BC Business
Joe Mimran isn’t on Dragons’ Den anymore, but that hasn’t stopped him from making deals. The Toronto-based fashion designer and entrepreneur famous for founding the Club Monaco and Joe Fresh Brands recently co-founded Unity Brands and has already scooped up two Vancouver apparel brands to come under its umbrella.
Earlier this summer, Unity purchased premium lifestyle brand Kit and Ace and today it announced the acquisition of Vancouver shoe brand Casca Footwear.
Casca, founded by Braden Parker and Kevin Reid, worked with orthotic experts and 3D printers to design a perfect fit for customers and, until recently, conducted sales both online and out of a bricks-and-mortar shop on Vancouver’s Main Street.
When reached by BCBusiness, Parker said he and Reid would be helping with the transition, but in the long term will be “cheering [Unity] on from the sidelines.”
Parker wasn’t ready to announce exactly what might be next for him but added that “entrepreneurship is a core part of who I am and there will be more exciting things to come for me.”
Casca’s lease on its Main St. store has ended and it will not be reopening. Any customers looking for Casca products will be able to purchase them at Kit & Ace retail locations, as well as online. The company will continue to be based in Vancouver.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.