Beyoncé now has full control of her athleisure brand Ivy Park, after buying out the 50% held by Arcadia Group — the retail company that owns Topshop. Ivy Park was co-founded in 2016 with British Business tycoon Philip Green, but just a few weeks ago Green was thrust into the spotlight amid claims of sexual and racial harassment of staff – -accusations that Green went through great lengths, and spent a lot of money to keep under wraps — as reported by The Washington Post.
After mounting pressure from activists groups for Beyoncé to sever ties, Ivy Park confirmed in a statement obtained by the Financial Times, “Parkwood has acquired 100% of the Ivy Park brand. Topshop-Arcadia will fulfill the existing orders.” Parkwood Entertainment is a management company created by the singer/CEO/general-bad-ass superstar.
Allegations against Green were initially kept from the public record because of NDAs signed by the victims. The Telegraph — the publication that spent eight-months looking into the accusations — was ordered by a judge not to release Green’s name to the public, as it would breach the signed NDAs. But seeing it as an issue worthy of public interest, Green was named on the floor of British Parliament by Lord Peter Hain, who stated:
“Having been contacted by somebody intimately involved in the case of a powerful businessman using nondisclosure agreements and substantial payments to conceal the truth about serious and repeated sexual harassment, racist abuse and bullying which is compulsively continuing, I feel it’s my duty under parliamentary privilege to name Philip Green as the individual in question, given that the media have been subject to an injunction preventing publication of the full details of a story which is clearly in the public interest.”
Here is to hoping this sends a message to business people who try and hide their shady acts behind non-disclosure agreements. In the meantime, buy your Ivy Park gear without hesitation or qualms about its leadership — Bey owns the whole thing.