The owner of Lacoste, Swiss holding Maus Frères International, has acquired French fashion brand The Kooples. The new owner immediately appointed its own trusted Romain Guinier as The Kooples’ new CEO.
International luxury group
The acquisition is part of the Swiss group’s long-term strategy, which includes buying premium luxury brands in order to create an international luxury fashion group, CEO Thierry Guibert confirmed in a press release. He also announced the appointment of Guinier, who has been working for Maus Frères for eleven years as CEO for another French subsidiary, Aigle. Before that, he worked for Celio and Louis Vuitton.
The Kooples is a Parisian brand, founded in 2008 by brothers Alexandre, Laurent and Raphaël Elicha. The company’s success quickly made it an interesting target for investors: in 2011 LBO France took a 20 % stake in the brand. Last year, The Kooples achieved a 227 million euro turnover in its 334 stores, mostly in Europe and the United States. The chain has a Benelux presence in Antwerp, Brussels and Amsterdam.
