LVMH has agreed to sell the Marc Jacobs brand to WHP Global, in a deal that ends nearly 30 years of ownership but keeps Marc Jacobs himself in place as Founder and Creative Director while a new JV structure with G‑III Apparel Group drives the next phase of growth.
LVMH Exits Marc Jacobs After Nearly 30 Years
In a joint announcement from New York on May 14, 2026, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and brand management firm WHP Global confirmed they have entered into a definitive agreement for the acquisition of the Marc Jacobs brand from LVMH. LVMH first took a majority stake in Marc Jacobs in 1997, and the deal brings that long running partnership to a close as the luxury group continues to fine tune its fashion and leather goods portfolio.
Over almost three decades, LVMH backed the brand’s expansion across handbags, small leather goods, ready to wear,…
footwear, eyewear and fragrance, helping cement Marc Jacobs as one of fashion’s most influential American names.
The group credits this era with some of the label’s most iconic and commercially successful products, underscoring the role of the in house team and the designer’s “rare creativity and unique vision.” Marc Jacobs Stays On As Creative Director Crucially, the announcement confirms that Marc Jacobs will remain as Founder and Creative Director following the closing of the transaction, ensuring continuity across runway collections and fashion shows.
In the release, Marc Jacobs said he is “forever grateful to Bernard Arnault for his support, belief and trust” over the last 30 years, and that he remains committed to his role as Creative Director of Marc Jacobs International as the brand enters “a bright new chapter.” Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of LVMH, said that Marc Jacobs is “a designer of rare creativity and unique vision” whose impact on fashion is “undeniable,” thanking him for his contribution to both the Maison and the group over the last 30 years and expressing confidence that this new chapter will open “new avenues of opportunity” for the brand.
WHP Global’s…
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