L Catterton Adds Japanese Brand Kapital To Its Brand Portfolio

Kapital has joined the list of companies majority-owned by private equity firm L Catterton, supported by LVMH. Although neither company has yet made an official statement on the acquisition, Kapital is listed in the “Majority” section of L Catterton's website, dated 2024. This acquisition comes shortly after the death of its founder, Toshikiyo Hirata, last April.

The men's label, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, is renowned among fashion enthusiasts for its Japanese Boro denim, patchworks and American-inspired collections. Although its distribution is highly selective and limited to Japan, it has won over a global audience, thanks in particular to celebrities such as Travis Scott and A$AP Rocky, who have helped boost the brand's reputation. In 2013, Kim Jones collaborated with Kapital for Louis Vuitton's spring/summer collection, for which he was artistic director at the time.

Investment giant L Catterton is behind some of the world's largest fashion transactions. Founded by LVMH and the Arnault family in 1989, the fund pursues a portfolio diversification strategy covering the consumer sector, and manages around $35 billion in capital. The company has made over 275 investments.

Among its notable investments in fashion and luxury goods are the Italian luxury house Etro, Baccarat, the SMCP group, the French brand APC and the footwear brand Birkenstock, which it floated on the stock market in 2023. Last April, L Catterton also acquired the Italian cosmetics brand Kiko, valued at around €10 billion at the time of its IPO.