Tendam acquires Slowlove brand, founders stay at creative helm

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Mar 25, 2021

Spanish retailer Tendam has acquired a majority stake in the Slowlove fashion brand with which its Cortefiel unit has been working since last summer. It gave no financial details but said the deal will mean “enhanced growth” for the brand, while creative control of Slowlove will remain in the hands of its founders, Sara Carbonero and Isabel Jiménez. 

Sustainably-focused Slowlove was founded in 2015 as an online-only label and is known for its “urban folk style and bohemian chic essence”.

But its previous link-up with Tendam means it’s currently available in more than 130 shops across Spain and Portugal.

Tendam is one of Europe’s leading omnichannel fashion retailers, and as well as Cortefiel, owns Hoss Intropia, Pedro del Hierro, Springfield, Women’Secret, High Spirits and Fifty.

It said it will now promote the Slowlove brand exclusively through its omnichannel structure. And while Carbonero and Jiménez, are staying at the creative helm, its wider operations will be managed by the executive team that’s responsible for Cortefiel, Pedro Hierro and Hoss Intropia (the latter of which it acquired in late 2019). 

The company said its business model allows it to “incubate or gradually integrate new brands, positioning it as the largest omnichannel, multi-brand distribution platform in Iberia.”

Marie Castellvi-Dépée, who’s executive MD of Cortefiel, Pedro del Hierro and Hoss Intropia, said: “Last year we began a very successful collaboration between Slowlove and Cortefiel, and today we are delighted to announce that with this agreement we are taking the relationship even further. In the initial phase, our main goal is to support Slowlove as it evolves and prepares for growth. The brand will benefit from Tendam’s resources, corporate organisation and operational expertise.”

The first step following this news will be the launch of the SS21 collection on April 8. This will be available – like previous collections – on Slowlove’s website, online at Cortefiel and Pedro del Hierro and across Cortefiel and Pedro del Hierro physical shops. 

While the move is an important one for the label, it’s also important for Tendam, which has been expanding its overall brand offer in recent periods. Since September 2020, Tendam has been distributing third-party brands alongside its own labels on its digital platforms, “broadening the appeal of its digital shopping experience”.

It said that its ability to promote its own brands is now complemented by its role “as a launch-pad for younger firms with the potential to make their mark in the fashion sector”.