Samsonite Group agreed to acquire 85% of Shay Mitchell's travel brand BÉIS for $178.5 million in cash, an all-in enterprise valuation of approximately $210 million, announced August 13, 2026. Beach House Group, the Los Angeles incubator that co-built BÉIS and held a 70% stake, is exiting its position entirely — its second brand exit and largest to date. Mitchell is selling roughly half her own equity for $31.5 million and retaining a 15% stake, continuing as Founder and Head of Creative and Design. The deal is expected to close in Q4 2026, pending regulatory approval.
The deal structure
BÉIS was founded in 2018 by actress and entrepreneur Shay Mitchell (best known for Pretty Little Liars) in partnership with Beach House Group, the incubator that also built Pattern Beauty, Noyz, Moon, and Florence By Mills. Beach House Group held 70% of BÉIS going into the transaction and is selling its entire stake — the incubator's largest exit to date and its second overall.
Mitchell held the remainder. Under the agreed terms, she is rolling over approximately half her existing equity and retaining a 15% ownership stake in BÉIS after closing, selling the other roughly 15% for approximately $31.5 million. She remains with the company as Founder and Head of Creative and Design — the brand's creative direction stays in-house rather than folding into Samsonite's existing design organization.
Samsonite is funding the $178.5 million cash purchase from existing cash on hand and its revolving credit facility. The transaction represents a total enterprise value of approximately $210 million on a cash-free, debt-free basis, subject to a customary working-capital adjustment. BÉIS's current CEO, Adeela Hussain Johnson, and the existing management team remain in place; BÉIS will continue operating as a standalone brand inside the Samsonite portfolio rather than being absorbed into an existing product line.
Why Samsonite bought it
Samsonite — founded in 1910, one of the oldest names in travel luggage — framed the deal as expanding its reach among younger, mostly female consumers. BÉIS reported approximately $200 million in 2023 revenue, built almost entirely on a direct-to-consumer, social-media-led model: a 2018 launch anchored by "The Weekender" bag, a business that reportedly quadrupled during the pandemic by pivoting toward everyday-use products like diaper bags and work totes, and a following of more than 1.4 million on Instagram and 619,000+ on TikTok as of the announcement.
For Samsonite, the acquisition is a modernization play: buy the digitally native, creator-partnership-driven commerce model rather than build it internally. For BÉIS, the backing gives access to Samsonite's global distribution and manufacturing infrastructure — the resources to scale internationally faster than the DTC model alone could support.
BÉIS is the clearest 2026 example yet of the celebrity/creator-incubator-to-strategic-acquirer exit path — the same structural lane covered in EPR's Beast Industries and Sidemen's British creator holding company coverage, but running in the opposite direction: instead of a creator building and keeping a holding company, BÉIS shows a creator-founded brand being absorbed into a legacy strategic acquirer.
Three structural takeaways for creator-founded consumer brands:
The incubator model produces sellable equity, not just launched products. Beach House Group's stated thesis — build, operate, and scale consumer brands from the ground up, then partner with (or sell to) a strategic buyer — worked exactly as designed here. The incubator is now marketing this exit publicly to attract its next roster of founder partnerships.
Legacy strategics are paying real money for the digital-native playbook. $210 million for a DTC bag brand with $200 million in disclosed 2023 revenue is a meaningful multiple, and it signals that traditional consumer-goods companies see creator-led commerce and social-first marketing as acquirable infrastructure, not just a marketing channel to imitate.
Founder-retained creative control is now a negotiated deal term. Mitchell's continued role as Head of Creative and Design — rather than a clean exit — matches the pattern in other creator-brand acquisitions where the buyer explicitly wants the founder's continued involvement in brand identity, not just the balance sheet.
Sources
Bloomberg, Aug 13, 2026 · The Business of Fashion, Aug 13, 2026 · PRNewswire (Samsonite Group and Beach House Group releases), Aug 12–13, 2026 · TMZ, Aug 13, 2026
Samsonite is paying $178.5 million in cash for an 85% equity stake, representing a total enterprise value of approximately $210 million on a cash-free, debt-free basis. The deal was announced August 13, 2026, and is expected to close in Q4 2026 pending regulatory approval.
Does Shay Mitchell still own part of BÉIS?
Yes. Mitchell is rolling over roughly half her existing equity and will retain a 15% ownership stake in BÉIS after the deal closes. She is selling her remaining stake for approximately $31.5 million and continues with the company as Founder and Head of Creative and Design.
What happens to Beach House Group?
Beach House Group, the Los Angeles brand incubator that co-built BÉIS and held a 70% stake, is selling its entire position in the transaction — its second brand exit and its largest to date.
Will BÉIS keep operating as its own brand?
Yes. Samsonite has said BÉIS will continue as a standalone brand within its portfolio, with current CEO Adeela Hussain Johnson and the existing management team remaining in place.
When was BÉIS founded and how big is it?
Shay Mitchell founded BÉIS in 2018 in partnership with Beach House Group. The brand reported approximately $200 million in revenue in 2023, built on a direct-to-consumer, social-media-driven model anchored by its original "Weekender" bag.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
