The Kooples, a French ready-to-wear brand founded in 2008, changed hands in spring 2025. The French industrial group Verdoso acquired the brand from the Swiss group Maus Frères, which had owned it since 2019. This transfer of ownership marks a turning point for a brand born within a family of textile entrepreneurs.
Verdoso, an industrial buyer little known in fashion
When talking about acquisitions in the ready-to-wear sector, people often think of investment funds or large luxury groups. Here, the profile of the buyer is different. Verdoso is a French industrial group, not a financial LBO-type fund.
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Specifically, the company presents itself as a player specialized in the acquisition of businesses facing strategic or operational challenges. Its approach aims for a rapid and sustainable transformation of the structures it acquires.
Why is this choice surprising? Because Verdoso had no known presence in ready-to-wear or fashion distribution before this operation. To trace the history and origin of The Kooples on Wiki FR, one must go back well before this acquisition, to the Elicha family.
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The Kooples and the Elicha family: from Comptoir des Cotonniers to the brand of couples
The story of The Kooples begins with Tony and Georgette Elicha, founders of Comptoir des Cotonniers. Their three sons, Alexandre, Laurent, and Raphaël, launched The Kooples in 2008 with an original positioning: a mixed wardrobe designed for couples.
The slogan “A wardrobe for two” summed up the concept. Advertising campaigns featured real couples, giving the brand a strong and recognizable identity in the landscape of French fashion.
- Founded in 2008 by Alexandre, Laurent, and Raphaël Elicha
- Launch of The Kooples Sport in 2012 to expand the offering
- Development of a network of stores in France and internationally
- Headquarters located on rue de Prony, in Paris
The brand was built on a rock and urban DNA, with clothing that borrows from the codes of the male wardrobe for both genders. This positioning appealed to a young and urban clientele, in France as well as in the UK.
Acquisition by Maus Frères in 2019: the transition to Swiss ownership
In 2019, the Swiss group Maus Frères, owner of Lacoste, acquired The Kooples. The operation was part of a strategy to create a fashion hub. Maus Frères, through its MF Brands structure, already grouped several ready-to-wear brands.
The idea was to benefit The Kooples from the logistical and international power of the group. Thierry Guibert, head of Lacoste and the fashion division of Maus Frères, oversaw this integration.
The period was not easy. The brand had to reposition itself in a rapidly changing ready-to-wear market, amid the rise of online sales and price pressures. Maus Frères ultimately decided to sell The Kooples in early 2025, preferring to refocus its efforts on Lacoste.
Why Maus Frères chose to sell
Thierry Guibert publicly stated the overall positive dynamics of the group and its ambitions for Lacoste. The sale of The Kooples was part of a logic of resource concentration rather than a pure commercial failure.
MF Brands announced that it had found a buyer and entered into exclusive negotiations with Verdoso. The sale was finalized in April 2025.
What the acquisition by Verdoso changes for The Kooples
The transition from Maus Frères to Verdoso changes the very nature of the shareholding. With a Swiss group listed in luxury and sports, The Kooples benefited from a brand ecosystem. With Verdoso, the brand joins a group specialized in business turnaround.
This type of buyer typically intervenes with a precise transformation plan. Priorities often focus on operational restructuring, cost optimization, and redefining the commercial scope.
- Probable restructuring of the store network and online sales strategy
- Repositioning of the product offering (clothing, watches, accessories)
- Possible evolution of governance, with the arrival of new leaders like Romain Guinier
A change in governance often accompanies this type of operation. Romain Guinier has been appointed head of The Kooples as part of this transition, according to information published by Le Figaro.
The Kooples after the sale: what challenges for the brand in France
The question now is about brand identity. The Kooples has built its reputation on a rock wardrobe, couple campaigns, and an accessible premium positioning. This brand capital remains a strong asset.
The network of stores in France represents a commercial mesh that Verdoso will need to arbitrate. Some stores are located in high-visibility locations. The maintenance of these points of sale will depend on the profitability that the new owner deems acceptable.
Online sales constitute another lever. The brand already has an active e-commerce site and a presence on fashion platforms. The challenge for Verdoso will be to find the right balance between physical stores and the digital channel, a decision that most French ready-to-wear brands must navigate today.
The Kooples enters a new phase of its history with an owner whose business is not fashion, but the transformation of companies. The brand of the Elicha brothers will need to prove that its rock DNA and recognized name are enough to convince an industrial buyer to bet on the long term.