Double Tap to Zoom

Womenswear retailer Aritzia Inc. is looking to break into the menswear market by purchasing a majority stake in athletic brand Reigning Champ.

Announced Monday, the deal sees Aritzia acquire 75 percent of Reigning Champ, valuing the company at $63-million. Despite owning a majority of shares, Aritzia doesn't seem to want to change much about the streetwear company, however it will open new Reigning Champ stores in New York, and expand its e-commerce and wholesale business.

“Reigning Champ’s position in the men’s landscape is different from Aritzia’s position in the women’s landscape,” Aritzia chief executive officer Brian Hill told The Globe and Mail. “Reigning Champ is a little higher-priced, it’s a little more scarce. We’re going to make sure that that positioning is held in the marketplace.”

The current Reigning Champ team, including  co-founder and CEO Craig Atkinson, co-founder and vice-president of manufacturing Chris Nordee will stay at the company for approximately five years. The last 25 percent of shares will be held by Reigning Champ’s management, before being handed over to Aritzia in three instalments, happening between 2024 and 2026.

 

We Recommend
  • Muted is the New Monogram with Reigning Champ x Supima
  • 20 Best Canadian Brands Every Highsnobiety Reader Should Know
  • Reigning Champ Taps Jide Osifeso for a New Modern Uniform
  • This District Vision Collab Is a Bonafide (Reigning) Champ
What To Read Next
  • A Rhinestone-Studded Samba Sneaker Impossible To Ignore
  • It Was the World's Most Normal Shoe Until COMME des GARÇONS Freaked It
  • Is the Marty Supreme Jacket the End of Merch?
  • New Balance's Chromed-Up Dad Shoe Classic Is Millennium Maximalism
  • This German Music Label Has Mastered the Ironic Tee
  • Burgers Made These Beautiful Shoes Possible