Centric Brands is reporting that it has acquired select assets of Fownes Brothers & Co., Inc., including “operations, assets, and intellectual property pertaining to the design, development, sourcing, production, sales, and distribution of existing product lines in the cold-weather accessories category.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The deal sees Centric Brands assuming the Fownes portfolio of cold-weather accessories licenses with Ugg, Timberland, and Cole Haan, along with private label manufacturing agreements for The North Face and Lululemon.
Fownes Brothers, first established in 1777 as a premier leather glove manufacturer in Worcester, England and family-owned by Tom Gluckman and the Gluckman Family, is a premier importer and distributor of licensed and private label cold-weather accessories with a reputation for craftsmanship, technical expertise, and deep retail partnerships.
Additionally, Andrew Gluckman will join the Centric Brands team as SVP, division head Cold-Weather, overseeing the acquired licenses and supporting the continued growth of the broader cold weather accessories division.
“We are excited to welcome Andrew and the Fownes Brothers legacy into Centric Brands,” said Jason Rabin, CEO, Centric Brands. “Our growth strategy is built upon developing powerful, scalable brands across key categories, and this acquisition meaningfully advances that approach. By integrating the Fownes Brothers business into our accessories platform, we are expanding our capabilities, accelerating scale, and positioning the business for sustained, profitable growth.”
Jarrod Kahn, group president, accessories, Centric Brands, noted, “By integrating these world-class licenses and private label relationships into our portfolio—and with Gluckman’s leadership—we are well-positioned to expand our accessories business and deliver innovative, high-quality products to consumers across all retail channels. This acquisition strengthens our ability to drive category leadership, optimize sourcing and production, and deliver differentiated product across multiple retail channels.”
Tom Gluckman said this deal marks a new chapter for Fownes Brothers.
“Our family is proud of the legacy we have built in cold-weather accessories, and we are thrilled to bring that expertise and our valued partnerships into Centric Brands.”
The Centric Brands portfolio also includes licenses for more than 100 iconic brands, including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, and Under Armour in the kid’s category; Buffalo, Hervé Léger, Joe’s Jeans and Off-White in the men’s and women’s apparel category; All Saints, Coach, Frye, Hunter, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, and Vince in the accessories category; and in the Sports & Entertainment category, Disney, Game 7, Marvel, Messi, Nickelodeon, and Warner Brothers among many others. The company also owns and operates Avirex, Fiorelli, Hudson, Robert Graham, and Taste Beauty and operates joint venture brands, Favorite Daughter, Jennifer Fisher, and John Elliot.
Images courtesy Fownes Brothers & Co.
