Lingerie Brand Chantal Thomass Changes Hands
PARIS – Lingerie brand Chantal Thomass has a new owner. French businessman Thierry Le Guénic, who has spent the past couple of years amassing a selection of storied French brands, several of which had fallen on hard times, has purchased Chantal Thomass from Groupe Chantelle for an undisclosed sum.
“Chantal Thomass joins our lingerie, swimwear and activewear ecosystem, with Maison Lejaby, Elixir, Rasurel, and Orcanta,” Le Guénic, who was not immediately available for comment, wrote on LinkedIn. “We are proud to have the opportunity to invest in this iconic French brand.”
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A former chief executive officer of Vanessa Bruno and Francesco Smalto, Le Guénic has already bought out high-end multibrand lingerie retailer Orcanta from Groupe Chantelle last October.
Other recent acquisitions, largely co-investments with fellow entrepreneur Stéphane Collaert, include high-end fashion label Paule Ka, bought early last year for around 1.1 million euros, apparel brands Burton of London and Chevignon, and footwear label Cosmoparis.
Chantal Thomass’ eponymous lingerie brand was bought by Groupe Chantelle in 2011. Before that, it had been owned by another French lingerie maker, Dim, since 1998.
The designer herself parted ways with the label, created in 1975 and known for its irreverent yet saucy boudoir repertoire, in 2018, and the French group sought to take it in a new direction. “The idea is not to completely reinvent the brand but to work towards making it a bit more arty, yet still fashion-focused,” Groupe Chantelle creative director Renaud Cambuzat told WWD at the time.
Brands currently in the Groupe Chantelle stable include Chantelle, Passionata, Femilet and Darjeeling.
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