G-III to Acquire Donna Karan

Apparel licensee to grow its portfolio with the purchase of two top fashion brands.

G-III Apparel Group will buy Donna Karan International, the parent company of the Donna Karan and DKNY brands, from LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton for $650 million.

The transaction, which is subject to customary adjustments at closing, is expected to close in late 2016 or early 2017.

“Donna Karan International is an iconic global fashion company. Its lifestyle aesthetic resonates well with consumers throughout the world. We are excited to build upon its strong foundation as we seek to capitalize on a significant market opportunity,” says Morris Goldfarb, chairman, chief executive officer and president, G-III. “Donna Karan brings increased scale and diversification, while providing incremental growth on top of our portfolio of some of the best fashion brands in the world. We believe we are well positioned to create and sustain additional value for our shareholders, partners, and customers.”

G-III will not update its financial guidance to reflect the acquisition until it has closed. However, the company preliminarily expects the acquisition will be dilutive in the fiscal year ending January 31, 2018, and accretive afterward. 

“Donna Karan International has a deep heritage, global recognition, and renewed energy. We believe the DKNY brand has a dynamic position in the market, and when G-III approached us about acquiring the brand, we concluded that the time was right and that G-III was the right steward going forward,” says Toni Belloni, group managing director, LVMH. “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with G-III, a company that has the expertise and capabilities to broaden the brand’s distribution and take it to its next level of success. We are grateful to chief executive officer Caroline Brown, creative directors Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow, and the entire management and design teams for the strategic actions that created a platform to support DKNY’s continued growth.”