Rip Curl's Owner Enters Exclusive Talks With Bluestar, Modella Eyes Joseph, and Musinsa Standard Hires a Designer-Led Creative Director
Monday, November 2, 2026 · 10 min
KMD Brands, owner of Rip Curl and Kathmandu, has granted Bluestar Alliance exclusivity on a possible takeover, while The Times reports Modella Capital is weighing a bid for Onward's Joseph. In Seoul, Musinsa Standard names JiyongKim founder Kim Ji-yong creative director of its menswear.
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KMD Brands, owner of Rip Curl and Kathmandu, has granted Bluestar Alliance exclusivity on a possible takeover, while The Times reports Modella Capital is weighing a bid for Onward's Joseph. In Seoul, Musinsa Standard names JiyongKim founder Kim Ji-yong creative director of its menswear.
In this episode
- Rip Curl’s owner in takeover talks with US retail giant — The Sydney Morning Herald
“In an announcement to the ASX on Monday, KMD Brands said that after receiving a number of approaches from external parties, it had entered into an exclusivity agreement with retail powerhouse Bluestar Alliance “regarding a possible transaction to acquire all of the shares in…”
- Jospeh brand is latest target for Modella Capital - report - FashionNetwork USA — FashionNetwork
“Modella's interest in Joseph is perhaps a surprise given that its investments are usually in retailers operating at the lower end of the price scale.”
- Musinsa Standard recruits designer Kim Ji-yong of 'JiyongKim' to strengthen global competitiveness - First-Class Business Newspaper Financial News — Financial News
“Musinsa plans to strengthen Musinsa Standard's global identity with Kim as CD. Having established mass appeal with reasonable prices, the brand now aims to build a distinctive image by adding Kim's original perspective.”