China’s Fosun International Ltd. is on the hunt for an addition to its collection of fashion brands, which includes Lanvin and St. John Knits — a sign of luxury’s resilience despite high inflation and recession concerns.
First, Fosun aims to float Lanvin on the New York Stock Exchange via a blank-check company in October or November, said Joann Cheng, chairman and chief executive officer of Lanvin Group. A potential acquisition would come after that, “ideally later next year,” she said in an interview, adding “we’re not in a rush.”
Lanvin houses the eponymous French fashion brand as well as Italian shoemaker Sergio Rossi, Austrian lingerie brand Wolford, US womenswear maker St. John Knits and Italian menswear brand Caruso. “We are screening good targets in the market,” Cheng said.
The company is looking to boost sales in the US and China while adding new product areas and diversifying beyond European brands and into a younger age bracket. Fosun, a Chinese conglomerate, bought a controlling stake in Lanvin in 2018 and has continued to add new brands since then.
The purchase could follow the template established by Lanvin’s acquisition of Sergio Rossi last year, which allowed it to bolster its offering of accessories, co-chief operating officer David Chan said. “The company is looking at areas including beauty and skin care as well,” he said.
Cheng said she’s confident that high-end shoppers globally will continue to spend despite worsening economic conditions. “This segment is quite resilient,” she said, citing luxury shoppers’ “very stable incomes.”
In a statement Monday, Lanvin said its 2021 revenue grew 39 percent, including sales from Sergio Rossi after the brand was acquired in the second half. Lanvin is “well on track” to achieve profitability before taxes, depreciation and other items by 2024 as planned, the company said. It is also filing on Monday its registration statement to list with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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The Chinese firm that owns Lanvin, Sergio Rossi, St. John Knits and Wolford could be eyeing an IPO after recently rebranding as Lanvin Group.
