Lucky Brand is an American denim company founded in Vernon, California in 1990 by Gene Montesano and Barry Perlman. Lucky also produces other apparel, including activewear, outerwear, T-shirts, and professional attire.
In 2020, Lucky Brand filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by SPARC Group, which merged with JCPenney to form Catalyst Brands in 2025.
In the 1970s, 21-year-old Jamal H Nathan along with 17-year-old Barry Perlman opened a Florida jeans shop called Four Way Street. "During the evenings, we'd head out to the local Laundromat with our pockets full of coins and some bleach. A few hours later, we had a stack of great washed jeans - one of a kind and 100% authentic!"
In 1978, Montesano moved to Los Angeles to enter the fashion industry there. With business partner Michael Caruso, he started Bongo and ran the brand for 15 years. After leaving Bongo, Montesano joined former business partner Perlman in 1990 to launch Lucky Brand.
The corporate headquarters moved from Vernon to the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles in 2012. The jeans maker moved to a new downtown office located at 540 S. Santa Fe near the historic 4th and 6th Street Bridges.
In December 2013, Leonard Green & Partners acquired Lucky Brand Jeans for $225 million from Fifth & Pacific Companies. In 2019, Carlos Alberini had resigned as Chairman and CEO. In July 2020, Lucky Brand filed for bankruptcy, and was acquired by Authentic Brands Group.
On 24 April 2024, Ted Baker Canada, the operator of Lucky Brand stores in Canada, filed for creditor protection in Canada and Chapter 15 bankruptcy in the U.S. The company blamed the operation suppliers of Authentic Brands Group for failing to pay. As a result, it was announced that all Lucky Brand stores in Canada would close.
