Smythson is latest luxury British brand snapped up by Oakley Capital

Luxury British lifestyle brand Smythson of Bond Street, which was founded in 1887, has been acquired by pan-European private equity investor, Oakley Capital.

Smythson joins Iconic BrandCo, Oakley’s vehicle for luxury heritage brands. It joins British luggage maker Globe-Trotter, which Oakley acquired in 2020, and British high-end leather goods and apparel brand Connolly, which Oakley took a controlling stake of in 2024.

Smythson will leverage the investment to prioritise global growth, with a specific focus on the US, Japanese and European markets, while continuing to strengthen the UK home market.

The brand will adopt a multi-channel approach to drive growth, expand global distribution, develop international franchise agreements and launch innovative brand activations and collaborations.

Smythson CEO, Paolo Porta, said: “We look forward to working closely with Oakley’s Iconic Brands Group to realise the full potential of Smythson as an exceptional British brand. We will leverage Oakley’s expertise in international expansion and brand positioning, whilst continuing to honour the legacy of this beloved heritage brand.

“All of us at Smythson would like to extend our thanks and admiration to Jacques Bahbout and the Tivoli Group for their leadership and support in recent years, and for enabling us to reinforce Smythson’s foundations. We look forward to continuing our longstanding production partnership with Tivoli Group across our leather business.”

Oakley Capital co-founder & CEO, Peter Dubens, commented: “Heritage brands cannot be created overnight: it can take decades or longer to build a loyal customer base through the application of high quality craftsmanship, product innovation and marketing excellence. We are lucky to be able to welcome Smythson to Oakley.”

Oakley Capital Operating Partner, Vicente Castellano, added: “The addition of Smythson to Oakley Iconic Brands Group marks a real milestone in our ambition to develop a collection of truly unique brands.

“By leveraging our expertise and investment in human talent, ecommerce and internationalisation, we see strong potential to develop our Iconic Brands into global lifestyle businesses.”

Frank Smythson opened his first store on London’s New Bond Street in 1887, and developed the world’s first portable diary in 1908. Every Smythson piece is “crafted to be a companion to a storied life”, from bags and diaries to stationery and homeware.