The history
Sean P. Diddy Combs is the definition of a mogul. From Bad Boy Records to CÎROC, the Harlem native with unparalleled business acumen has a portfolio of enterprises in several industries. As of this week’s repurchase of Sean John, we can add Fashiontainment to that industry list. The term coined by Diddy to describe the intersection of fashion and entertainment goes back to the origins of the brand.
Pioneering the trend of making streetwear and hip-hop into high fashion, the “I Need a Girl” singer launched Sean John in 1998. As everything Combs touches, the fashion brand quickly turned into a worldwide success. It developed into grossing retail sales in the half a billion dollars per year range.
In 2004, Combs earned the prestigious CFDA Men’s Designer of the Year award for Sean John, beating out fashion savants Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors. After famously dancing to the stage to accept the honor, Combs said: “I’m very happy as you can see. Ralph [Lauren], you’re still the sexiest man on the planet!”
Sean John also received the prestigious Fifi Award for its fragrance “Unforgivable” in 2007. The brand was again awarded in 2009 for the scent “I Am King”.
The future
In 2016 Diddy sold his majority stake in the company to Global Brands Group, a holding specialized in branded apparel and brand management. Once the group filled for Chapter 11 in 2021, Sean John – along with the rest of the holding’s assets – became available. Combs came out on top of the bidding dispute for his namesake brand, buying it back at auction for the total sum of $7.55 million, stating:
Fashion is a part of my life, it’s important to dream and Sean John has always been a dream that has come true.
In a statement to the press, Diddy said:
“I launched Sean John in 1998 with the goal of building a premium brand that shattered tradition and introduced hip-hop to high-fashion on a global scale. Seeing how streetwear has evolved to rewrite the rules of fashion and impact culture across categories, I’m ready to reclaim ownership of the brand, build a team of visionary designers and global partners to write the next chapter of Sean John’s legacy.”
