Luxurious British way of life model Smythson of Bond Avenue, which was based in 1887, has been acquired by pan-European non-public fairness investor, Oakley Capital.
Smythson joins Iconic BrandCo, Oakley’s car for luxurious heritage manufacturers. It joins British baggage maker Globe-Trotter, which Oakley acquired in 2020, and British high-end leather-based items and attire model Connolly, which Oakley took a controlling stake of in 2024.
Smythson will leverage the funding to prioritise international progress, with a particular deal with the US, Japanese and European markets, whereas persevering with to strengthen the UK house market.
The model will undertake a multi-channel method to drive progress, broaden international distribution, develop worldwide franchise agreements and launch modern model activations and collaborations.
Smythson CEO, Paolo Porta, mentioned: “We sit up for working carefully with Oakley’s Iconic Manufacturers Group to understand the complete potential of Smythson as an distinctive British model. We’ll leverage Oakley’s experience in worldwide enlargement and model positioning, while persevering with to honour the legacy of this beloved heritage model.
“All of us at Smythson wish to lengthen our thanks and admiration to Jacques Bahbout and the Tivoli Group for his or her management and assist lately, and for enabling us to bolster Smythson’s foundations. We sit up for persevering with our longstanding manufacturing partnership with Tivoli Group throughout our leather-based enterprise.”
Oakley Capital co-founder & CEO, Peter Dubens, commented: “Heritage manufacturers can’t be created in a single day: it will probably take a long time or longer to construct a loyal buyer base by means of the applying of top of the range craftsmanship, product innovation and advertising excellence. We’re fortunate to have the ability to welcome Smythson to Oakley.”
Oakley Capital Working Associate, Vicente Castellano, added: “The addition of Smythson to Oakley Iconic Manufacturers Group marks an actual milestone in our ambition to develop a group of really distinctive manufacturers.
“By leveraging our experience and funding in human expertise, ecommerce and internationalisation, we see robust potential to develop our Iconic Manufacturers into international way of life companies.”
Frank Smythson opened his first retailer on London’s New Bond Avenue in 1887, and developed the world’s first moveable diary in 1908. Each Smythson piece is “crafted to be a companion to a storied life”, from baggage and diaries to stationery and homeware.
