عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Fashion

British Fashion Chain Ted Baker Draws US Takeover Interest

The Ted Baker logo is seen at their store at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, U.S., February 15, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
The Ted Baker logo is seen at their store at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, U.S., February 15, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
TT
20
TT

British Fashion Chain Ted Baker Draws US Takeover Interest

The Ted Baker logo is seen at their store at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, U.S., February 15, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
The Ted Baker logo is seen at their store at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, U.S., February 15, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Sycamore Partners is in the early stage of making a possible cash offer for fashion retailer Ted Baker (TED.L), the private equity firm said on Friday, in the latest sign of strong US interest in taking over British entities.

New York-based Sycamore, which specializes in deals in the struggling retail sector, has until April 15 to make a firm offer for the London-listed Ted Baker. Sycamore said there was no certainty an offer would be made and did not disclose what the terms might be for any deal.

Ted Baker said it has not received an offer but would evaluate any proposal, although it was confident in its independent prospects, Reuters reported.

Shares of the upmarket retailer jumped 20% on Friday but were still trading just above a pound each, compared with the nearly 30 pounds it was worth in 2015, giving it a current market valuation of nearly 220 million pounds ($289.26 million), Refinitiv Eikon data showed.

Takeover interest in British companies, ranging from defense groups to a leading supermarket, is its highest in years, as the pandemic and uncertainties linked to Britain's departure from the European Union have reduced valuations.

Ted Baker is in the middle of three-year turnaround plan under boss Rachel Osborne as it tries to boost its online presence and rebuild its image after profit warnings and accounting issues.

Osborne took charge in 2019 in a management reshuffle that included the exit of former chief executive Ray Kelvin following allegations of inappropriate behavior. Kelvin has denied the allegations and retains a nearly 12% stake in the company he founded in 1988 in Glasgow.

Ted Baker, which has nearly 400 locations mostly in Europe, North America and the United Kingdom, said in February it was "cautiously optimistic" about outlook for the current year as people slowly return to working in offices.

Most Viewed

 
Fashion

Ralph Lauren Stays Closer to Home This Time with Intimate Manhattan Gallery Show

A model presents a creation from the Ralph Lauren collection in New York City, US, April 17, 2025. (Reuters)
A model presents a creation from the Ralph Lauren collection in New York City, US, April 17, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Ralph Lauren Stays Closer to Home This Time with Intimate Manhattan Gallery Show

A model presents a creation from the Ralph Lauren collection in New York City, US, April 17, 2025. (Reuters)
A model presents a creation from the Ralph Lauren collection in New York City, US, April 17, 2025. (Reuters)

Ralph Lauren, known for staging elaborate runway shows in sumptuous settings like the horsey Hamptons or amid his vintage car collection, took it down a notch for a more intimate show Thursday in a Manhattan gallery space.

As celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ariana DeBose and many others watched from the front row, Lauren presented a fall collection dubbed “The Modern Romantics,” heavy on high ruffled necks, classics like buttery leather in everything from aviator jackets to bustiers, and soft cashmere. Evening looks were long and lacy.

Models descended a grand staircase in an airy gallery setting Lauren’s models first appeared atop a balcony, then each descended a grand staircase to walk the runway. The venue, now the Jack Shainman Gallery, was built in 1898 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style.

For the New York-based crowd, it was much less of a journey than Lauren’s last show in the Hamptons on Long Island, which took some guests four hours from Manhattan in busy traffic.

Lauren himself appeared at the end of the show to wave — from the top of the balcony.

Lauren said he was celebrating “The Modern Romantics,” an aesthetic he described as “self-assured and unbound by rules.”

Strutting the runway, the models displayed looks that began with a classic Lauren combination of black trousers, a high-necked ruffled white shirt, and an aviator jacket in brown distressed leather.

That was followed by a filmy white midi-dress paired with a thick black leather belt, and tall black leather boots.

A black leather bustier was paired with a long camel wool skirt, and white lacy ruffled shirts popped up in different ensembles — with a long camel coat, or a puffy brown cardigan. There were also white lace neckties. There were velvet jackets, including in a deep shade of purple.

Outfits segued into evening with long, silky or strappy gowns, one in a white crochet theme, another in sumptuous black lace. There was a black halter gown in tiers of ruffles spiraling around the body.

Hathaway, Williams and Watts sat together in the front row, each in a Lauren-style trench or wrap coat. Hathaway, her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, paired her coat with a pair of tan-colored jeans, embroidered with sequins and strategically shredded.

DeBose wore a smart gray suit that would go perfectly with next month’s Met Gala dress code: “Tailored For You.” Louis-Dreyfus wore a cropped leather jacket in light brown, with white trousers.

Also attending were Sadie Sink, Sarah Catherine Hook, Eiza Gonzalez, Andra Day, Kacey Musgraves and Ella Hunt, among others.

“I thought it was very much his sensibility and what he believes,” Anna Wintour, the influential Vogue editor, said after the show, noting that Lauren’s fashion transcended trends. “He’s a designer that never looks to the left or to the right. He’s just very clear in what he wants to say and what his customer wants, and that’s one of the reasons he’s so unbelievably successful.”

Sarah Catherine Hook, who appeared in the recently concluded third season of “The White Lotus," said she liked the collection’s ephemeral feel.

“I love anything timeless and I feel like this is the most timeless you could possibly get," Hook said. “I love the masculine-feminine mix of it and this is my first time getting to wear a necktie, so I’m feeling pretty chic today.”