LVMH & Hermes Battle, Lilly Pulitzer Gets Bought

In the chess game of fashion brand buyouts, Lilly Pulitzer gets acquired by Oxford, while LVMH ups its stakes in Hermes, with some hostility. To start with the juicier bit, luxury-brand rivals LVMH Moët Hennessy and Hermes don't exactly get along, especially when the former crosses the 20-percent-share mark through some seemingly sneaky financial tactics. While such actions would suggest a hostile takeover, analysts told WWD that was unlikely, given the family stronghold on Hermes, which controls roughly 70 percent of the company. The drama of investments by the makers of investment handbags and goods is intriguing, with accusations of malintention and denials being thrown around like it's a political race. It makes 'Birkin or Speedy?" a very loaded question. But of course, the preppy staples of East Coast country clubs would put on a friendlier face. Oxford Inudstries, the owners of Tommy Bahama, Ben Sherman and Lainier clothing brands plan to welcome a lady to the mix, with plans to buy Lilly Pulitzer for a rough total of $80 million. Oxford representatives cited e-commerce as their main focus for growth--bringing what started as a Palm Beach socialite's uniform while running a juice stand quite a long way from its colorful roots.