US-based Authentic Brands Group is reportedly close to acquiring Italian luxury brand Missoni. The trade publication Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), citing unnamed sources, reported that the exclusive negotiations were currently ongoing. The deal is therefore expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Authentic, the parent company of brands such as Reebok and Champion, is said to be the leading bidder after rival WHP Global lost interest in the deal, according to the report. WHP is pursuing the purchase of Lands’ End instead, WWD said.
Missoni declined to comment on the reports. FashionUnited has reached out to Authentic for comment.
There had previously been speculation about Authentic’s alleged interest in taking over the Marc Jacobs label from LVMH. It is now said that the US brand management group recently ended these negotiations. LVMH no longer wants to sell the brand.
“It’s on hold for now,” a source told WWD. “It could be for a year, two years or forever. Nobody knows.”
Regarding Missoni, sources told the media portal that the luxury brand fits well into Authentic’s portfolio. It corresponds to the group’s approach of acquiring brands with global potential. These brands must also be able to adapt to Authentic’s licensing model.
The Missoni family owns 58.8 percent of the shares in the fashion company. The rest belongs to investor Gondo Strategico Italiano, which acquired a stake in 2018. The company is currently led by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Livio Proli.
Missoni’s attractiveness has increased recently because management has managed to make the company profitable again. According to media reports, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), which was 2.1 million euros in the previous year, grew to 16.6 million euros in 2024. Net profit amounted to 8.9 million euros, after Missoni had previously posted a loss.
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