Rowing Blazers acquired by Burch Creative Capital
New York preppy fashion brand Rowing Blazers has been acquired by Burch Creative Capital (BCC), the investment firm founded by Chris Burch, though the brand’s founder, Jack Carlson, will remain as Creative Director.
Rowing Blazers has also appointed Grant Simm as CFO, after three years serving in the same role at Aimé Leon Dore, where he oversaw the fashion brand’s "explosive growth".
The acquisition by Burch Creative Capital will allow Rowing Blazers to hire in other key positions, develop its womenswear line, expand distribution, and grow its retail footprint.
The announcement comes after a milestone year for the brand during which it launched collaborations with Gucci and Target.
For the acquisition, Chris Burch has partnered with Tom Vellios, Co-founder of Five Below, and Jason Epstein, partner at Stonecourt Capital.
"Jack (Carlson) has created an extraordinary brand that is reminiscent of my first apparel business, Eagle’s Eye. With our expertise and a team of amazing humans, I am certain we can turn this into a global brand," Burch said.
"It gives me great joy to partner with Jason Epstein and Tom Vellios on this acquisition. They are two extraordinary entrepreneurs, deal makers and brand creators."
Carlson, a designer, archaeologist, former member of the US rowing team, and long-time friend of Burch, launched Rowing Blazers in 2017 with Co-founder David Rosenzweig, who also remains with the brand as Director of Strategy.
Since the beginning, Rowing Blazers has developed a reputation for its colourful take on the preppy look, along with its long list of celebrity fans and limited-edition collaborations with the likes of Barbour, Umbro, Fila, Noah and Tag Heuer.
"I am very excited to be partnering with BCC, and excited for a new chapter in the Rowing Blazers story. This partnership will allow us to do things we couldn’t do previously; it will also allow us to reach new people, and to provide better service and even better products to our existing community," said Carlson.
"I’m especially excited about developing women’s. The demand is there, and I’ve seen how successful we’ve been with our women’s ‘sheep sweater’ and our women’s collection for Target."
