Orlebar Brown
The poolside idea that revolutionized men’s swimwear, became a global brand owned by Chanel, and gained celebrity fans and movie appearances along the way.
Invested August 2013, Exited to Chanel in 2018
The inspirational for Orlebar Brown came to Adam Brown while he sat around a swimming pool on holiday with friends and noticed that the women were more elegantly and effortlessly dressed than the men. Seeing this gap in the market and fuelled by his personal drive to find something that he could be proud of and feel excited about in the morning, Orlebar Brown launched in 2007 with former business partner Julia Simpson-Orlebar. They started with one hero product: the tailored swim shorts.
An early adopter, Orlebar Brown launched online, and developed into a multi-channel d2c focused brand with stores around the world. Since its inception the range has evolved into a full collection of resort wear. Their purpose is not to make swimwear, but to bring sunshine, fun, having a good time, laughter and friendship.
Piper invested £8m into the business in August 2013. With Pipers’ funding and expertise, Orlebar Brown focused on broadening the distribution in the US and Europe. This was achieved through better support for its wholesale operations, a programme of retail stores openings in key urban and coastal areas as well as further investment into online marketing across the world. As a result, the brand increased online sales by 228% and expanded its network of stores.
Their success also gained them high profile fans like Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z and Roger Federer, and made an iconic appearance worn by James Bond in the movie Skyfall. This led to a 007 Collection where their towelling Goldfinger onesie sold out within days.
At Piper, we always seek to find the best homes for our brands, and in 2018 we found that in Chanel. At the time of exit, they had 24 own-brand boutiques in 11 countries and more than 250 stockists around the world. Following the transaction, Adam Brown continued to lead the business as Creative Director, alongside CEO Paul Donoghue.
I am delighted to working with partners who share the same ambitions and values as ourselves. Piper’s extensive experience and knowledge of growing consumer brands will help us accelerate our growth and simultaneously protect our DNA.
The journey
| 2005 | Adam Brown identifies a gap in the market for a more tailored approach to beach and swimshorts for men |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Orlebar Brown is launched online |
| 2010 | Sales grow to £2.2m. Orlebar Brown selected as Walpole Brands of Tomorrow |
| 2013 | Sales grow by 60% |
| 2016 | A US showroom opens, alongside stores in New York, Miami and The Hamptons |
| 2017 | Successful franchise partnerships see stores opened in Turkey, Australia, France and Spain |
The Piper Podcast – Orlebar Brown: The poolside idea that became a global brand legend owned by Chanel
[9 Feb 2022] - Piper - Growing Brands Consumers Love · Adam Brown, founder of Orlebar Brown As our first email of the year, we are excited to share…
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