Coty Extends Marc Jacobs Beauty License for 40 Years

By Olivia Hart

Coty Inc. has extended its Marc Jacobs Beauty license for 40 years. The company did not disclose the financial terms.

The agreement gives both sides continuity after Marc Jacobs changed hands earlier this year. It covers a beauty business spanning fragrance and a relaunched makeup line. The 40-year term is longer than the partnership’s first two decades. The announcement, meanwhile, supplies no price.

What changed in Marc Jacobs ownership?

On Sept. 1, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton completed its roughly $925 million sale of Marc Jacobs to WHP Global and G-III Apparel Group. WHP Global and G-III Apparel Group each own 50 percent of the brand. G-III Apparel Group also bought the company’s operating business.

Yehuda Shmidman, founder, chairman and CEO of WHP Global, said:

“Marc Jacobs is a powerful global brand with tremendous momentum and opportunity ahead.

Beauty is an important part of the brand’s connection with consumers, and Coty has been instrumental in building Marc Jacobs’ fragrance business and relaunching Marc Jacobs Beauty. We look forward to continuing this partnership and unlocking new opportunities for Marc Jacobs.”

What has Coty built since 2003?

Coty and Marc Jacobs began partnering in 2003. Coty has since launched a succession of fragrances:

• Daisy Marc Jacobs
• Daisy Wild
• Perfect Marc Jacobs

Markus Strobel, executive chairman and interim chief executive officer of Coty Inc., said:

“Marc Jacobs is one of the great creative names in fashion, and we are proud of what we have built together over more than two decades.

This extension is a powerful testament to Coty’s position as a partner of choice for the world’s leading luxury fashion and lifestyle brands.

We look forward to building on this successful partnership and shaping the next chapter of Marc Jacobs Beauty.”

Coty announced in 2023 that it would launch makeup with Marc Jacobs. The new Marc Jacobs Beauty makeup range was the second iteration of Jacobs’ makeup brand. The original debuted with Kendo Brands in 2013 and was shuttered in 2021.

How is the makeup relaunch performing?

The Marc Jacobs Beauty makeup range officially launched in May. Coty described its start as “outstanding.” The line is now available through Sephora in:

• the U.S.
• the U.K.
• Australia
• Canada

It is also available online.

According to Coty, retail sales are already exceeding targets. Marc Jacobs Beauty ranks among the top 20 makeup brands at Sephora U.K. and ANZ, or Australia and New Zealand. At Sephora U.S., both the eyeliner and eye shadow rank within the Top 5.

What does the 40-year term mean?

Morris Goldfarb, chairman and CEO of G-III Apparel Group, added:

“Coty has been an exceptional partner for Marc Jacobs, with the expertise and global scale to build on the brand’s momentum in beauty. The renewed agreement reflects our shared confidence in Marc Jacobs’ long-term potential and our ambition to grow the brand around the world.”

The agreement links Coty’s long-term commitment to the new owners’ stated ambition to grow Marc Jacobs worldwide. It also gives the relaunched makeup business time to mature beyond its first strong sales period.

The next test is whether retail sales can remain above target across four Sephora markets and online. The 40-year license settles the partnership’s duration. Product performance will decide whether the early momentum lasts.