NEW YORK – Luxury beauty brand Estee Lauder said in a statement yesterday it had agreed to buy designer Tom Ford’s company for US$2.3 billion.
The deal, which values Ford’s business at US$2.8 billion, will see the fashion superstar remain in his position as creative director until the end of next year, the statement said.
Bringing the brand under the “stewardship” of the Estee Lauder Companies (ELC) “will allow for continuity and the further evolution of the Tom Ford brand as one of the preeminent global luxury brands of the twenty-first century,” ELC said in its statement.
The deal includes the Tom Ford Beauty cosmetics and fragrance collection, with which Estee Lauder already has a licensing agreement until 2030.
“We are incredibly proud of the success Tom Ford Beauty has achieved in luxury fragrance and makeup and its dedication to creating desirable, high-quality products for discerning consumers around the world,” head of Estee Lauder Companies Fabrizio Freda said in the statement.
“This strategic acquisition will unlock new opportunities and fortify our growth plans for Tom Ford Beauty,” he added.
The deal also includes licenses for the brand’s men’s and women’s fashion lines, eyewear label and accessories and underwear divisions, according to the statement.
“I could not be happier with this acquisition as The Estee Lauder Companies is the ideal home for the brand,” 61-year-old Ford said in the statement.
Domenico De Sole, chairman of Tom Ford International, will remain at the company as a consultant until Ford leaves at the end of 2023, the ELC statement said.
Ford, who first launched his brand in 2005, is the current head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
He launched film production company Fade to Black in 2005, and previously worked as creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent in the 1990s and early 2000s. – AFP, November 16, 2022
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