Christian Lacroix, the label, has been acquired

“It’s Lacroix, sweetie!”

Those three little words, made famous by fashion-mad Edina Monsoon on the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, are ones you may soon start hearing again.

That’s because the Spanish company Sociedad Textil Lonia, or STL, has reached an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of Christian Lacroix, the French fashion house synonymous with 1980s exuberance, in what the company is describing as “a private transaction”. The Christian Lacroix brand had been previously owned by the Falic Group, also owners of US retail group Duty Free Americas. Details of the deal were not shared.

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Asked about the acquisition, in a company statement, STL pointed to “a strong connection between our creation philosophy and craft”. At STL “we admired the vision, the magic and the craftsmanship of Maison Lacroix, so when the opportunity arose we eagerly embraced it. We will do everything we can to ensure that the unique talent of its creator and his invaluable contribution to the fashion world reach their full potential”.

Lacroix himself, who at 73 now designs costumes for the opera, has given the sale his blessing. “The Spanish family that owns STL had the elegance to contact me ahead of the official announcement about the acquisition of the Christian Lacroix name and archives. We will probably meet soon in an informal way,” the designer told Vogue Business.

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Lacroix made his name at Patou, the Paris maison founded by Jean Patou in 1912, famous for its Joy perfume. In 1987, with investment from LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault, he set out on his own, crafting the go-go look of the era so definitively with his pouf skirts, embroidered jackets and colourful ballgowns, that he landed on the cover of Time in 1988. But fashions changed as the ’80s became the ’90s and the noughties. In 2005, LVMH sold the Lacroix label to Falic, and four years later the company went through a restructuring to enhance its operational efficiency and ensure long-term stability.

Lacroix took his last runway bow at his autumn 2009 couture show, but enthusiasm for the designer’s creations has only grown. In 2019, Dries Van Noten invited Lacroix to collaborate on a spring 2020 collection, a “fantastical bromance”, as Vogue’s Sarah Mower called it, that produced a joyful collection of animal and floral prints, leg o’ mutton sleeves, beaded matador jackets and flounced ball skirts. (Lacroix also designed a one-off couture collection for the house of Schiaparelli in 2013, after Diego Della Valle bought the heritage brand.) More recently, hard-to-source rare archival Lacroix has become the thing to be seen in on the red carpet, where celebrities and their stylists vie for the attention and insider fashion cred that a one-of-a-kind vintage creation of his can deliver: Model Adut Akech in emerald green and turquoise from his autumn 2003 couture collection at the 2022 Met Gala, Brie Larson in a strapless number punctuated by a black silk bow, circa autumn 2004, at the Producers Guild Awards, and, most spectacularly, Rihanna in autumn 2002 couture faux fur chapeau and matching mini dress at the 2024 Fashion Awards.

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STL’s portfolio currently includes Purificación García and CH Carolina Herrera. The former was acquired in 1998, shortly after STL’s founding. In 2000, STL entered a long-term licensing agreement with CH Carolina Herrera to support the brand’s growth and expansion through a network of stores worldwide — it has 486 single brand-owned stores and another hundred under strategic partnerships in the Middle East and Latin America.

Asked about how the deal impacts the Lacroix brand, and plans to expand it, STL said: “As we continue to integrate and assess this exciting addition to our portfolio, we are taking quality time to ensure everything is carefully done. At this stage, we do not have additional details to share.” That includes whether or not a creative director will be named, and, if so, when. Edina Monsoon, and Lacroix’s many other fans, will be waiting, darlings.