Gordon Brothers has taken a majority stake in the Rachel Zoe brand’s intellectual property, the firm said Tuesday. The amount was not disclosed, and the company declined to provide the size of the investment.
Zoe “remains a significant shareholder” and will stay on as founder, chief creative officer and a member of the board, per the company’s press release.
For nearly 25 years Gordon Brothers, whose specialties include restructuring, has invested in or acquired several brands, including Laura Ashley and Nicole Miller. The firm sold Laura Ashley to Marquee Brands earlier this year. The firm prioritizes expansion via licensing and strategic wholesale and retail partnerships, as well as product development and marketing.
For Rachel Zoe, plans are to develop new products and expand to more categories, according to a statement from Carolyn D’Angelo, who is senior managing director and head of brand operations at Gordon Brothers.
This made the firm “the right fit to take the Rachel Zoe brand to the next level,” Zoe said in a statement.
Zoe began as a celebrity stylist who went on to create a cable television show, write books and launch online style magazine The Zoe Report. She founded fashion company Rachel Zoe Creations in 2011, and the Rachel Zoe Collection is now licensed across more than 40 categories. For a couple of years, starting in 2021, she led an influencer network for Express and in 2018 created a capsule collection for Macy’s.
These days Zoe invests in up-and-coming brands via Rachel Zoe Ventures. Most recently she joined the Bravo show “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”