Public Clothing Co. has acquired the Mansur Gavriel accessories brand and its assets.
Founded in 2013 by Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel, Mansur Gavriel is known for its elevated products with a focus on material, technique and shape. The brand, which currently makes handbags, footwear and small leather goods, launched with the now-emblematic bucket and tote bags and quickly captured global attention, earning two CFDA awards (including Swarovski Award for Accessory Design, 2015, and Accessories Designer of the Year, 2016) within its first three years. The brand’s distinctive designs, which feature minimalistic, clean, architectural shapes, have had a loyal following.
“Rachel and Floriana built something rare: a clear design identity and customers who genuinely love it,” said Dan Shamdasani, founder and chief executive officer of Public Clothing Co. “We’re here to invest in the brand and help it grow. Spring 2027 is underway and we’ll share more about what’s next in the coming weeks.”
Shamdasani, who said the deal closed Tuesday, declined to reveal how much he paid for the entire brand.
In June 2019, GF Capital Management and Advisors acquired a majority stake in Mansur Gavriel, and Mansur and Gavriel, cofounders and co-creative directors, retained a minority interest. At that time, the brand brought in Isabelle Fevrier as CEO, who was succeeded in 2023 by current CEO Maria Borromeo. Part of Borromeo’s mandate was to tighten the product assortment, boost the company’s profitability and return it back to its foundational values and DNA. Neither Mansur nor Gavriel could be reached for comment.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Shamdasani. “We’ve been looking at it for awhile, and we find that it’s one of the defining accessory brands of the last decade. What Rachel and Floriana have done is built something really rare. I mean they found a clear design identity. They have customers who genuinely love it and the one thing that really attracted us to it was a large part of the business is direct-to-consumer.”
The brand has had its own freestanding stores in the past, but doesn’t have any of its own stores now. Asked if the business had fallen on hard times, he said, “I wouldn’t say hard times. I mean, as business ebbs and flows, we found an opportunity for us.”
When asked whether Mansur and Gavriel will stay with the brand, Shamdasani said, “Things have been moving really fast. We are in talks with them. More to come,” he said.
Shamdasani said he didn’t invest in the business, but is buying it outright. “They were owned by private equity. The plan is to really take over and invest in it,” he said. He said the spring line is being designed by the team and Mansur and Gavriel. Going forward, the co-creative directors’ involvement is still in discussions. “I would assume the founders would love to be part of the brand. We haven’t had a chance to really sit down and talk about it,” he said.
Borromeo said, “I’ve worked very closely with Dan and the PCC team throughout the transition and am excited about this next chapter. PCC clearly values the unique heritage of Mansur Gavriel and understands the brand’s potential. I’m very confident in what the brand can achieve with their support.”
The brand is available at mansurgavriel.com and through select retailers such as Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom. Shamdasani said a large part of the business, over 65 percent, is direct-to-consumer through its own website. The website is very successful internationally as well, he said.
“It’s rare to find a brand with a clear message and that happens over time with a lot of work. The brand’s got a clear identity, clear message, beautiful product and what we really want is to leverage is the clear identity and the clear message,” he said.
Shamdasani said they are looking into setting up a showroom. He said he is working with the current CEO, Borromeo, “and we’re figuring out how to take it forward.” Asked if she would be coming along with the deal, Shamdasani said it hasn’t been decided yet. “We’re working very closely together,” he said. “We have a very strong logistical back office,” he said.
He said the handbags will continue to be made in Italy, and the footwear in Italy and Portugal.
In addition to Mansur Gavriel, Public Clothing Co.’s portfolio includes Derek Lam Collection, designed by Robert Rodriguez.
Mansur studied textiles at the Rhode Island School of Design, while Gavriel studied fashion design and photography at the University of the Arts Bremen in Germany. The two met in Los Angeles in 2010 as complete strangers at a concert. They connected easily and met up the next day. They gradually started a collaboration with Mansur being in L.A. and Gavriel in Berlin. They began focusing on Mansur Gavriel full time in 2012, and launched in the stores in the summer of 2013.