Lacoste owner Maus Frères International rebrands to MF Brands Group

Maus Frères International, the owner of brands Lacoste, Gant, Aigle, Tecnifibre and, as of 2019, The Kooples, has changed its name to MF Brands Group as part of a wider transformation strategy.

The company said the new name aims to draw a link between its historic routes (Maus Frères, subsequently MF) and its ambition to become a leading international player in premium textiles and lifestyle sportswear (Brands Group).

MF Brands Group CEO Thierry Guibert said in a statement: “This change in our identity is the logical and necessary outcome of our development over the last few years. Beyond a simple change of name, MF Brands Group above all reflects our new organisation, simultaneously more coherent, more integrated and more international, to serve the group’s different brands and their development.”

The group said its name change also marks recent changes to its leadership team, with appointments over the past year of Romain Guinier as CEO of The Kooples, Sandrine Conseiller as CEO of Aigle, and Patrik Söderström as CEO of Gant. Nicolas Préault has remained CEO of Tecnifibre.

In 2019, the group’s sales increased by 15 percent to 2.64 billion euros, representing a business volume of 3.21 billion euros including licences sales. “All the brands have enjoyed sustained growth thanks to very good positioning and high desirability,” the group said.

Guibert added: “Boosted by this new identity and organization, we will continue and accelerate our efforts to fully reveal the growth potential of our brands internationally. We will also continue our development with the ambition to rapidly become a major player in the premium brand segment.”

Photo: Lacoste AW20, courtesy of the brand