Republic Brands Group, a New York-based brand management firm, has acquired a new portfolio of fashion brands, including Joie, Equipment and Current/Elliott, to form the Lux Group.
The brands, which will be based in New York, were sold by Los Angeles-based Sunrise Brands, which has owned them since 2021.
Sami Souid, chief executive officer of Republic Brands Group, founded the company three years ago. This acquisition is viewed as a way to reinforce the company’s goal of building a diversified collection of fashion brands with strong cultural relevance, design authority and long-term commercial success. (Republic Brands Group is a different company from Republic Clothing Group.)
“We purchased this portfolio because we believe in the value and recognizable assets of each brand. Joie, Equipment and Current/Elliott each bring an established customer base, proven market demand and a distinctive point of view that complements our groups’s broader vision,” Souid said. He declined to disclose the acquisition cost but they have been valued by a third party at a combined $36 million.
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As part of the integration plan for Joie, Equipment and Current/Elliott, Republic Brands intends to expand the brands into additional categories through licensing to create full lifestyle brands and appoint new C-suite leadership and dedicated creative directors. The strategy is to elevate product design, revitalize the labels’ DNA, sign licensees and seek collaboration opportunities.
Republic Brand Group owns the brand Wilt, has a partnership with Avani Gregg, and does licensing programs for Jason Wu and Christian Siriano.
Prior to being owned by Sunrise Brands, Joie, Current/Elliott and Equipment were owned by The Collected Group, which went bankrupt in 2021. KKR, a lender to the bankrupt company, converted its debt holdings into ownership and sold the labels to Sunrise Brands.
Souid said one of the significant advantages of the deal was that there’s “major brand recognition,” with the three labels. “That’s an awesome place to start. We also did our own little research, and we’ve come to realize that they actually have a loyal following. The customer really loves the product aesthetics,” he said. He acknowledged that every company has its ups and downs, “but we felt like if we could really get behind it and bring it back in a big way, it would be very exciting.”
As a brand management company, Souid believes that these brands can be easily rebuilt. “Their identity is pretty clear. We know exactly what their aesthetics are, and the brand recognition is there.” He said he plans to rebuild them through licensees “from apparel to handbags to footwear to accessories, to even home.” He said Republic Brands Group doesn’t plan to do any of the manufacturing itself.
Republic sees opportunity to grow the three brands by shifting them away from the retail-first model and prioritizing digital DTC growth and wholesale distribution.
Souid said he will be naming new creative directors in the coming weeks. He anticipates to have product in the stores as early as the second quarter of 2026. While he has acquired the brands’ websites, he said they will be completely revamped, along with the collections.
The expansion strategy includes rolling out across major U.S. department stores and key international markets, with the U.S. remaining the largest market, followed by Europe and Asia. In the U.S., target stores will be Nordstrom, Saks, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, along with high-end specialty boutiques across the country. The full introduction under the new group direction will be for fall 2026.
Souid said he feels strongly about eventually having a couple of mono-brand stores, especially for Joie, throughout New York, Los Angeles and maybe Houston. The brands don’t operate freestanding stores any longer.
Souid said they are still considering whether they will bring any of the current employees to the company.
As for the target audience, Souid said Joie is a brand that is aimed at a woman 30 to 50 years old who likes feminine clothing and wants to look chic and sophisticated, whereas Current/Elliott has a cool factor to it, and could be more of a denim brand for women and men from 25 to 45, which can extend. Equipment is a mix of both. “It could be great denim and a cool casual brand, but it can also be dresses and casual apparel,” he said.
He said the average price point for these brands are $195 for a T-shirt up to $995 for a leather jacket or dress.
All three brands have had a long history in the contemporary space under various owners and creative directors. Joie, which was founded in 2001, is known for its casual and accessible luxury style, Equipment was launched in 1976 and was relaunched in 2010 under Serge Azria. It became known for its signature silk shirts. Current/Elliott, which was founded by designers Emily Current and Meritt Elliott in 2009, became popular for its vintage-inspired denim, especially its “Boyfriend Jean.” The original founders exited the brand in 2012.
