US' Centric Brands acquires Fownes Brothers cold-weather assets

Fownes Brothers, first established in 1777 as a premier leather glove manufacturer in Worcester, England and family-owned by Tom Gluckman and the Gluckman Family, is a premier importer and distributor of licensed and private label cold-weather accessories with a reputation for craftsmanship, technical expertise, and deep retail partnerships.

As part of the acquisition, Centric Brands will assume key licenses including Ugg, Timberland, and Cole Haan, as well as private label manufacturing agreements with The North Face and lululemon. These additions further enhance Centric Brands’ portfolio and strengthen its leadership in the cold-weather accessories market.

Additionally, Andrew Gluckman will join the Centric Brands team as SVP, Division Head Cold-Weather, overseeing the acquired licenses and supporting the continued growth of the broader cold weather accessories division.

“We are excited to welcome Andrew and the Fownes Brothers legacy into Centric Brands,” said Jason Rabin, Chief Executive Officer at Centric Brands. “Our growth strategy is built upon developing powerful, scalable brands across key categories, and this acquisition meaningfully advances that approach. By integrating the Fownes Brothers business into our accessories platform, we are expanding our capabilities, accelerating scale, and positioning the business for sustained, profitable growth.”

“By integrating these world-class licenses and private label relationships into our portfolio—and with Gluckman’s leadership—we are well-positioned to expand our accessories business and deliver innovative, high-quality products to consumers across all retail channels,” said Jarrod Kahn, Group President, Accessories at Centric Brands. “This acquisition strengthens our ability to drive category leadership, optimize sourcing and production, and deliver differentiated product across multiple retail channels.”

“This marks a new chapter for Fownes Brothers,” said Tom Gluckman, co-founder of Fownes Brothers & Co. “Our family is proud of the legacy we have built in cold-weather accessories, and we are thrilled to bring that expertise and our valued partnerships into Centric Brands.”

This acquisition reflects Centric Brands’ strategy of expanding through strategic partnerships and acquisitions whether owned, licensed through Centric Ventures, building best-in-class offerings across key lifestyle categories.

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (RM)