LONDON — Jimmy Collins, the cofounder and chief executive officer of British fashion label YMC, has acquired the majority of the brand’s shares previously owned by French Connection.
YMC, short for You Must Create, was founded in 1995 by Collins and Fraser Moss, who passed away last year. At the time it had a store on London’s Conduit Street and garnered a loyal following for its unisex, timeless appeal, but eventually ran into financial troubles.
The brand bounced back after receiving investment from French Connection in 2004. Stephen Marks, founder of French Connection, is a family friend of Collins.
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It now operates two stores in London, representing 50 percent of the total revenue, and sells via an extensive retail network worldwide.
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The latest change in ownership marks the brand’s return to its independent roots and a fresh start, according to Collins.
“YMC has a distinct point of view, and this moment represents an inflection point for us — taking stock of what matters as a brand and how we continue to offer that to our dedicated followers, as well as updating, growing, and adapting it for the next 30 years,” he said.
Sage Toda-Nation was chosen earlier in the summer to fill the role of creative director, previously held by Moss, to lead the brand into the future.
Collins said he has been working closely with Toda-Nation in repositioning the brand and drawing from the original mid-’90s archive over the past year, ahead of his first full collection launching in spring 2025.
“It’s an exciting time whilst as a young new creative director he has brought fresh eyes to the business, we have both aligned on celebrating the original ethos of YMC. It’ll be about returning to that spirit of creativity, with new designs as well as archive styles updated for 2025,” Collins added.
He said the audience should expect a move toward a more minimal, genderless aesthetic, reflected in the imagery and brand tone of voice, with prices increasing by around 15 percent to reflect changes in fabric, manufacturing and product development.
At the same time, the brand will continue its collaborations with other like-minded brands.
For 2025, that will include new collections with Lavenham, George Cox and Cubitts, a new partnership with footwear brand Merrell, and the launch of YMC’s first stand-alone footwear collection with Grenson.
Collins said YMC will continue to exist as a multichannel brand. It is planning to expand its physical stores in key markets while increasing the online business to around 70 percent of total revenue.
The U.K., the U.S. and South Korea are three of the brand’s biggest markets. The brand will continue to support partners in these markets with plans for shops-in-shop and pop-ups and expand into new markets such as the EU, and Japan with the opening of YMC stores.
“We have a unique audience that spans generations and genders, which has felt somewhat effortless and as a result of people responding to what we do in their own way. Age does not define the YMC customer, as we find original customers still buying the brand, while their teenage children are coming to us to discover looks of their own — there is a genuine love for the brand and we have stood by our morals, creating pieces with an edge that become much-loved staples in our customers’ wardrobes,” Collins said.
Sustainability will be a priority going forward as well. Collins said the brand is committed to a cleaner manufacturing process, and the Soho flagship store will undergo a refurbishment using repurposed and recycled materials.
“Our stores will serve as multifunctional spaces, earning their role in the business outside of sales — this will include opportunities for events, talks, music and exhibitions to all help build the YMC community and have a genuine social dimension,” he added.
Following the 29 million pound sale in 2021 to a consortium of investors, including its second-largest shareholder Apinder Singh Ghura, Amarjit Singh Grewal, as well as holding company KJR Brothers Ltd., French Connection is gradually turning around its loss-making business.
Earlier this year, the brand began working with Concept One Accessories to produce a line of soft accessories and is set to launch on Very, a multibrand online retailer based in Liverpool. It currently runs around 20 stores in the U.K.