NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 2, 2025--
Marquee Brands, the global brand accelerator and owner of 17 world-renowned brands announces the strategic acquisition of Laura Ashley®, the legacy home, fashion and lifestyle brand celebrated for its romantic English aesthetic, from Gordon Brothers, the global asset experts. Founded in 1953, Laura Ashley has become synonymous with timeless design, blending delicate florals, vintage-inspired motifs and exceptional craftsmanship across hundreds of products and categories. The strategic acquisition retains Laura Ashley’s UK-based team and expands Marquee Brands’ global footprint with the opening of its first European headquarters in London. Distributed in more than 80 countries through leading wholesalers, best-in-class digital marketplaces, and over 150 branded retail locations globally, the addition of Laura Ashley increases the retail value of Marquee Brands’ global portfolio to $4 + billion.
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“Laura Ashley’s licensed business model and robust group of high-quality partners makes the brand a seamless addition to Marquee Brands. We are excited to harness the strong affinity for this iconic brand and drive expansion across new platforms and partnerships,” said Heath Golden, CEO of Marquee Brands. “With the existing UK team in place, we are primed and ready to leverage Laura Ashley’s seven-decade legacy to unlock its future potential as a full lifestyle brand innovating new products and categories, offering unique collaborations and engaging multi-generational audiences in key markets worldwide.”
“As a firm that actively invests in and revitalizes iconic brands like Laura Ashley, we acquired the British heritage brand out of insolvency in 2020 and built a flexible, scalable licensing business and a global e-commerce presence over the last four years,” said Tobias Nanda, Head of Brands at Gordon Brothers. “We could not be prouder of Laura Ashley’s growth under Carolyn D’Angelo’s leadership, the former President of Laura Ashley, and know the brand is in the right hands for continued global growth under Marquee Brands’ leadership.”
Building on its reputation for scaling iconic brands, Marquee Brands integrates Laura Ashley into its portfolio as a globally recognized lifestyle brand with a fully licensed operating model spanning the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and other leading markets across Asia. Laura Ashley operates in more than 200 lifestyle categories through a network of over 100 licensed partners with products available at thousands of points of sale. By leveraging its global network, Marquee Brands is poised to deepen Laura Ashley’s presence, driving new business across North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, EMEA and other key regions.
The acquisition of Laura Ashley marks the culmination of a transformative year for Marquee Brands. To support its accelerated growth to $4 + billion and commitment to increasing organic revenue, Marquee Brands bolstered its executive team with the appointments of Rachel Terrace as Chief Commercial and Growth Officer, John Hayes as Chief Financial Officer, Joseph Zarro as Chief Business Development Officer and Natasha Fishman as Chief Marketing Officer. The addition of industry leaders has been instrumental in shaping Marquee Brands’ upward trajectory. With key leadership in place, Marquee Brands kicks off 2025 well-positioned to drive expansion, optimize operational efficiencies and foster sustainable growth across its expanding portfolio.
Lincoln International served as the exclusive financial advisor to Gordon Brothers in facilitating the completion of this transaction.
ABOUT MARQUEE BRANDS
Marquee Brands, established in 2014 by Neuberger Berman, is a globally recognized brand owner, licensor, marketer and media company. As a brand accelerator and a prominent licensor, Marquee Brands manages a portfolio of renowned brands with substantial consumer recognition. Marquee Brands strategically works to harness and grow the value of its brands by partnering with best-in-class operators across multiple channels, geographies and product sectors. Marquee's brand portfolio is organized into three distinct verticals: Home & Culinary, Fashion & Lifestyle and Active & Outdoor, and encompasses timeless brands such as Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, Sur La Table, America's Test Kitchen, BCBG, Ben Sherman, Bruno Magli, Anti Social Social Club, Totes, Isotoner, Destination Maternity, Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in The Pod, Dakine and Body Glove. For more information visit, www.marqueebrands.com.
ABOUT GORDON BROTHERS
Since 1903, Gordon Brothers has maximized liquidity through realizable asset value by providing the people, expertise and capital to solve business challenges. Our solutions-oriented approach across asset services, lending, financing and trading gives clients the insights, strategies and time to optimize asset values throughout the business cycle. We work across the full spectrum of assets globally with deep expertise in retail, commercial, industrial, brands and real estate. We are headquartered in Boston with over 30 offices across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. For more information visit, www.gordonbrothers.com.
Courtesy of Laura Ashley
Courtesy of Laura Ashley
