A few weeks ago, I heard that the family behind Guess, the Marcianos, were over in the Middle East trying to raise capital for a take-private of the company, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange and is currently valued at almost $1.3 billion. The headline, though, was that they were hanging this potential step change on the acquisition of Rag & Bone, the Andrew Rosen and John Howard-owned business that has been looking for a buyer for several years.
Turns out, Guess is indeed buying Rag & Bone, and the deal is set to be announced any day now, according to three sources familiar with the situation. (Is the take-private still a part of the equation? I don’t know, but an announcement could help with the fundraising.) Rosen could not be reached for comment. (A rep for Guess did not respond either.)
