Astier de Villatte Sells Majority Stake to Vesper

Paris-based lifestyle brand Astier de Villatte has sold a majority stake to investment fund Vesper, the companies said in a statement.

Founders Ivan Pericoli and Benoît Astier de Villatte will both retain a “significant stake” and continue to creatively lead the brand following the sale. Other terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The brand was created in 1996 by Pericoli and Astier de Villatte, who were then students at the Beaux-Arts de Paris. Its since built a global following for its ceramics, which are known for historically-informed shapes and a signature aesthetic of black terracotta poking out from hand-applied white glaze.

The company has expanded its business abroad in recent years by opening new retail locations in Seoul and Milan as well as through longstanding wholesale accounts like New York’s John Derian Company. 70 percent of sales now come from outside France.

The company has also branched out into fragrance, launching a line of eau de colognes in 2016 before expanding into eau de parfums and home scents.

In 2022, perfumer Dominique Ropion collaborated on the release of “Three Historical Perfumes,” which recreated ancient scents from Egypt and the Parthian Empire, as well as a perfume found in the personal effects of 19th century novelist George Sand.

The brand’s flagship store on Rue Saint-Honoré, also sells home decor, Christmas ornaments, and books.

Vesper is a nascent private equity firm whose previous investments include auction house Drouot and the 200 year-old chocolatier Debauve et Gallais. It was founded in 2018 by Pierre-Guillaume Veron, a former investment banker from Lazard and Audacia.

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