The acquisition will allow Iconix Lifestyle India to expand Lee Cooper presence in India by enabling the brand’s distribution across all retail channels while strengthening marketing and brand management.
As the original British denim brand, Lee Cooper’s journey began in a local factory in London’s East End as a leading maker of workwear, providing uniforms for the British Troops in WW1 and WW2. By 1945, the brand had moved its focus from military wear to fashion and denim.
Spanning across multiple categories, Lee Cooper now sells apparel for men, women and children, footwear, bags, accessories, watches, swimwear, workwear, eyewear, fragrance, homeware and personal electronics.
“Lee Cooper’s brand history and unparalleled relevance in the Indian market makes it the most prestigious acquisition for the JV. It’s the go-to denim brand that liberalised India grew up with and its affinity among consumers gives us a strong foundation to rebuild the brand in the country,” said Darshan Mehta, Managing Director of Reliance Brands and Director on the Board of Iconix Lifestyle India.
The acquisition will allow Iconix Lifestyle India to expand Lee Cooper presence in India by enabling the brand’s distribution across all retail channels while strengthening marketing and brand management.
Bob Galvin, Chief Executive Officer and President of Iconix Brand Group Inc and Director on the Board of Iconix Lifestyle India was quoted, “Gaining Lee Cooper’s IP rights aligns with our long-term strategic approach to growing our brand presence in India. We have a very strong commitment to the ongoing success, and this development provides the opportunity to operate directly in a quickly expanding market and to bring this iconic high-quality brand to a new audience.”
Iconix Lifestyle India is an equal joint venture between India based Reliance Brands and Iconix Brand Group Inc. The JV owns 24 fashion and home brands from the Iconix portfolio for the Indian territory, across fashion, lifestyle, and home. These include brands like Candie’s, Bongo, Badgley Mischka, Rampage, Mudd, Danskin, Ecko Unltd., Ocean Pacific, London Fog, Starter, Ed Hardy, Joe Boxer, Umbro, Rocawear, Artful Dodger, Marc Ecko, Mossimo, Zoo York, Charisma, Cannon, Royal Velvet, Waverly, Fieldcrest, and Lee Cooper.
