Orlebar Brown explores £50m sale option

Men’s luxury swimwear brand Orlebar Brown has appointed advisers to seek investment options for the business including a potential £50m sale.

According to The Telegraph the business, which was founded 10 years ago by former photographer Adam Brown, has appointed Cavendish Corporate Finance to oversee proceedings and it is expected to attract interest from private equity houses.

Brown founded the brand as he wanted to find tailored shorts to swim in and the signature product, which ranges in price from £95 to £395, went on to garner a celebrity fan base including former Prime Minister David Cameron.

The range has since expanded to include ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories and a boys’ line and turnover is expected to reach around £23m this year with about half of its sales coming from outside the UK.

In the UK, the brand has stores in Mayfair, Notting Hill, the City, Wimbledon, Chelsea and Canary Wharf as well as a pop-up outlet at Bicester Village. It has also has own brand stores in a number of global markets including the US, France, Turkey, Australia and Kuwait and is sold by a number of wholesale partners and on its website.