The Bally brand acquired by American Regent

On 15 August, the Swiss fashion and accessories brand Bally, based in Caslano in the canton of Ticino, was sold for an undisclosed amount to the American investment company Regent, whose portfolio includes Club Monaco, Escada and La Senza. The German holding company JAB, which has owned the brand since 2008, had already tried to sell the brand to the Chinese conglomerate Shandong Rui, but the deal fell through. Now it is selling Bally, with its 173-year history of uninterrupted design, to the American Regent. It should be noted that at the end of April 2024, JAB, the financial company that manages the assets of the German Reimann family, acquired, through its subsidiary Cottage Holdco BV, shares in the cosmetics group Coty for 1.75 billion dollars, thus becoming the main shareholder.

‘Bally is one of the world's leading luxury brands,’ said Michael Reinstein, founder and chairman of Regent. ‘Its heritage, built on more than 170 years of timeless design and unparalleled quality, is a testament to refined Swiss elegance and an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship. We are honoured to be entrusted with shaping the next chapter of this remarkable story.’

Joachim Creus, Managing Partner, Vice Chairman and CEO of JAB, added: ‘Since our first investment in Bally, the brand has undergone significant operational and creative evolution.’

Bally has seen a succession of creative heads, reflecting a difficulty in finding the right strategy to make the brand more contemporary and desirable. Rhuigi Villaseñor joined the company in 2022, before leaving in May 2023. At the same time, Nicolas Girotto, CEO of Bally, appointed Simone Bellotti as Design Director. The designer spent 16 years at Gucci under the direction of Frida Giannini and Alessandro Michele before joining the Bally design team.

It now remains to be seen whether the impetus of new owner Regent will give the brand the means to really find new momentum. Its business sector is vast. Regent is an international investment company that focuses on acquiring businesses in a variety of sectors, including retail, luxury, media, technology, automotive and manufacturing.