The Donald Pliner Brand Has Another New Owner
The Donald Pliner brand has another new owner.
Private equity firm Castanea Partners has sold DJP Holdings LLC to Studio H 33. Inc. The latter is helmed by John Hanna, a longtime shoe exec, who joins the Donald Pliner team as CEO.
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“I have followed the Donald Pliner brand for decades, and I believe in the power of its heritage and the craftsmanship of the footwear,” Hanna said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to lead the dedicated Pliner team into the future of luxury design for the brand.”
Hanna was most recently CEO of Private Collections Co., where he managed the company’s global fashion and lifestyle operations. He was formerly CEO of Charles David of California and The Fashion House in Los Angeles.
The announcement coincides with the men’s and women’s brand’s 30th anniversary. (The deal took place at the end of last year but was disclosed today.)
In 2011, founder and designer Donald J. Pliner sold a majority stake in his namesake brand to Castanea Partners, which backed DJP Holdings. As part of the sale, all trademarks and other intellectual property associated with the brand were transferred to Castanea.
Although he had stayed on as creative director, the designer departed the company in 2015 due to creative differences. Pliner then launched two new shoe collections unaffiliated with the brand, which led to a breach-of-contract and trademark infringement suit filed in August 2016 by DJP Holdings.
The dispute was settled five months later, with the Pliners (including the designer’s wife, Lisa) ultimately agreeing not to use their own names or likenesses in connection with the sale, production or marketing of any fashion or lifestyle goods.
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