Dive Brief:
- Authentic Brands Group announced its partnership Thursday with BBC International for DC Shoes, according to a news release.
- Through the agreement, BBC will be responsible for the global design, wholesale distribution and sourcing for footwear and snowboard boots in the U.S. and Canada, the release stated.
- DC is part of the Boardriders portfolio, which also includes Billabong, Quiksilver and Roxy. Authentic closed its acquisition in September, and though financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, an Authentic spokesperson told Fashion Dive at the time that the portfolio generates about $2.9 billion in revenue each year.
Dive Insight:
Authentic has previously announced other licensing deals for Boardriders brands. In November, Centric Brands took over the design, manufacturing and distribution of kids’ apparel for Quiksilver, Billabong and Roxy in the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, Authentic announced in September that it had partnered with Liberated Brands, of which it is a minority owner, to handle U.S. and Canada retail and e-commerce operations for the entire Boardriders portfolio.
Some of BBC’s other licensed brands include Polo Ralph Lauren, Champion and Michael Kors.
In the release on the BBC deal, Authentic said BBC shared its vision of expanding the global footprint of the skate shoe brand.
“With DC Shoes, we see an opportunity to tap into a new audience, introduce new innovations and uphold the brand's strong DNA and heritage,” Seth Campbell, corporate president at BBC, said in the release.
DC Shoes, which Authentic said was “rooted in the early aughts of skate culture,” and that the brand is looking to “inspire the next generation of skateboarders, snowboarders and cultural influencers,” according to the release.
Skate and skate-inspired shoes were highly sought after this winter, according to a December report from footwear marketplace StockX. The report said the increased demand represented “yet another Y2K trend having a resurgence, and it’s happening across multiple brands and silhouettes,” including the Adidas Campus 00s sneakers.
Other traditional skate shoes tell a different story, however. Vans experienced a 21% drop in sales in its most recent quarter, and its holding company VF Corp. announced it was launching a turnaround for the brand, which included naming a new president for the segment.
Authentic, a company known to buy struggling businesses, had a busy 2023. In addition to Boardriders, it also acquired the intellectual property of the Vince brand and Hunter Boots. Its portfolio includes more than 50 lifestyle, entertainment and media brands.
