Oxford Industries acquires Southern Tide

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Apr 21, 2016

Oxford Industries has acquired Southern Tide from Brazos Private Equity Partners, LLC. Brazos announced the sale of Southern Tide on Wednesday afternoon.

 
Southern Tide was founded in 2006, and is one of the fastest growing lifestyle apparel brands in the United States. The Greenville, South Carolina-based brand is a high-quality take on classic Southern style and sensibilities. The preppy American brand is well known for its extensive selection of men’s shirts, pants, shorts, outerwear, ties, swimwear, footwear and accessories, as well as its collegiate line that features nearly 50 colleges and universities. The 10-year old brand also recently launched an expansion to its women’s line and now offers a complete women’s collection.
 
“We could not be more pleased with the success of Southern Tide,” said Randall Fojtasek, Co-Founding Partner and Co-CEO of Brazos. “Our team was drawn to Southern Tide due to its focus on quality and innovative design and the potential for significant growth fueled by its enthusiastic customer base. Since our investment in 2013, the Company has expanded its wholesale distribution channels, grown its e-commerce presence, invested in supply chain and logistics, and continued the development of its men’s and women’s lines. The management team’s talent, hard work and skillful execution allowed the company to capitalize on these growth opportunities.”

Brazos invested in Southern Tide with capital from its $715 million Brazos Equity Fund III. While under Brazos, Southern Tide experienced impressive growth by adding sales channels, expanding its product line and broadening its geographic footprint. Today, the brand is available at Nordstrom, Von Maur, and over 850 premium specialty retailers in over 45 states, Washington DC, the Virgin Islands and Bermuda.
 
Brazos Private Equity Partners is a Dallas-based private equity firm that has managed investment funds with approximately $1.4 billion of equity capital. Oxford Industries adds Southern Tide to its brand portfolio that includes Lilly Pulitzer, Tommy Bahama, and Lanier Apparel.