Skip to main content
BoF Logo

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

L Catterton to Take Majority Stake in Etro

The LVMH-backed fund is reportedly acquiring a 60 percent stake in a deal that values Etro at €500 million ($590 million).
Etro store in Milan.
Etro store in Milan. (Shutterstock)

L Catterton, a private equity firm backed by French luxury giant LVMH, has agreed to buy a 60 percent stake in Italian fashion company Etro, two sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

The deal values Etro at about €500 million ($590 million), the sources said, confirming reports in Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Il Sole 24 Ore.

Etro said in a statement that L Catterton was taking a majority stake in the company, while the Etro family would retain “a significant minority interest.” It did not go into specifics and gave no financial details.

Gerolamo Etro, who founded the company in 1968, will be the chairman and the deal is set to be closed by the end of the year, the statement said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We are thrilled to be working with the L Catterton team who will bring their in-depth knowledge of the fashion sector and an experience in the international development of important brands, allowing our company to reach new heights,” the firm said.

LVMH and L Catterton were not immediately available for comment.

In April, a source close to the matter had told Reuters that the Milan-based luxury brand was considering an expression of interest from L Catterton, an investment firm born out of a partnership among Catterton, LVMH and its billionaire owner Bernard Arnault.

One of the sources said Etro’s four children would stay on as shareholders with a 40 percent stake and would remain owners of Etro’s real estate property and directly operated stores.

L Catterton recently bought German sandal maker Birkenstock. LVMH, which owns a string of Italian labels including jeweller Bulgari, also boosted its stake in Italian luxury shoemaker Tod’s to 10 percent in April.

By Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and Crispian Balmer

Further Reading: How L Catterton Really Won Birkenstock

The story behind CEO Oliver Reichert’s manoeuvres to get the LVMH-backed private equity firm to buy the footwear maker for more than €4 billion.

In This Article
Topics

© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from Luxury
How rapid change is reshaping the tradition-soaked luxury sector in Europe and beyond.

Do Watch Buyers Really Care About Sustainability?

IWC’s chief executive says it will keep leaning into its environmental message. But the watchmaker has scrapped a flagship sustainability report, and sustainability was less of a focus overall at this year’s Watches and Wonders Geneva.


view more

Subscribe to the BoF Daily Digest

The essential daily round-up of fashion news, analysis, and breaking news alerts.

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
CONNECT WITH US ON
The Business of Beauty Global Awards - Deadline 30 April 2024
© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy and Accessibility Statement.
The Business of Beauty Global Awards - Deadline 30 April 2024