Jessica Simpson turns to her mom Tina for financial aid after repurchasing her eponymous fashion label
Jessica Simpson opens up about sacrifices made to regain financial ownership of her brand.
In a recent interview with Bustle, Jessica Simpson revealed the immense sacrifices she made to regain financial ownership of her company, Jessica Simpson Collection. The 42-year-old mom and businesswoman reflected on the tough decisions she had to make in order to buy back her own brand, which was founded in 2005 and acquired by Sequential in 2015.
Simpson, along with her mother Tina, disclosed to Bustle that Sequential had plans to furlough most of the brand's 10-member team, including both Simpson women. This disrespectful move prompted Simpson to take matters into her own hands. Tina also recognized the impending disaster, as Sequential was heading towards bankruptcy. She wanted to ensure that they didn't get caught up in the chaos.
Realizing that they were in a sink-or-swim situation, Simpson and her mother became their own "lifesavers" in the uncertain world of business. In the 2015 Sequential sale, they retained 37 percent of the business and eventually bought back the remaining stake for $54 million in the summer of 2021. Simpson even put her home up as collateral and liquidated her stock portfolio to make the purchase.
Last May, the brand secured a $67.5 million loan from Second Avenue Capital Partners, allowing the Simpsons to reinvest in their own company. They have plans to launch a hair-care extension in 2024. Despite the challenges, Simpson expressed no regrets about her decisions. However, she admitted that there have been instances where she had to rely on her mother for financial support and guidance.
Tina revealed that Jessica had reached out to her for a loan, and they had a conversation about it. Tina's condition was for Jessica to exercise better control over her spending. In fact, a recent shopping trip to a Louis Vuitton store involved an authorization phone call to Tina. Despite these challenges, Tina believes that they do an excellent job of balancing their work and personal lives.
During an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek in 2022, Simpson mentioned that she had considered borrowing against her homes to facilitate the buyback, even if it meant living in a small place in Ireland. In a 2021 cover story for Footwear News, she expressed how meaningful it was for her to regain complete ownership of her brand after 16 years in business. She feels ready to embrace the next phase with open arms and believes that the sky is the limit when she, her mother, and their incredible team fully connect with their customers.
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