Fashion Investments and M&A

Date: February 2024
Buyer: Carlyle, IMI
Target: Very
Business: Online Fashion Retailer
Value: £125m
Details: Liverpool-based company Very, owned by Barclays and known for its collaborations with celebrities like Michelle Keegan and Holly Willougby, has received a £125m investment from US investment firm Carlyle and UAE investment house IMI (International Media Investments). £85m of this, provided by Carlyle’s Global Credit arm, will be made available immediately, with the remaining £40m coming from IMI. Very has granted a floating charge over several of its group companies as security for the investment by IMI (with the same companies having been pledged as security for previous debt investments made by Carlyle). As part of the investment package, Carlyle and IMI will each be able to appoint a director to Very’s board of directors, and will bring their ‘deep network of relationships, industry expertise and capabilities’ to Very, while Very’s current non-executive chairman Dirk Van den Berghe will step down and be replaced by Aidan Barclay, as interim chairman until a new appointment is made.

Date: April 2021
Buyer: The Carlyle Group
Target: END
Business: UK based retailer of luxury menswear garments and footwear
Value: END was reportedly valued at £750 million
Details: The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm, has acquired a majority stake in END. END has an omni-channel offering and employs more than 650 in the UK. The founders will retain a significant minority stake and remains co-chief executives of the company. Index Ventures holds a minority stake in END and as part of the transaction will be selling its holding and fully exiting.

Date: October 2017
Buyer: The Carlyle Group
Target: Supreme
Business: Skater-inflected label
Value: Undisclosed
Details: Founder of supreme, James Jebbia has sold a stake in the ‘streetwear’ company to the private equity firm The Carlyle Group.

Date: February 2017
Buyer: The Carlyle Group
Target: Golden Goose
Business: Luxury sneakers
Value: €400m
Details: Private equity firm acquires Italian business from sellers including Ergon Capital and Italian family conglomerate Zingago Holding.