PARIS — French investors Thierry Le Guénic and Stéphane Collaert continue to snap up brands from ailing French fashion group Vivarte.
Together with logistics solutions firm Log’S, they have entered into exclusive negotiations to purchase shoe brand San Marina and SMS Services, a logistics and services provider for shoe brands.
Le Guénic, a former chief executive officer of Vanessa Bruno and Francesco Smalto, and Collaert, former managing director of French leather goods brand Textier, earlier this year bought the Cosmoparis shoe brand and Chevignon clothing label from Vivarte.
San Marina generated revenues of 110 million euros in 2018, selling more than 1 million pairs of shoes through its network of stores, which includes 218 points of sale in France, 12 overseas and an e-commerce store, Vivarte said in a statement on Tuesday.
If the deal goes through, the investors will take over all of San Marina’s staff and stores. Collaert and Le Guénic have been on a spending spree that also includes the acquisition of French lingerie house Lejaby from Triana.
Vivarte, which once owned more than a dozen brands, has decided to focus its activities on just two labels: La Halle and Caroll. Previously one of France’s largest clothing groups by sales, it has struggled to pay back a heavy debt to four investment funds that serve as shareholders and lenders to the company.
Among the brands it has sold off are Naf Naf, Kookaï, André and Pataugas.