Moose Knuckles, the Canadian luxury outerwear and sportswear brand, announced that Victor Luis, formerly Tapestry Inc. CEO, has become an investor and executive chairman.
In a statement, Moose Knuckles said that Victor Luis had made a “significant investment” in the firm and had become an “operating partner.” Other partners include founders and co-chief executives, Noah Stern, Ayal Twik, their families, and global investment firm Cathay Capital.
With Luis’ guidance, Moose Knuckles is looking to broaden and accelerate its expansion, with a particular focus on China. Currently, Moose Knuckles operates 11 stores, including three in China. It plans to open an additional ten stores by the end of 2022.
Stern and Twik said in a statement: “We are extremely excited to partner with Victor on our brand’s next chapter. He has a proven track record of growing brands globally at an unprecedented rate. We could not be more thrilled to have Victor on board to help fuel and steer our international expansion.”
Luis is an industry veteran with global experience, following decades of brand building with companies including French luxury firms Moet-Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Baccarat and Coach. He is best known for transforming Coach. He joined the brand in 2006 as president and chief executive of Coach Japan before becoming chief executive in 2014, where he transformed the company into the multi-brand player Tapestry Inc., combining Coach with Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman.
“I have long been attracted to the opportunity in the fast-growing and highly fragmented luxury outerwear space, and Moose Knuckles is uniquely positioned to take a leadership position in this market. I am extremely excited to support Noah, Ayal and the global Moose Knuckles team as we leverage the strong foundation they have already built to bring our tradition of superior quality, unique design and brand narrative to fans across the world,” said Luis.
Luis is also an independent director of Farfetch Ltd. and Deckers Outdoor Corp., the parent company of Ugg, Hoka and Teva.
Photo courtesy Bloomberg, Victor Luis
