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Lucky Brand Jeans

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Lucky Brand Jeans
Company typePrivate
IndustryDenim
Founded1990
Headquarters
Vernon, California
,
United States
ProductsDenim
Sportswear
Outerwear
T-shirts
Active wear
OwnerLeonard Green & Partners[1]
WebsiteLuckyBrand.com
Button on the fly of a pair of Hendrix Lucky Brand Jeans.
Previous logo

Lucky Brand Jeans is an American denim company founded in Vernon, California in 1990 by Gene Montesano and Barry Perlman.[2] Lucky also produces other apparel, including activewear, outerwear, T-shirts, and professional attire.

In December 2013, Leonard Green & Partners acquired Lucky Brand Jeans for $225 million from Fifth & Pacific Companies.[1]

In 2020, Lucky Brand filed for bankruptcy.[3]

Stores

Lucky Brand products are available through the 150 company-owned stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Canada, and Europe. In the United Arab Emirates and Australia, Lucky products can be found in David Jones department stores. In the U.S., Lucky is also sold at major department store chains including Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, Belk, and Dillard's, as well as at smaller specialty chains like Buckle.

Operations

Lucky is currently run by an "Office of the CEO" established on January 28, 2019 when Carlos Alberini stepped down as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer[4]. Alberini left to take the role of CEO and Director at Guess, where he was COO from 2000 to 2010. Alberini had served as CEO of Lucky since taking the post on January 31, 2014.[5] David DeMattei was the former CEO.[5]

The corporate headquarters moved from Vernon to the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles in 2012. The jeans maker moved to a new downtown office located at 540 S. Santa Fe near the historic 4th and 6th Street Bridges.[6]

In 2013, the brand was sold to the private-equity firm Leonard Green & Partners for $225 million. WIth this move, Lucky Brand's previous owner, Fifth & Pacific Cos., aimed to divest assets and focus on the Kate Spade label.[7]

In 2019, Lucky Brand announced that Carlos Alberini had resigned as Chairman and CEO.[8]

In July 2020, Lucky Brand filed for bankruptcy.[3]

History

Lucky Brand Jeans store on Newbury Street in Boston

In the 1970s, 21-year-old Gene Montesano and 17-year-old Barry Perlman opened a Florida jeans shop called Four Way Street. "During the evenings, we'd head out to the local Laundromat with our pockets full of coins and some bleach. A few hours later, we had a stack of great washed jeans -- one of a kind and 100% authentic!"[9]

In 1978, Montesano moved to Los Angeles to enter the fashion industry there. With business partner Michael Caruso, he started Bongo and ran the brand for 15 years. After leaving Bongo, Montesano joined former business partner Perlman in 1990 to launch Lucky Brand.[9]

Montesano and Perlman created a brand that is known for the attention to detail put into each pair of jeans.[citation needed] The phrase "Lucky You" is stitched on the fly of each pair of jeans, which they claim accomplishes the goal that the brand set out to do: create a product of good quality and good humor.[10]

Lucky Foundation

The Lucky Brand Foundation was first launched in 1996, which was initially established with a goal to help children. Since the launch the foundation has raised over $8 million through fund raising events. Such events have featured rock performers such as Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, B.B. King, and Bonnie Raitt. Another way the Foundation has been consistently successful at accomplishing their set goal is through the annual Black Tie & Blue Jeans Gala, which has a record of raising approximately $6 million for numerous children's charities including: Smile Train, Camp Sundown, Island Dolphin Care, Shane's Inspiration and The Bridge School.[9] With the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love and the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's album, Lucky Foundation was able to raise more than $700,000.[11]

Product

Lucky You! Logo
Lucky Brand Jeans
Lucky Brand Jeans by Gene Montesano

All of the products sold by Lucky as well as their stores' decoration reflected a bohemian style. Denim is the major selling point of the company, making up about 60% of business. All Lucky Brand Jeans have two four-leaf clovers with the phrase "LUCKY YOU!" stitched onto the outside of the fly shield. This has become a trademark of their denim line, which is made up of a wide variety of fits and a wide variety of washing.

In 2005, the company expanded its line to include clothing for infants through age 10. In 2006, the company opened Lucky Brand Jeans Kid stores, which exclusively sell their children's clothing.

Prior to 2010, most Lucky products were manufactured in the USA. They are currently made in Indonesia, China, Peru, Chile, Vietnam, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Haiti. All USA-manufactured Lucky jeans manufactured in the United States are all hand-made in Los Angeles, and all the detailing is done by hand, except for the washing process.

In the summer of 2013, Lucky re-introduced Made in America (MIA) jeans. The denim is produced by Cone Denim in their White Oak Mill in Greensboro, North Carolina.[12] The jeans are then hand-stitched in Los Angeles. Almost every style of women's and men's jeans has an MIA counterpart.

References

  1. ^ a b Young, Vicki M. (10 December 2013). "Fifth & Pacific Has Sold Lucky Brand for $225M". WWD. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  2. ^ Vanessa McGrady A Lucky Pair Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine Catalyst Spring/Summer 2008
  3. ^ a b Bullock, Nicole (2020-07-04). "Lucky Brand Files for Bankruptcy After Pandemic Forces Closures". Bloomberg.
  4. ^ Elven, Marjorie van (2019-01-28). "Lucky Brand CEO resigns and takes same role at Guess". fashionunited.com. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  5. ^ a b Clark, Evan (13 December 2013). "Carlos Alberini Named Lucky Brand CEO". WWD. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-03-07. Retrieved 2017-05-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "Lucky Brand Jeans Sold for $225 Million to Leonard Green". The Business of Fashion. 2013-12-10. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  8. ^ "Lucky Brand Announces CEO Transition". www.prnewswire.com. 2019-01-28. Retrieved 2020-05-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ a b c "About Lucky: The Story & History of Lucky Brand Jeans". Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  10. ^ "Gene & Barry". Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  11. ^ McGrady, Vanessa. "A Lucky Pair" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  12. ^ conedenim.com White Oak Archived 2017-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
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