Philipp Plein Set to Purchase Roberto Cavalli

[Benn98]

Designer Philipp Plein Rumored To Acquire Roberto Cavalli Brand

Jan 31, 2019, 11:56pm
By Declan EytanContributor

An alleged January 31 deadline was set to submit offers for a stake in the Roberto Cavalli firm. Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli sold his namesake brand to Italian private equity firm Clessidra SGR S.p.A. for an undisclosed sum in the year 2015. International investment firm L-GAM and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Ltd, a Hong Kong-based holding company controlled by the Cheng family, became co-investors in the company. Nearly four years after the acquisition, German designer Philipp Plein is reportedly looking to take control of the Florentine luxury brand.

Last January, Plein celebrated the 20-year anniversary of his namesake brand, via his Milan men’s fashion week presentation. The Germany-born designer, who’s based in Switzerland, is notorious for his in-your-face designs defined by animal skins, skulls, and not-so-subtle graphics. Plein stands at the helm of the Philipp Plein International Group, parenting company of brands which include Philipp Plein, Plein Sport, and Billionaire Couture.

Rumors relating to a possible takeover by Plein of the Italian luxury brand started late last years, following the acquisition of Versace by Michael Kors’ Capri Holdings. Clessidra owns a 90% majority stake in the company that was founded by Roberto Cavalli in the Seventies. Following the 2015 sale, the founder and former Creative Director of the luxury brand still owns a 10% stake in the firm synonymous with animal prints and joie de vivre.

Cavalli generated revenues of €152.4 million over the year 2017. Despite revenues being down 1.8% in comparison to 2016 figures, the company forecast a return to growth over the 2018 financial year. The brand is reportedly looking for growth in Asia, while Europe and the United States remain Roberto Cavalli’s main markets.

Creative Director and entrepreneur Philipp Plein has enjoyed a growth spurt in recent years. In 2016 he added Plein Sport, a line of fashionable activewear, to his existing brand portfolio. That same year Plein acquired a 51% stake in Billionaire Couture, a luxury menswear label founded by former Formula One manager Flavio Briatore. At present Philipp Plein, an independent self-financed brand, boasts over 120 mono-brand stores worldwide. It’s been reported the group headed by Plein, generates annual revenues averaging around €300 million.

Following Roberto Cavalli's exit from his company as a Creative Director, he’s been succeeded by Peter Dundas and Paul Surridge. Besides the Roberto Cavalli main line, the Roberto Cavalli Group includes diffusion line Just Cavalli, Cavalli Class, Roberto Cavalli Junior, a home collection, and Cavalli-branded night clubs.

Clessidra and Philipp Plein could not be reached for comment regarding the possible acquisition.

Forbes.com

 

[GERGIN]

Welp!

 

[Marc10]

Phillipp Plein is one of the biggest mysteries in the world to me. Who is this guy? Where did he come from? How the hell did he get all this money? The whole thing is just so bizarre to me. I understand he's pretty successful in the tacky European dude-bro market, but still doesn't seem enough to bring this level of capital he flaunts around with his mega mansions, huge flagship stores, division lines... and now he's buying Cavalli??? It almost sounds like a money laundering case.

 

[AD011620]

To me, this sounds like Donald Trump marrying Theresa May ;-) Not pretty on either sides ;-)

 

[Salvatore]

Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating.

 

[ghostwriter10549]

Barbra, Im calling the police!!

What this guy possible know about a business/brand like Cavalli?? Any chance for Cavalli to be great again is now lost.

 

[jeanclaude]

Tacky big fish eats tacky small fish...it totally sounds like mobster´s money being laundered like mad here!

memecdn.com

 

[mepps]

This is all so hilarious to me. Lol

 

[Lola701]

This is just sad!
One of the most important Italian designer. I mean, Cavalli started in 1970!
It’s terrible

 

[Benn98]

This is what we get for being snobs! Lol. Plein has been hustling and hustling for high fashion's acknowledgement for years now. First, he got Carine, then he got Klein, then the strategic placement in the Vogues. And now he's slowly digging his way through the most vulnerable of fashion houses. I thought Kors buying Versace was a dark day, but this???

Wouldnt be surprised if he put forward an offer to buy into Lanvin. Although come to think of it, the idea alone of Madame Wang and Plein in a boardroom meeting is comedy gold.

 

[lelaid]

Not a Plein fan here, but I don't see how this trajectory would be any worse than the one Cavalli is currently on (which is boring as hell).

 

[tjasmine]

Tragicomedy.

 

[Deleted member 130879]

Phillipp Plein is one of the biggest mysteries in the world to me. Who is this guy? Where did he come from? How the hell did he get all this money? The whole thing is just so bizarre to me. I understand he's pretty successful in the tacky European dude-bro market, but still doesn't seem enough to bring this level of capital he flaunts around with his mega mansions, huge flagship stores, division lines... and now he's buying Cavalli??? It almost sounds like a money laundering case.

Well... his biggest market is Russia and machos.

Do we still care about Cavalli? Let him buy it, it plays well with the rest of his trash fest.

 

[MetroMelannie]

Unexpectedly funny and true.

Plein has always been a mystery to me but I was blinded by my high fashion snob standards. Then I spent a whole year in Antibes/Nice/Saint Tropez and I understood. It has this show off aesthetics appealing to nouveaux riches (new rich) and aspiring people. The amount of soccers players, Djs, rappers, "models" and others sporting Plein with Louboutin/Gucci/Jimmy Choo is overwhelming there !

Cavalli has been so much in troubles lately that it does not bother me to see this uncanny alliance.

However 300M € revenues !? I'm still shook.

 

[entten]

Phillipp Plein is one of the biggest mysteries in the world to me. Who is this guy? Where did he come from? How the hell did he get all this money? The whole thing is just so bizarre to me. I understand he's pretty successful in the tacky European dude-bro market, but still doesn't seem enough to bring this level of capital he flaunts around with his mega mansions, huge flagship stores, division lines... and now he's buying Cavalli??? It almost sounds like a money laundering case.

he is german and comes from a town in bavaria germany, i think his parents are somewhat lawyers or doctors,either one of them,I dont remember so well. so he comes from a stable wealthy family. he started with really luxury interior pieces everything only covered with real exotic leathers and stuff, he was also doing dog baskets full on covered with crystall stones, he made good money with it until one client came and ask him to make those crystals on leather jacktes,and from there on it started. slowly but steadily as you can see. he must make good money with it. he enjoys the hatred he gets from the snobby elite fashion world and he is well aware of his tacky styles. If you go on his insta and see all his ex girldfriends, you can see his kind of clientel. rich tacky emirates and russian people and also lots of american with this certain kind of style. dont under estimate this kind of "scene/style" there are plenty of this people around the world and actually not too many designers in the high pricing segment that offer this kind of style. thinking of it, he actually is the only one? so there the money goes......

you have a lot of celines, ysl s,lots of other things and even looooads of demnas, but phillipp plein? there is only one,and no one dares to copy him XD so his style is very monopol,easy to get the coins in...

 

[Ruito]

Cavalli has seen better days!

 

[Benn98]

No one dares to copy him because HE does most of the copying.

Went on his Insta but couldn't get past the 8th pic without my gag reflex intact. He's so shameless in a sad way. The two recent posts are of Hailey, captioned 'Hailey Bieber 4 years ago in my S/S campaign' Obviously he knows the Vogue cover is trending right now, so he's trying to inject himself in the conversation. Like the sad loser posting old pictures of his now famous ex-girlfriend. That's what I mean when I say he's pandering for high fashion's approval.

 

[Deleted member 130879]

No, he is not the only one. There are plenty of brands like that and some are older than his. The "football player trash" vibe has been here since before Beckham's frosted tips. Bejewelled skulls were all over my school back in the late 90s. He did nothing groundbreaking besides increasing the price tag for those items and selling them as luxury (just like Demna - they are two peas in a pod).

 

[tricotineacetat]

I enjoy Paul Surridge as a designer for his previous work at Zegna, which was quite beautiful, but also in a frame work that much better suited his aesthetic. He is good with technical outerwear and smart, deconstructed tailoring which would make him much better suited for Jil Sander (where I believe he worked for some time under Raf Simons), Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss or even at Uniqlo if Christophe Lemaire ever got bored of designing Uniqlo U - His work for Cavalli however does not fit with the esprit of the brand, where a much different skill set is needed - More feminine dressmaking, more sensuality on display. The austere touch of his work feels all but confusing at Cavalli where the brand values are really the exact opposite.

 

[GivenchyHomme]

This might be exactly what the brand needs. Unfortunately the Cavalli look is no longer in fashion. Dundas attempted to stay true to the DNA of the house and failed miserably. It needs a major update and quick! I say give him a chance. If a major acquisition can't save the brand then nothing will.