Jeckerson Declared Bankrupt, Licensee Keeps Brand Alive

MILAN — The Jeckerson brand, a trouser-maker known for its signature patched pants that reached the peak of its success in the early Aughts, was declared bankrupt by the court of Bologna, Italy, last month.

But not all hope is lost: The brand’s manufacturing partner of 15 years, Perugia, Italy-based company C&S, said Monday it is committed to continue to produce Jeckerson men’s apparel and distribute it through the wholesale channel.

After several years as a supplier of Jeckerson SpA, C&S signed a licensing deal for the production and distribution of the brand’s men’s collections in Italy and elsewhere in Europe last June.

“We’re linked to Jeckerson by a history of excellence commenced a long time ago. We’ve been producing their collection for more than 15 years, even before we became [the company’s] licensee,” said Federico Corneli, owner of C&S. “Our commitment to value the heritage of the brand in terms of style and quality remains unchanged,” he said.

Corneli touted the support of Jeckerson’s chief executive officer Gian Maria Argentini in spearheading the continuity of operations.

After it filed for a petition of composition with creditors earlier this year amid increasing losses and declining sales exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeckerson SpA saw its petition rejected by the Bologna court in mid-November. The court has scheduled a hearing on March 9 to set the list of creditors.

As part of the procedure, the court will also seek a potential buyer.

In 2019, Jeckerson SpA posted revenues of 20 million euros, down more than 20 percent year-on-year. Net losses stood at 3.9 million euros.

The ailing brand had already submitted an application for admission to the composition with creditors procedure at the end of 2015 due to a debt of 90 million euros. That procedure was followed by a revamp strategy focused on the brand’s heritage, collaborations with artists, new licensing deals to expand its product offering and the implementation of an omnichannel strategy.

The company has 20 stand-alone stores in Italy, in addition to a warehouse in Bologna and counts around 80 employees.

Founded in 1995 by brothers Alessandro and Carlo Chionna, the label was acquired by the private equity fund Stirling Square Capital Partners in 2008 from Blue Fashion Group for 140 million euros.

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