Rowing Blazers sells majority stake to Burch Creative Capital

Cult menswear brand Rowing Blazers announced on Monday it has sold a majority stake in the business to Burch Creative Capital, and partners Tom Vellios, co-founder of Five Below, and Jason Epstein, partner at Stonecourt Capital.

FInancial terms of the sale were not disclosed.

The acquisition will allow Rowing Blazers to hire in key positions, develop its women’s line, expand distribution, and grow its retail footprint, starting with a new flagship Manhattan store as early as fall 2024, according to a press release.

Rowing Blazer co-founder Jack Carlson will remain in his role as creative director, while co-founder David Rosenzweig will remain director of strategy, with a focus on the brand’s collaborations and partnerships.

As part of the deal, the duo will also be joined by the brand’s first CFO, with Grant Simm taking on the role. Simm joins from Aimé Leon Dore, where he served as CFO for three years and oversaw the brand’s growth and investment from LVMH Luxury Ventures. 

“Jack [Carlson] has created an extraordinary brand that is reminiscent of my first apparel business, Eagle’s Eye,” said Chris Burch, founder of Burch Creative Capital. “With our expertise and a team of amazing humans, I am certain we can turn this into a global brand. It gives me great joy to partner with Jason Epstein and Tom Vellios on this acquisition. They are two extraordinary entrepreneurs, deal makers and brand creators.”

The announcement comes after a strong year for Rowing Blazers, which saw the brand launch major collaborations with both Gucci and Target.

“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.

“This partnership will allow us to do things we couldn’t do previously; it will also allow us to reach new people, and to provide better service and even better products to our existing community. I’m especially excited about developing women’s. The demand is there, and I’ve seen how successful we’ve been with our women’s sheep sweater and our women’s collection for Target. There is no better partner for this next step than Burch Creative Capital and their partners, especially when it comes to excellence in production, operations, and quality — and when it comes to women’s, Chris’ record, from Tory Burch to Staud, speaks for itself.”

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.