Bespoke Fashion, the New York men's manufacturer behind the Thomas Pink license, has purchased the Nick Graham brand from Tharanco Group. Terms were not disclosed. The deal closed this week, according to Danielle Mandelbaum Anderman, who founded Bespoke in 2012 as a high-end neckwear maker.

The acquisition gives Bespoke its second major brand platform this year. CP Brands Group and Icon Luxury Group, the owners of Thomas Pink, named Bespoke master licensee earlier in the year with a mandate to push the label beyond dress shirts and ties into a full lifestyle collection. Bespoke already produces dress shirts, socks, accessories, sportswear and tailored clothing for several of the country's top brands and retailers. Mandelbaum Anderman's family owned the Superba neckwear business before she built her own.

Why Tharanco sold

Tharanco acquired its majority stake in NGX LLC, the holder of the Nick Graham trademark, in 2017 from Iconix Brand Group. The company owns or operates nearly 30 brands, including Greg Norman, Dunning, Joseph A, Hi-Tec and Scarlett. The pandemic took the momentum out of Nick Graham, and its tailored, dress-furnishings profile stopped matching Tharanco's sportswear-led model.

Michael Setola, president and chief executive officer of Tharanco Lifestyles LLC, framed the sale as a portfolio decision. "Bespoke is a natural fit for a multicategory brand like Nick Graham," he said. "The business became very tailored and dress furnishings-driven over the last two years. Our company is very sportswear-driven and Bespoke can give Nick Graham the design, technical and sourcing attention to allow it to grow."

What does this change for the supply chain? In practice, a dress-furnishings manufacturer now controls design, technical development and sourcing for a brand that had sat inside a sportswear group — a better alignment of factory capability and product mix, at least on paper.

The retail and pricing picture

Mandelbaum Anderman described her read on the asset plainly: she views Nick Graham as "a junior Thomas Pink" and a "great vehicle for young guys." She tied the positioning to a specific aesthetic reference — Carnaby Street and Savile Row — and to a price architecture she intends to defend.

The collection is currently carried at JCPenney, and that business will be retained. "I like where it is and I would love to see it in Belk and Macy's too," she said, adding that plans call for selling the collection online. Dress shirt and tie sets retail for $52 on JCPenney's website. "It's a fashion value play," she said. "You don't have to pay $1 million to get style."

Who is Nick Graham?

The Canadian-born designer founded Joe Boxer and built a reputation on marketing stunts: glow-in-the-dark underwear, underwear launched on a rocket, and a fashion show timed at 1.2 seconds on a human cannonball. Mandelbaum Anderman said she is in discussions for Graham to remain involved. He did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday.

The first Nick Graham collection produced under Bespoke is expected by the end of next year. Until then, the brand's new owner has a license to build, a value price point to hold, and a founder relationship to settle.