VF Corp. is reportedly considering a sale of Supreme, which it acquired in 2020 for just over $2 billion.
Per a report from Women’s Wear Daily, Supreme is being "quietly" shopped to possible buyers, with one anonymous expert on the matter cited as saying that the oft-headlined brand simply "got too big to continue to be cool." The report also suggests that several VF-owned brands could be under consideration for a possible sale, though such specifics have not been confirmed or otherwise acknowledged by the company, at least not publicly.
Complex has reached out to VF Corp. reps for comment. This story may be updated.
Supreme being brought under the VF wing was a huge story back in 2020. At the time, as Complex’s Mike DeStefano explained in this breakdown, Supreme was fresh off a boost in its annual revenue of around $300 million. That increase was seen following the Carlyle Group’s purchase of half of the company in 2017, a move that also gave Supreme the distinction of a $1 billion valuation.
With the 2020 VF acquisition, Supreme founder James Jebbia stayed on with the company, as did senior leadership personnel.
"We are proud to join VF, a world-class company that is home to great brands we've worked with for years, including The North Face, Vans, and Timberland," Jebbia said at the time. "This partnership will maintain our unique culture and independence, while allowing us to grow on the same path we've been on since 1994."
Other brands still currently falling under the VF umbrella (for now, at least) include Dickies, JanSport, Altra, Eastpak, and more.
For a look back on how VF's 2020 acquisition of Supreme may have helped, and hurt, the Supreme brand at large, revisit Lei Takanashi's informed 2023 piece on the matter here.
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