Just Over The Top (JOTT), the French casual outerwear brand, announced that L Catterton, the PE firm, has acquired a controlling interest in the company. The Gourdikian family, which founded and manage JOTT, will continue to hold a significant equity interest in the business.

Patrick Gourdikian, JOTT president, said, “We are thrilled to partner with L Catterton to further develop JOTT as a leading omnichannel brand with an expanded footprint across Europe and Asia. L Catterton shares the same vision for JOTT and a passion for building distinctive brands in the apparel segment. With L Catterton’s support and expertise in scaling and operating apparel brands globally, we will continue to capture JOTT’s strong brand loyalty among customers and drive our business through its next phase of growth.”

In conjunction with this announcement, Didier Lalance has been named CEO of JOTT. He brings nearly 30 years of management experience and a track record of growth at leading apparel and luxury brands, including Lacoste, Kering and Asics.

Eduardo Velasco, partner of L Catterton Europe, said, “Partnering with JOTT, its visionary founders, and staff is a fantastic opportunity to further develop one of France’s most iconic brands in the premium casual outerwear space. In just a few years, JOTT has become a leader in its market segment with distinctive and colorful clothing and an efficient multichannel distribution strategy, which will all continue to be key pillars of its business model going forward. We are excited with Didier joining this amazing project alongside us to support JOTT’s future growth.”

Lalance said, “For more than a decade, the entire JOTT team has been committed to building a brand with the power to span across categories, geographies, and generations. I am excited to join the JOTT family and partner with L Catterton to expand the JOTT brand globally.”

L Catterton has significant experience investing in apparel brands globally. Current and past apparel investments include GANT, SMCP (Sandro Maje Claudie Pierlot), ba&sh, Sweaty Betty, GANNI, Charles & Keith, and Rhone, among others.

Photo courtesy JOTT