Centric Brands welcomes the co-founders to continue brand heritage and legacy
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#centricbrands–Centric Brands, a leading lifestyle brand collective, announced today that it has acquired select assets of Fownes Brothers & Co., Inc. (“Fownes Brothers”), including operations, assets, and intellectual property pertaining to the design, development, sourcing, production, sales, and distribution of existing product lines in the cold-weather accessories category.
Fownes Brothers, first established in 1777 as a premier leather glove manufacturer in Worcester, England and family-owned by Tom Gluckman and the Gluckman Family, is a premier importer and distributor of licensed and private label cold-weather accessories with a reputation for craftsmanship, technical expertise, and deep retail partnerships.
As part of the acquisition, Centric Brands will assume key licenses including Ugg®, Timberland®, and Cole Haan®, as well as private label manufacturing agreements with The North Face® and lululemon®. These additions further enhance Centric Brands’ portfolio and strengthen its leadership in the cold-weather accessories market.
Additionally, Andrew Gluckman will join the Centric Brands team as SVP, Division Head Cold-Weather, overseeing the acquired licenses and supporting the continued growth of the broader cold weather accessories division.
“We are excited to welcome Andrew and the Fownes Brothers legacy into Centric Brands,” said Jason Rabin, Chief Executive Officer at Centric Brands. “Our growth strategy is built upon developing powerful, scalable brands across key categories, and this acquisition meaningfully advances that approach. By integrating the Fownes Brothers business into our accessories platform, we are expanding our capabilities, accelerating scale, and positioning the business for sustained, profitable growth.”
“By integrating these world-class licenses and private label relationships into our portfolio—and with Gluckman’s leadership—we are well-positioned to expand our accessories business and deliver innovative, high-quality products to consumers across all retail channels,” said Jarrod Kahn, Group President, Accessories at Centric Brands. “This acquisition strengthens our ability to drive category leadership, optimize sourcing and production, and deliver differentiated product across multiple retail channels.”
“This marks a new chapter for Fownes Brothers,” said Tom Gluckman, co-founder of Fownes Brothers & Co. “Our family is proud of the legacy we have built in cold-weather accessories, and we are thrilled to bring that expertise and our valued partnerships into Centric Brands.”
This acquisition reflects Centric Brands’ strategy of expanding through strategic partnerships and acquisitions whether owned, licensed through Centric Ventures, building best-in-class offerings across key lifestyle categories.
About Centric Brands LLC.
Centric Brands LLC is a global leading lifestyle brand collective that has unparalleled expertise in product design, development and sourcing, retail and digital commerce, marketing, and brand building. Centric designs, sources, markets, and sells high-quality products in the kids, men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, beauty, and entertainment categories. The Company’s portfolio includes licenses for more than 100 iconic brands, including Calvin Klein®, Tommy Hilfiger®, Nautica®, and Under Armour® in the kid’s category; Buffalo®, Hervé Léger®, Joe’s Jeans® and Off-White® in the men’s and women’s apparel category; All Saints®, Coach®, Frye®, Hunter®, Kate Spade®, Michael Kors®, and Vince® in the accessories category; and in the Sports & Entertainment category, Disney®, Game 7®, Marvel®, Messi®, Nickelodeon®, and Warner Brothers® among many others. The Company also owns and operates Avirex®, Fiorelli®, Hudson®, Robert Graham®, and Taste Beauty® and operates joint venture brands, Favorite Daughter, Jennifer Fisher, and John Elliot. The Company’s products are sold through leading mass-market retailers, specialty and department stores, and online. The Company is headquartered in New York City, with U.S. offices in Los Angeles and Greensboro, and international offices in Asia, Europe, Holland, Montreal, Milan, and Toronto. Centric Brands social impact efforts are centered around our commitment to serve and uplift the communities where we live and do business. Through our collective volunteerism and contributions, we are dedicated to making a caring and lasting impact on the world around us.
For more information about Centric Brands, please visit www.centricbrands.com.
About Fownes Brothers & Co., Inc.
Founded in 1777 and family-owned by Tom and Andrew Gluckman, Fownes Brothers & Co., Inc. is a global leader in licensed and private label cold-weather accessories. Its legacy includes decades-long partnerships with leading global brands and retailers. Through this acquisition, Centric Brands assumes the Fownes portfolio of licenses with Ugg®, Timberland®, and Cole Haan®, along with private label manufacturing agreements for The North Face® and Lululemon®.
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