Luxury brand Chanel has bought high-end menswear label Orlebar Brown, with plans to expand the label in Asia and North America.
The British brand, which specialises in men’s swimwear and board shorts, was bought from founder Adam Brown, the Piper investment fund and minority shareholders for an undisclosed price.
Orlebar Brown was launched as an online business in 2007 before evolving into a multichannel business. The acquisition is seen as delivering Chanel two primary advantages: expertise in a successful digital platform and a comfortable fit with the women’s swimwear and lingerie brand Eres, which Chanel bought in 1996.
“Besides the fact that we share the same values and the same approach towards quality and know-how, this acquisition offers an ideal opportunity for synergies between Orlebar Brown and Eres,” Chanel’s global CFO Philippe Blondiaux said in a statement.
Brown will remain creative director of Orlebar Brown and Paul Donoghue as CEO.
Orlebar Brown currently has 24 directly owned stores in 11 countries, and is stocked by more than 250 multibrand retailers.