Topson Downs Acquires Interest in BleuLab
Apparel company Topson Downs announced May 30 that it acquired a 50 percent interest in BleuLab, a premium-denim line in Los Angeles known for its reversible denim look.
Topson Downs, based in Culver City, Calif., did not disclose the acquisition price.
Founded in 1971, Topson Downs started out as an apparel manufacturer in the heart of Los Angeles but has diversified over the years by transferring its private-label production for Wal-Mart, Target and JCPenney and other mass merchandisers to Asia and acquiring a host of up-and-coming different labels with growth potential.
“My partners and I are extremely excited about our new strategic venture with BleuLab, creators of the original reversible jeans,” said Joe Wirht, one of Topson Downs’ owners. “We will provide the managerial guidance, infrastructure, financing and manufacturing expertise to elevate BleuLab into one of the most desired contemporary premium brands in the market.”
BleuLab was launched by Carl Jones, the company’s creative director, and Cori Cascante, vice president of marketing and sales, in 2010. Their first season was in January 2011.
Jones is an industry veteran and co-founder of the Cross Colours brand, a pioneer in the urban-apparel market. For BleuLab, Jones developed a reversible denim jean with a patent-pending formula. Cascante said the jeans, made in Los Angeles, immediately found a market in all the major retail stores and high-end department stores, including Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.
The jeans, which retail for $175 to $225, are also sold at more than 500 specialty stores and are distributed internationally. They have been worn by celebrities such as Charlize Theron, Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Katy Perry.
Jones said first-year sales were $2 million. They are expected to rise to $5 million to $8 million this year.
Cascante said she and Jones are excited to join Topson Downs because the larger company will help the label grow. “We fell in love with everything about Topson Downs,” Cascante said. “We represent the future with regards to technology. And having a patent pending means we are able to protect our product in the marketplace.”
Topson Downs starting acquiring brands in 2002 with its purchase of the juniorswear label Fire. In 2006, it bought the Southern California men’s skate and lifestyle brand Elwood. A year later it acquired women’s contemporary label Tt. It also owns Tinsel Town, a juniors denim label.—Deborah Belgum
