Lacoste owner Maus Frères in talks to buy The Kooples

Swiss retail group Maus Frères is in exclusive talks to acquire French label The Kooples, according to multiple sources including WWD and FashionNetwork.

The group, which owns Lacoste, Gant and Aigle, is expected to add the brand to its portfolio by the end of the first half of 2019. In the last financial year, the The Kooples - known for its edgy, rock-and-roll style - achieved a turnover of 227 million euros.

“In the last few years, we have worked on strengthening and significantly broadening the business of our existing brands. The Kooples would complement our portfolio with its directional, urban/rocker brand positioning, evolving in the accessible luxury direction,” said Didier Maus, president of the Swiss group’s board of directors.

“We are attracted by its positioning and potential, which enabled the label to grow in balanced fashion with womenswear and menswear right from its inception."

Founded in 2008 by brothers Alexandre, Laurent and Raphaël Elicha, The Kooples currently has 334 stores in Europe and the US.