Berkshire Partners Buys Stake in Jeans Maker

Buyout firm Berkshire Partners purchased a majority stake in denim-clothing designer Citizens of Humanity for $250 million including debt after the luxury-jeans market doubled in size in the last two years.

Boston-based Berkshire Partners bought 63% of the Huntington Park-based clothing company founded in 2003 by Jerome Dahan, Berkshire Partners managing director Larry Hamelsky said.

Citizens of Humanity had about $100 million in sales last year and sells its jeans for $150 or more to high-end department stores across the U.S.

Berkshire Partners declined to disclose how much equity it invested in Citizens of Humanity, whose management and founder will maintain a 37.5% stake.