Maus Frères International grows 15% in 2019, changes name to MF Brands Group

By

Christel Divert

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Mar 6, 2020

Maus Frères International has changed its name, keeping the first two initials and adopting the new designation of MF Brands Group. The Swiss group’s new corporate identity, marking a fresh phase in its history, was presented together with the annual results for the 2019 financial year.

Ever since 1998, when it bought Devanlay, then the owner of Lacoste, the newly named MF Brands Group has been building a portfolio of labels in the apparel and accessories sectors: from Lacoste to Gant, Tecnifibre and, most recently, The Kooples, the latter bought in 2019. As well as announcing the name change, the group’s senior management underlined its goal of “becoming a major high-end player in the sport/lifestyle industry thanks to [a portfolio of] strong brands in the sport and fashion sectors.”

“This evolution in our corporate identity is the logical, inevitable outcome of our expansion in the last few years,” said Thierry Guibert, CEO of MF Brands Group and of Lacoste. More than simply a change in denomination, the name MF Brands Group mirrors our new organisation, which is more coherent, more integrated and more international, focused on serving the group’s various brands and promoting their growth,” he added.

MF Brands Group announced the name change together with its highly positive results for the 2019 financial year, in which its revenue grew to €2.643 billion, up 15% over 2018. Adding sales from licensed products, total sales were worth €3.21 billion.

According to French newspaper Le Figaro, sales for the group’s leading label, Lacoste, increased by 11% in 2019, having risen by 28% the previous year. The French sportswear label's revenue had topped the €2 billion mark, in like-for-like terms, in 2016.

Relying on Lacoste's strong performances, and despite having very recently bought The Kooples, MF Brands Group is open to the acquisition of other premium brands in the fashion, sport and accessories sectors, according to the Financial Times.