Beyoncé purchased full ownership of her athleisure brand Ivy Park from Topshop, cutting ties with the company and its co-founder as he faces claims of sexual harassment and racial abuse.
Prior to this move, Bey owned 50 percent of her clothing company, which she launched in 2016 under the umbrella of Arcadia Group. “After discussions of almost a year, Parkwood has acquired 100% of the Ivy Park brand. Topshop/Arcadia will fulfil the existing orders,” Ivy Park said in a statement, per the Guardian.
Activist groups have been pressuring Beyoncé to cut ties with the company since allegations of misconduct against Arcadia chairman Sir Philip Green surfaced last month. Current and former employees have accused Green of both racial and sexual harassment, though he’s dismissed the claims as “banter” with no “intent to be offensive.” The Guardian reports several of these employees were given secret settlements.
"Beyoncé has put herself forward as a women's rights activist. She and her team need to look closely at these allegations,” said Yasmeen Hassan, a member of the Equality Now campaign, per BBC.
Ivy Park sells in a number of other stores besides Topshop and online, so this move shouldn’t affect anyone’s ability to snag a perfectly designed pair of leggings or a sequin pencil skirt. And now you know 100 percent of your purchase goes directly to the Queen herself.
