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July 07, 2020
The rise and fall of Lucky Brand, the once-beloved mall brand and staple for trendy denim and bohemian chic fashion
Lucky Brand just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but in the 1990s and early aughts, the mall brand thrived as a go-to destination for stylish denim and bohemian chic looks.
Started in 1990 in Los Angeles by Barry Perlman and Gene Montesano, Lucky Brand was founded with the aim to sell "great-fitting, vintage-inspired jeans," according to the company. The duo looked to a wide range of influences to craft its unique denim looks in a variety of washes and with rips, tears, and hardware that set it apart from its competitors.
"Our jeans are made for the free-thinker, the artist, the dreamer; they're made to dance, work, run, jump, play and rock 'n' roll (just like you)," Lucky Brand states on its website. "Our inspiration doesn't just come from the rugged workwear of denim pioneers, but from the free spirit and laid-back lifestyle of our Southern California roots."
Though the company took off through the first decade of the new millennium, it struggled to evolve its style to keep up with fickle consumer demand and struggled through the Great Recession. Executive leadership changes also marred the brand as it fought an uphill battle to revitalize and resonate with shoppers amid the ongoing retail apocalypse.
Now, the brand is the latest to feel the strain of the coronavirus, and in turn, announced it will immediately close 13 stores as part of its bankruptcy filing. As the company prepares to finalize its expected sale to SPARC Group — the owner of brands like Nautica and Aeropostale — we took a closer look at the denim darling's rise and fall over the years.
Lucky Brand was founded in 1990 in Los Angeles by Barry Perlman and Gene Montesano.
Lucky Brand founders
Barry Perlman (left) and Gene Montesano (right) at a Lucky Brand event in 2006. Patrick McMullan/Getty Images
The duo's aim was to become a go-to denim destination for "great-fitting, vintage-inspired jeans."
Lucky Brand denim
A Lucky Brand store in Beverly Hills. Lester Cohen/WireImage/Getty Images
To distinguish itself from other popular denim brands, Lucky Brand added embellishments like rips, tears, and hardware to give their jeans a bit more flare.
Lucky Brand Beverly Hills
Lester Cohen/WireImage/Getty Images
"We gave them their distinctively Lucky look by literally putting them through the wringer — ripping, fraying, sanding, patching and washing by hand — to give them true character and soul," the Lucky website states. "Then, we added authentic hardware, personalized touches and playful details, and an American legend was born."
Lucky Brand belts
Angela Weiss/WireImage/Getty Images
Over the next decade, Lucky Brand's star grew, and by the early aughts it was a staple of the American mall.
Lucky Brand store
Josh Brasted/Getty Images
NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 03: Lucky Brand is decorated for Christmas on December 3, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Josh Brasted/Getty Images)
It helped that Lucky had loads of celebrity fans like Vanessa Hudgens and Rashida Jones, who were often spotted at company parties.
Lucky Brand celebs
Lester Cohen/WireImage/Getty Images
Lucky Brand was also featured at high-profile events, like a charity auction held by "Harry Potter" actor Daniel Radcliffe, who sold off the pair of denim he wore in his Broadway debut of "Equus."
Lucky Brand Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe selling his Lucky pants at a charity auction in 2008. Charles Sykes/AP Photo
During this time, Lucky Brand jeans and graphic tees regularly appeared in fashion campaigns and advertisements, like this back-to-school photoshoot in 2006.
Lucky Brand Back to School
Glenn Asakawa/The Denver Post via Getty Images
The brand also got a boost from the involvement of fashion and media personality Tim Gunn, who formerly served as chief creative officer of Liz Claiborne, a sister brand of Lucky.
Lucky Brand Tim Gunn
Stefanie Keenan/WireImage
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - SEPTEMBER 21: Tim Gunn attends Lucky Brand New Movement In Denim With Tim Gunn on September 21, 2011 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/WireImage)
Gunn participated in a variety of fashion competitions and events for Lucky, during a period that coincided with his stint as a judge on the popular reality show, "Project Runway."
Lucky Brand Tim Gunn 2
John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
BURLINGTON, MA - MARCH 17: Tim Gunn, Chief Creative Officer of Liz Claiborne, which owns Lucky Brand Jeans, made a visit to the Burlington Mall where he was greeted by hundreds of loyal fans. He stands with models wearing Lucky clothes. Some waited for hours to have their photos taken with him after they qualified by purchasing $100 or more of Lucky Brand Jeans at the Burlington Mall Store. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
However, as the decade came to a close, the brand started to lose its luster and fall out of favor with customers.
Lucky Brand
Getty/Jeff Greenberg
In response, Lucky Brand looked to diversify its business model by opening outlet stores and selling to off-price stores and department stores.
Lucky Brand Outlet
Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
The entrance to Lucky Brand Jeans Outlet Store at the Outlets in Saint Augustine in Florida. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Still seeking revitalization, Perlman and Montesano enlisted the help of Gap and Williams & Sonoma veteran David DeMattei, who joined Lucky Brand as CEO in January 2010.
Lucky Brand boxes
Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Lucky Brand
DeMattei started by revamping window and in-store displays, which he felt had previously been "hard to shop."
Lucky Brand Jeans
Lisa G./Yelp
"It's disciplined merchandising," DeMattei told Women's Wear Daily in 2010. "You have to be strong, efficient and more focused."
Source: WWD
He also focused on reducing early aughts style staples like graphic T-shirts and instead on bolstering Lucky's women's fashion.
Lucky Brand style
David Becker/Getty Images
Source: WWD
DeMattei even shifted some denim manufacturing overseas despite Lucky Brand's tradition of being an American-made company.
Lucky Brand
D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Vogue/Lucky Brand
Source: WWD
Lucky Brand would later return denim production stateside in 2013 after the company's parent company — then called Fifth & Pacific, formerly Liz Claiborne — sold for $225 million to the private equity firm, Leonard Green & Partners.
Lucky Brand storefront
Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Still, in the following years, Lucky found itself plagued with sluggish sales like many of its fellow mall brand peers thanks to The Great Recession and later, the rise of e-commerce which threatened the place of the American mall.
Lucky Brand sale
Paul Sakuma/AP Photo
Lucky Brand found itself floundering even further in 2020 with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, which let to shuttered stores and plummeting sales.
Lucky Brand fashion week
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
On July 3, Lucky Brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced it will immediately close 13 stores.
Lucky Brand sign
Carrie Shaltz/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
The company plans to sell its remaining assets to SPARC Group — the owner of brands like Nautica and Aeropostale — as part of a "stalking horse asset purchase agreement," according to the firm.
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