Menswear company Rowing Blazers said on Monday that it had sold the bulk of the company to Burch Creative Capital and its partners, Jason Epstein, a partner at Stonecourt Capital, and Tom Vellios, co-founder of Five Below. The sale’s financial details were kept a secret.
According to a news statement, the acquisition would enable Rowing Blazers to expand distribution, employ key personnel, enhance its women’s collection, and grow its retail footprint—beginning with the opening of a new flagship shop in Manhattan as early as fall 2024.
Co-founder of Rowing Blazers Jack Carlson will continue to serve as creative director, and co-founder David Rosenzweig will continue to serve as director of strategy, concentrating on the brand’s alliances and partnerships. As part of the agreement, Grant Simm, the brand’s first CFO, will also join the two of them. Simm comes from Aimé Leon Dore, where he led the brand’s expansion and LVMH Luxury Ventures investment while serving as CFO for three years. The news follows a successful year for Rowing Blazers, during which the company introduced significant partnerships with Target and Gucci.
“I am very excited to be partnering with Burch Creative Capital, and excited for a new chapter in the Rowing Blazers story,” said Carlson, who co-founded Rowing Blazers in 2017.
In late 2021, the American brand made its UK debut, opening a pop-up shop in London’s Seven Dials. Burch Creative Capital is an investment firm founded by Burch in New York. The firm’s portfolio includes Staud, Solid & Striped, Danielle Guizio, BaubleBar, and Tory Burch.
