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Brooks Brothers Buys NYC-based jewellery firm Alexis Bittar

By Angela Gonzalez-Rodriguez

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Management

Brooks Brothers Group Inc., has announced Friday the acquisition of Alexis Bittar, the Brooklyn, N.Y.–based jewellery brand, through its subsidiary Carolee. Jill Maier, president of Carolee, will oversee the brand.

“We are truly proud to add Alexis Bittar jewelry to our brand portfolio,” Jill Maier told in an interview with ‘WWD’. “Its creativity, independent design, exceptional quality and craftsmanship complement our brand offering and enable us to strategically evolve our business model.”

Maier, currently at the helm of Carolee, - bought by Brooks Brothers in 2001 and which develops and markets licensed jewelry for Lauren by Ralph Lauren, ABS by Allen Schwartz, Trina Turk, and Brooks Brothers - will oversee the brand.

Jill Maier, president of Carolee, will oversee the brand under Brooks Borthers’ ownership

The terms of the deal remain undisclosed although Matteo Del Vecchio, chief administrative officer for Brooks Brothers, told ‘WWD’ that the company has no immediate plans to add Alexis Bittar jewellery to Brooks Brothers stores.

“Our strategy is to maintain a fully owned but independent jewelry division, housing both owned [Carolee, Alexis Bittar] and licensed brands,” he said. “[Putting the jewelry in stores] was not the reason for the acquisition or part of our current strategy, but something which could be potentially explored in the future.”

The acquired firm was formerly owned by Alexis Bittar and the investment firm TSG Consumer Partners, which took a 50 percent investment stake in the brand in 2012.

Women’s merchandise represents about 20 percent of Brooks Brother’s 1.2 billion dollars in annual sales, a figure that has remained constant for several years although the New York City-based retailer has been trying to boost that, reports the ‘New York Business Journal’.

Image: Brooks Brothers Web

Alexis Bittar
Brooks Brothers Group