Iconix Lifestyle India Pvt Ltd, an equal joint venture between Reliance Brands and Iconix Brand Group Inc, on Wednesday announced the acquisition of IP rights in India of the iconic British brand Lee Cooper for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition will allow Iconix Lifestyle India to expand Lee Cooper’s presence in the country by enabling the brand’s distribution across all retail channels apart from strengthening marketing and brand management.

At present, the JV owns 24 fashion and home brands from the Iconix portfolio for the Indian market, across fashion, lifestyle, and home. They include Candie’s, Bongo, Badgley Mischka, Rampage, Mudd, Danskin, Ecko Unltd, Ocean Pacific, London Fog, Starter, Ed Hardy, Joe Boxer, Umbro and Rocawear.

“Lee Cooper’s brand history makes it the most prestigious acquisition for the JV. It’s the go-to denim brand that liberalised India grew up with and its affinity among consumers gives us a strong foundation to rebuild the brand in the country,” Darshan Mehta, managing director, Reliance Brands, and director on the board of Iconix Lifestyle, said.

Born in 1908, Lee Cooper is today a multi-category, dual gender brand with a presence across 126 countries and 7,000 points of sale. As the original British denim brand, its journey began in a local factory in London’s East End as a leading maker of workwear, providing uniforms for the British troops in World War 1 and World War 2. By 1945, the brand had moved its focus from military wear to fashion and denim.

“Gaining Lee Cooper’s IP rights aligns with our long-term strategic approach to growing our brand presence in India,’’ Bob Galvin, chief executive officer and president of Iconix Brand Group Inc and director on the board of Iconix Lifestyle India Private, said.

We have a very strong commitment to the ongoing success, and this development provides the opportunity to operate directly in a quickly expanding market and to bring this iconic high-quality brand to a new audience

Reliance Brands was recently in the news when it acquired a 40 per cent stake in fashion designer Manish Malhotra’s MM Styles Pvt Ltd. So far, Reliance Brands, the arm of Reliance Retail has bought in more than 35 international brands in India.