Isabel Marant sells majority stake to Montefiore Investment

Investment fund Montefiore Investment has acquired a 51% stake in French premium womenswear brand Isabel Marant and will look to expand it into other categories including fragrance and, potentially, menswear.

Henri Topiol, a principal at the investment fund, told WWD that the plan was to invest in the brand's online and bricks and mortar businesses and explore other categories. "Isabel Marant today is focused on ready-to-wear and shoes, and we believe that a brand of this stature could have an accessories range in the first stage and then maybe develop new categories – such as perfume or eyewear, or possibly menswear at some point," he said.

Designer Isabel Marant along with Nathalie Chemouny and Sophie Duruflé, the original partners, have retained a 49% stake in the business, which includes the Isabel Marant mainline and the Isabel Marant Etoile diffusion line.

Founded in 1994, Isabel Marant has gone on to be a highly successful contemporary brand and gained worldwide acclaim for key items such as its wedge-heeled sneakers. It is sold in some of the world's most prestigious multi-brand retailers and etailers such as Matchesfashion.com, Net-A-Porter, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, as well as via its own stores.

In May of this year Isabel Marant revealed it had done a deal with Yoox Net-A-Porter to handle its e-commerce site, which will be relaunched next year.