Fashion Fund One Acquires Vilebrequin

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands, December 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Fashion Fund One
("the fund") announced today that it has acquired 100% of TRB International
SA ("the company"), the Luxembourg based holding company which owns the
world-wide operations and intellectual property rights of Vilebrequin.
Vilebrequin is a unique luxury fashion brand which focuses on beach and
swimwear for men and boys. The company's products are sold in 67 own stores
as well as selected department stores and independent retailers in 16
countries around the world. Vilebrequin's most important markets are France,
USA and Italy. The company is registered in Luxembourg with its head office
and warehouse operations in Geneva.
Pierre-Alain Blum, chairman of Lalande SA, the selling shareholder of the
company, said: "We are very pleased with our partnership with Fashion Fund
One. I am convinced that growth in our business will accelerate under their
ownership. With their management team's proven track record and extensive
network of contacts in the fashion industry, the fund will be able to take
Vilebrequin to the next level of development." Pierre-Alain Blum will remain
part of the company as non-executive director in the Supervisory Board.
Hans Ouwendijk, Managing Director of Fashion Fund One, added that
Vilebrequin fits perfectly with its strategy to invest in strong brands with
established heritage. "Vilebrequin is an internationally recognised brand
with a distinctive product offer and a clearly defined consumer base. It
stands for superior quality and unique designs with an energetic feel, a
successful formula that has been rewarded with a loyal customer base around
the world. We are confident that by leveraging the strength of the brand and
by developing a new distribution strategy we will be able to accelerate the
growth of the company."
Fashion Fund One will focus on expanding the company by increasing the
number of own stores as well as wholesale partnerships based on department
store shop-in-shops and franchise stores. The opportunities for product
licensing and extensions of the product range will also be explored.
Information on Vilebrequin
Vilebrequin was founded in the 1970s in St Tropez, where it created a
strong, unique identity right from its first collection with its rich palette
of colours and vibrant prints. In the 1990s, the company expanded its product
range with the launch of shirts, pants, shorts and accessories (sun glasses,
beach towels and caps) as well as the 'Like Father, Like Son' concept of
matching swimwear for men and boys.
Today the swimsuit collection consists of some 200 prints in 16 different
styles in sizes from 2 years to 5XL. Each collection is built around a number
of themes which are refreshed each year, the dominant ones being flora, fauna
and fruit. Although vibrant prints are Vilebrequin's brand signature, the
products are also available in a range of solid colours. In order to maintain
exclusivity and quality standards, all prints are designed by a specialist
team of fabric designers with all printing done exclusively by two companies
in France and Italy.
Information on Fashion Fund One
Fashion Fund One is a private equity fund which focuses on majority
investments in fast growing mid- to later- stage companies in the European
fashion and accessories industry. The fund was established in Summer 2006 by
several founders and former senior executives of Mexx. Most of the investors
in the fund (22 individuals and institutions from 8 countries) have extensive
experience in the fashion industry.
Fashion Fund One is based in The Hague, Netherlands. The fund generally
invests in companies with enterprise value of EUR 50 to EUR 100 million and
prefers well recognised, wholly owned brands in the mid to upper segments of
the market. Target companies should have substantial parts of their
activities or sales in Europe. The fund's primary geographical focus is on
Benelux, followed closely by Germany and France. Investments in southern
European markets will also be considered.
The fund is managed by fr2 Capital B.V., a management company headed by
Adu Advaney and Hans Ouwendijk, former senior executives of Mexx. Both
possess strong operational and entrepreneurial skills and combine more than
50 years of relevant industry experience at, amongst others, Laura Ashley,
Mexx and Liz Claiborne.
http://www.fr2capital.nl
http://www.vilebrequin.com
SOURCE Fashion Fund One

For more information please contact: Vilebrequin, Pierre-Alain Blum, Tel:
+41(0)22-317-73-40, ikfstef@vtx.ch; Fashion Fund One, Irene Wiegand Bruss, PR
Manager, Tel: +31(0)70-364-1420, i.wiegandbruss@fr2capital.com; Trimedia,
Yurena Segredo Suarez / Marijke van Hooren, Tel: +31(0)23-750-32-10,
ysegredosuarez@trimediabenelux.com / mvanhooren@trimediabenelux.com