Direct-to-Consumer / Funding

The two digitally-native brands will sell their products across both sites as the combined company aims to reach $100 million in annual sales in the next three to five years.

The men’s T-shirt maker’s funding from 1686 Partners, a private equity firm founded by David Wertheimer, will help the brand invest in supply chain, retail and international expansion as it aims to reach upwards of $1 billion in annual sales in the next 10 years.

As the year’s M&A wave starts with once-hot legacy labels finding new owners, while buzzy start-ups hold out for higher valuations, BoF breaks down the types of acquisition targets the industry will likely see this year and the stakes for those potential deals.

In 2024, survivors of the e-commerce reckoning used consumer data to make wiser investments and focused on building profitable, desirable brands that offer more than low prices and convenience.

The past year has seen a stream of last-minute rescue deals for once-hot start-ups. Acquirers of formerly distressed brands weigh in on how to improve operations and retain what made them special in the first place.

The DTC bust of the past two years has casted a cloud on the sector, but emerging fashion brands with a better handle on supply, demand and customer retention are seeing profitable growth.

Apparel brands Knot Standard and Billy Reid are teaming up in a move investors say we may see more of as fashion start-ups seek alternative funding routes to grow their businesses.

While the DTC landscape’s turbulence isn’t completely over for brands, the prospect of a better economy in 2024 is encouraging profitable brands that shied away from M&A last year to start preparing for an exit.