(NEW YORK) Retail farewell alert! Vince’s founders, Rea Laccone and Christopher LaPolice, are parting ways with the company they started nearly 14 years ago come February 1. Word of the duo’s departure arrives in tandem with plans for Vince’s parent company, Kellwood, to take the company public. Known for its stylish basics in quality fabrics, particularly its sumptuous cashmere sweaters done in plush neutrals, the sportswear company has grown fast and big since its inception. Besides its stronghold on the realm of perfected staples, the brand has gone a luxe-skewed route in recent years: “Today we’re selling $1,100 leather leggings and $2,000 shearling coats; we’ve really elevated the product,” LaPolice told The Daily in August 2012.
Laconne and LaPolice sold the company to Kellwood in 2006; it has since grown into a $250 million business with 19 retail stores, selling to over 500 independent specialty stores, so it’s no surprise that a company this large would want to go public. Laccone and LaPolice were asked to stay involved, but due to the time commitment required they declined.
Prior to starting Vince, Laccone and LaPolice founded Laundry by Shelli Segal, at which Laccone spent 15 years; after decades in the industry, the duo has decided to take a well-deserved break from the biz. They’re doing so in style: a chic voyage to Africa for some R&R beneath the Saharan sun. Bravo, chéris!
