The rise and fall of Lucky Brand, the once-beloved mall brand and staple for trendy denim and bohemian chic fashion

Bethany BironJul 7, 2020, 01:05 IST

David Becker/Getty Images

Lucky Brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday due in response to woes from the coronavirus pandemic and several years of sluggish sales.
However, Lucky Brand was once a go-to destination for trendy denim and bohemian chic fashion in the 1990s and early aughts, beloved by celebrities and mall shoppers alike.
We took a look at the rise and fall of Lucky Brand, on the heels of its expected sale to SPARC Group — the owner of brands like Nautica and Aeropostale — and the announcement that it will shutter 13 stores.

Lucky Brand just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but in the 1990s and early aughts, the mall brand thrived as a go-to destination for stylish denim and bohemian chic looks.

Started in 1990 in Los Angeles by Barry Perlman and Gene Montesano, Lucky Brand was founded with the aim to sell "great-fitting, vintage-inspired jeans," according to the company. The duo looked to a wide range of influences to craft its unique denim looks in a variety of washes and with rips, tears, and hardware that set it apart from its competitors.

"Our jeans are made for the free-thinker, the artist, the dreamer; they're made to dance, work, run, jump, play and rock 'n' roll just like you," Lucky Brand states on its website. "Our inspiration doesn't just come from the rugged workwear of denim pioneers, but from the free spirit and laid-back lifestyle of our Southern California roots."

Though the company took off through the first decade of the new millennium, it struggled to evolve its style to keep up with fickle consumer demand and struggled through the Great Recession. Executive leadership changes also marred the brand as it fought an uphill battle to revitalize and resonate with shoppers amid the ongoing retail apocalypse.

Now, the brand is the latest to feel the strain of the coronavirus, and in turn, announced it will immediately close 13 stores as part of its bankruptcy filing. As the company prepares to finalize its expected sale to SPARC Group — the owner of brands like Nautica and Aeropostale — we took a closer look at the denim darling's rise and fall over the years.

Lucky Brand was founded in 1990 in Los Angeles by Barry Perlman and Gene Montesano.

Barry Perlman (left) and Gene Montesano (right) at a Lucky Brand event in 2006. Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

The duo's aim was to become a go-to denim destination for "great-fitting, vintage-inspired jeans."

A Lucky Brand store in Beverly Hills. Lester Cohen/WireImage/Getty Images

To distinguish itself from other popular denim brands, Lucky Brand added embellishments like rips, tears, and hardware to give their jeans a bit more flare.

Lester Cohen/WireImage/Getty Images

"We gave them their distinctively Lucky look by literally putting them through the wringer — ripping, fraying, sanding, patching and washing by hand — to give them true character and soul," the Lucky website states. "Then, we added authentic hardware, personalized touches and playful details, and an American legend was born."

Angela Weiss/WireImage/Getty Images

"We gave them their distinctively Lucky look by literally putting them through the wringer — ripping, fraying, sanding, patching and washing by hand — to give them true character and soul," the Lucky website states. "Then, we added authentic hardware, personalized touches and playful details, and an American legend was born."

Over the next decade, Lucky Brand's star grew, and by the early aughts it was a staple of the American mall.

Josh Brasted/Getty Images

It helped that Lucky had loads of celebrity fans like Vanessa Hudgens and Rashida Jones, who were often spotted at company parties.

Lester Cohen/WireImage/Getty Images

Lucky Brand was also featured at high-profile events, like a charity auction held by "Harry Potter" actor Daniel Radcliffe, who sold off the pair of denim he wore in his Broadway debut of "Equus."

Daniel Radcliffe selling his Lucky pants at a charity auction in 2008. Charles Sykes/AP Photo

Lucky Brand was also featured at high-profile events, like a charity auction held by "Harry Potter" actor Daniel Radcliffe, who sold off the pair of denim he wore in his Broadway debut of "Equus."

During this time, Lucky Brand jeans and graphic tees regularly appeared in fashion campaigns and advertisements, like this back-to-school photoshoot in 2006.

Glenn Asakawa/The Denver Post via Getty Images

The brand also got a boost from the involvement of fashion and media personality Tim Gunn, who formerly served as chief creative officer of Liz Claiborne, a sister brand of Lucky.

Stefanie Keenan/WireImage

The brand also got a boost from the involvement of fashion and media personality Tim Gunn, who formerly served as chief creative officer of Liz Claiborne, a sister brand of Lucky.

Gunn participated in a variety of fashion competitions and events for Lucky, during a period that coincided with his stint as a judge on the popular reality show, "Project Runway."

John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Gunn participated in a variety of fashion competitions and events for Lucky, during a period that coincided with his stint as a judge on the popular reality show, "Project Runway."

However, as the decade came to a close, the brand started to lose its luster and fall out of favor with customers.

Getty/Jeff Greenberg

In response, Lucky Brand looked to diversify its business model by opening outlet stores and selling to off-price stores and department stores.

Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Still seeking revitalization, Perlman and Montesano enlisted the help of Gap and Williams & Sonoma veteran David DeMattei, who joined Lucky Brand as CEO in January 2010.

Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Lucky Brand

Still seeking revitalization, Perlman and Montesano enlisted the help of Gap and Williams & Sonoma veteran David DeMattei, who joined Lucky Brand as CEO in January 2010.

DeMattei started by revamping window and in-store displays, which he felt had previously been "hard to shop."

Lisa G./Yelp

He also focused on reducing early aughts style staples like graphic T-shirts and instead on bolstering Lucky's women's fashion.

David Becker/Getty Images

DeMattei even shifted some denim manufacturing overseas despite Lucky Brand's tradition of being an American-made company.

D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Vogue/Lucky Brand

Lucky Brand would later return denim production stateside in 2013 after the company's parent company — then called Fifth & Pacific, formerly Liz Claiborne — sold for $225 million to the private equity firm, Leonard Green & Partners.

Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Lucky Brand would later return denim production stateside in 2013 after the company's parent company — then called Fifth & Pacific, formerly Liz Claiborne — sold for $225 million to the private equity firm, Leonard Green & Partners.

Still, in the following years, Lucky found itself plagued with sluggish sales like many of its fellow mall brand peers thanks to The Great Recession and later, the rise of e-commerce which threatened the place of the American mall.

Paul Sakuma/AP Photo

Still, in the following years, Lucky found itself plagued with sluggish sales like many of its fellow mall brand peers thanks to The Great Recession and later, the rise of e-commerce which threatened the place of the American mall.

Lucky Brand found itself floundering even further in 2020 with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, which let to shuttered stores and plummeting sales.

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

On July 3, Lucky Brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced it will immediately close 13 stores.

Carrie Shaltz/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

For now, the future of Lucky Brand — like many other traditional retailers at this time — remains to be seen.

Robin Marchant/Getty Images

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The rise and fall of Lucky Brand, the once-beloved mall brand and staple for trendy denim and bohemian chic fashion

Lucky Brand was founded in 1990 in Los Angeles by Barry Perlman and Gene Montesano.

The duo's aim was to become a go-to denim destination for "great-fitting, vintage-inspired jeans."

To distinguish itself from other popular denim brands, Lucky Brand added embellishments like rips, tears, and hardware to give their jeans a bit more flare.

Over the next decade, Lucky Brand's star grew, and by the early aughts it was a staple of the American mall.

It helped that Lucky had loads of celebrity fans like Vanessa Hudgens and Rashida Jones, who were often spotted at company parties.

Lucky Brand was also featured at high-profile events, like a charity auction held by "Harry Potter" actor Daniel Radcliffe, who sold off the pair of denim he wore in his Broadway debut of "Equus."

During this time, Lucky Brand jeans and graphic tees regularly appeared in fashion campaigns and advertisements, like this back-to-school photoshoot in 2006.

The brand also got a boost from the involvement of fashion and media personality Tim Gunn, who formerly served as chief creative officer of Liz Claiborne, a sister brand of Lucky.

Gunn participated in a variety of fashion competitions and events for Lucky, during a period that coincided with his stint as a judge on the popular reality show, "Project Runway."

However, as the decade came to a close, the brand started to lose its luster and fall out of favor with customers.

In response, Lucky Brand looked to diversify its business model by opening outlet stores and selling to off-price stores and department stores.

Still seeking revitalization, Perlman and Montesano enlisted the help of Gap and Williams & Sonoma veteran David DeMattei, who joined Lucky Brand as CEO in January 2010.

DeMattei started by revamping window and in-store displays, which he felt had previously been "hard to shop."

He also focused on reducing early aughts style staples like graphic T-shirts and instead on bolstering Lucky's women's fashion.

DeMattei even shifted some denim manufacturing overseas despite Lucky Brand's tradition of being an American-made company.

Lucky Brand would later return denim production stateside in 2013 after the company's parent company — then called Fifth & Pacific, formerly Liz Claiborne — sold for $225 million to the private equity firm, Leonard Green & Partners.

Still, in the following years, Lucky found itself plagued with sluggish sales like many of its fellow mall brand peers thanks to The Great Recession and later, the rise of e-commerce which threatened the place of the American mall.

Lucky Brand found itself floundering even further in 2020 with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, which let to shuttered stores and plummeting sales.

On July 3, Lucky Brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced it will immediately close 13 stores.

For now, the future of Lucky Brand — like many other traditional retailers at this time — remains to be seen.