Few can top G-III Apparel Group’s (Nasdaq:GIII) stable of trendy brands, from Calvin Klein to the newly acquired Andrew Marc. Bred for growth, this clothes horse is racking up sales in an economy only a mudder could love.

G-III’s strategy is to load up on acquisitions and licenses, providing a range of high-quality clothes to retailers — coats, jackets and pants, and women’s wear, such as suits and dresses. It makes and sells clothes under licensed, proprietary and private retail brands to retailers such as Macy’s (NYSE:M) and Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN). G-III’s made four acquisitions since mid-2005, including Andrew Marc in February. That purchase brought the brands Andrew Marc and Marc New York into the fold, along with outerwear licenses for the Dockers and Levi’s brand.

Sales — almost all of which are in the United States — have been on a tear. Revenue rose 35% to $113.5 million in the second quarter through July, from the same period in 2007. The company sported a loss in the quarter, attributed to seasonal weakness at the newly acquired Andrew Marc and its Wilsons outlet chain. G-III lost $0.23 per share, compared with a loss of $0.05 the previous year.

Still, G-III plans on eclipsing fiscal 2008’s performance, when sales grew 21.5% to $519 million and earnings per share rose 11.2% to $1.05. Guidance calls for earnings to increase to $1.35 to $1.40 per share in the 2009 year through January, and revenue to climb to $730 million.

With a market value of $316 million, New York-based G-III closed Wednesday at $19.13 per share, near the top of a 52-week range from $10.73 to $21. That puts the P/E at 13.7 based on the average analyst estimate of $1.39 for this . . .

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