of net loss attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders (our most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with GAAP) to non-GAAP net loss:

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The following table is a reconciliation of diluted loss per share (our most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with GAAP) to non-GAAP diluted EPS:

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Table of Contents

The following table is a reconciliation of net loss attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders (our most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with GAAP) to Adjusted EBITDA: