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YMC returns to independent roots as co-founder buys back brand and announces expansion plans

Tom Bottomley
18 December 2024

YMC co-founder and CEO Jimmy Collins has bought back the brand from French Connection, which acquired a majority stake and invested in the label in 2004 after it fell into financial difficulty, returning it to its independent roots and moving in a new direction for the fashion brand.

French Connection founder Stephen Marks is a family friend of Collins and the fashion brand has thrived since that time.

YMC, or You Must Create as it was when it was founded in 1995 by Collins and maverick designer Fraser Moss – who sadly passed away in May last year – is now set for a new direction.

It has been reported that YMC will now move to a more minimal and genderless aesthetic, with prices increasing by approximately 15%.

In the summer, Sage Toda-Nation was brought into the brand to fill the Creative Director role previously held by Moss.

Collins has been working closely with him on new designs – drawing from YMC’s original mid-90s archive, which was very much Moss’s design vision – ahead of a full new collection launch for SS25.

Speaking to WWD, Collins said that Toda-Nation had "brought fresh eyes to the business" but they had "both aligned on celebrating the original ethos of YMC."

He also said that going forward it will be all about "returning to that spirit of creativity, with new designs as well as archive styles updated for 2025."

YMC will also continue its collaborations with other "like-minded brands". For 2025, that will include collections with cult footwear brand George Cox, British quilted jacket specialist Lavenham, and edgy London spectacle maker Cubitts.

There will also be an intriguing new partnership with footwear brand Merrell, and 2025 will see the launch of a new collection with heritage British footwear company, Grenson.

Collins also said that YMC is planning to expand its physical stores in key markets while also increasing the online business to around 70% of total revenue.

The UK, the US and South Korea are currently the brand’s largest markets, though there are plans for new shop-in-shops and pop-ups in Japan and the EU.

YMC currently operates two UK stores at 11 Poland Street in London’s Soho and 23 Hanbury Street in east London.


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