Who Owns Psycho Bunny? The Untold Story Behind The Brand [2025 Update]

Psycho Bunny has become a major player in premium menswear. The distinctive rabbit-logoed brand now operates 130 stores worldwide, a significant jump from its humble beginnings as a small neckwear company. If you're curious about who owns Psycho Bunny in 2025, the answer is Alen Brandman, who acquired full ownership of the brand in 2021 after initially taking control of production in 2016.

Robert Godley and Robert Goldman originally founded the company in 2005 in Montreal, Canada. Under Brandman's leadership, the brand has grown from just three stores at the start of the pandemic to 76 US locations by late 2023. The company also runs eight stores in Canada and maintains 18 dedicated locations in Japan for golf enthusiasts.

What began as a polo shirt brand has expanded considerably. Today, Psycho Bunny offers golf apparel, swimwear, casual shirts, shorts, underwear, loungewear, fleece, and various accessories. Direct-to-consumer sales now represent 70% of the company's business, which has tripled since 2019 when revenues hit $40 million.

You'll learn the complete ownership story of Psycho Bunny in this article. We'll cover the founding by Godley and Goldman, Brandman's acquisition process, and the growth strategies that built this global retail brand. You'll see how the company moved through different ownership phases and the decisions that turned a small apparel company into an international success.

Who Owns Psycho Bunny in 2025?

Alen Brandman owns Psycho Bunny in 2025. The thirty-year apparel industry veteran serves as the brand's global CEO and has built the company into a retail force through strategic partnerships and smart business decisions.

The ownership structure is more complex than a simple acquisition story. Brandman's path to control involved multiple phases, each designed to strengthen the brand's position in the competitive menswear market.

Current owner: Alen Brandman

Brandman runs Thread Collective, where he first connected with Psycho Bunny as its outerwear licensee. He saw potential in the struggling brand early on.

His involvement grew significantly in 2016 when he took control of all production and became the third equity partner alongside founders Robert Godley and Robert Goldman.

A year later, Brandman purchased 100% of the operating rights and 50% of the intellectual property rights. The final transition happened in 2021 when he acquired full ownership, with both founders exiting the business.

Thread Collective as parent company

Thread Collective became Psycho Bunny's parent company following Brandman's acquisition. This Montreal-based operation has grown far beyond its origins as a children's denim manufacturer. Thread Collective now produces apparel under license for brands including Bebe, Hurley, Ellen Tracy, and Pajar.

Psycho Bunny stands as Thread Collective's only wholly-owned brand. This makes it the crown jewel of Brandman's business portfolio and explains why the company receives focused attention and resources.

Minority partners: BBRC and Bertrand Cesvet

Brandman brought on strategic minority partners in early 2022, recognizing that growth requires specialized expertise. These partners include private investment firm BBRC, led by retail executive Brett Blundy, and Bertrand Cesvet, former CEO and chairman of Sid Lee.

Brandman's reasoning was straightforward. "Brett made his fortune in retail because of his operational excellence. When I met him, I said, 'I need that guy'". The partnership creates what the company calls "a powerhouse leadership group" that combines creative vision with retail expertise.

Psycho Bunny operates as a privately-held company with headquarters in Montreal and offices in New York. This setup keeps the brand connected to both its Canadian roots and the major US market that drives much of its growth.

The Founders and Early Days

Psycho Bunny started with $25,000 scraped together from credit cards.

Robert Godley and Robert Goldman created the brand in 2005, but both men had already built careers in menswear before their partnership. Their backgrounds in neckwear would prove essential to the brand's early success.

Who created Psycho Bunny?

Robert Godley was a British tie designer. Robert Goldman's family owned Robert Stewart, a neckwear manufacturing business that had been running since 1919. The two met at the Designers Collective in New York.

Their timing wasn't ideal. Godley had just been fired from Polo Ralph Lauren after six weeks over creative differences. Goldman was struggling to keep his family's neckwear business alive. Sometimes the best partnerships form when people have nothing left to lose.

Robert Godley and Robert Goldman's vision

The founders wanted to create clothing that mixed classic American sportswear with a rebellious edge. They saw an opportunity to challenge conventional menswear with something more audacious.

During a meeting with an English weaver, Godley sketched what would become their famous logo on a napkin. The rabbit skull with crossbones was unlike anything in traditional menswear. It was distinctive, memorable, and slightly subversive—exactly what they were looking for.

From neckties to polo shirts

Psycho Bunny began with handmade silk neckties featuring designs from tiny spades to rabbit skulls. The brand name came by accident. When Godley showed one of his tie designs to a buyer, the person exclaimed, "Look at the psycho bunny!" The name stuck.

Expanding beyond neckwear required more commitment from both partners. Goldman insisted that Godley secure an order from Barneys before he would fully invest in the partnership. Godley met the challenge.

The transition to polo shirts tested their resolve. Their first manufacturing attempt in Turkey produced 5,000 defective shirts that had to be thrown away. A second attempt with a Chinese manufacturer also failed. They finally found success with a partner in Peru.

Those early polo shirts became the foundation of everything that followed. What started as a necessity—expanding beyond neckwear—became the brand's signature product.

Ownership Transitions and Key Milestones

Psycho Bunny's ownership story isn't just about changing hands—it's about strategic moves that saved a struggling brand.

The transitions happened over several years, with each step building on the previous one to expand the brand's reach and potential.

Brandman's entry as licensee and partner

Alen Brandman first connected with Psycho Bunny as its outerwear licensee. Around 2013, the brand began experiencing operational issues and internal struggles. This created an opportunity for someone with the right expertise to step in.

Brandman, a Harvard Business School graduate who had already built Thread Collective into a successful business, recognized the brand's potential. His involvement deepened substantially in 2016 when he took over control of all production and became the third equity partner alongside Godley and Goldman.

Acquisition of operating rights and IP

After proving his value to the struggling brand, Brandman made his next strategic move. In 2017, he purchased 100% of the operating rights and 50% of the intellectual property rights.

This partial acquisition allowed Thread Collective employees to collaborate with Psycho Bunny, expanding beyond the signature polo shirts into golf apparel, swimwear, casual shirts, shorts, underwear, loungewear, fleece, and various accessories.

Full ownership and leadership changes

The final transition came in 2021 when Brandman acquired full ownership of Psycho Bunny. At this point, founders Godley and Goldman exited the business entirely. As one source noted, "They walked away happy".

But Brandman wasn't finished building his leadership team. In early 2022, he brought private investment firm BBRC on board as a minority partner. This strategic move added retail executive Brett Blundy and Bertrand Cesvet (former CEO and chairman of Sid Lee) as minority shareholders.

Regarding Blundy, Brandman was direct about his reasoning: "Brett made his fortune in retail because of his operational excellence. When I met him, I said, 'I need that guy'".

Through these carefully orchestrated transitions, Brandman positioned himself as the global CEO and majority shareholder of Psycho Bunny, with Thread Collective as the parent company.

How Psycho Bunny Grew Into a Global Brand

Brandman's ownership brought strategic focus to Psycho Bunny's expansion. What started as a small brand became an international retail presence through deliberate growth decisions across multiple areas.

Retail expansion in North America and beyond

The brand's physical footprint grew rapidly under Brandman's leadership. Psycho Bunny opened 20 U.S. stores in 2021 alone, with plans for 130 stores worldwide by the end of this year. The following year brought 29 additional U.S. locations.

International expansion followed a similar pace. The brand now operates approximately 60 stores across Latin America, spanning Mexico, Colombia, Panama, and Caribbean islands. Middle Eastern markets welcomed Psycho Bunny with locations in Dubai, Kuwait, and South Africa. Back home in Canada, the company opened its first stores in late 2022 and now runs 15 locations.

Product line diversification

Premium polo shirts were just the beginning. The brand expanded into T-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, outerwear, swimwear, and accessories. Each new product maintains the quality and distinctive design that made their polos popular.

The company also broadened its customer base. Limited women's styles and a full range of children's products now serve demographics beyond the original male customer.

Tech investments and omnichannel strategy

Technology became a growth enabler for Psycho Bunny. The 2016 switch from Magento to Shopify's platform supported their scaling from seven employees to nearly 1,000.

Further improvements came in 2022 with Fluent Commerce's order management system. This reduced canceled orders by 93% and cut delivery times from six to four days. Deposco's cloud-based software connected online and in-store inventory, increasing available online inventory by 20%.

Collaborations and brand campaigns

Strategic partnerships expanded Psycho Bunny's reach beyond traditional retail. The brand announced a multi-year deal with tennis legend Andy Roddick, building on earlier work with rising stars Alexei Popyrin and Arthur Rinderknech. A multi-year agreement made Psycho Bunny the official athletic outfitter of the National Bank Open.

The "Dad Up" mental health awareness campaign showed innovation beyond sports partnerships. QR code-enabled care tags on clothing direct customers to mental health resources, connecting the brand to meaningful social causes.

Conclusion

Alen Brandman owns Psycho Bunny in 2025, having acquired full ownership in 2021 after a series of strategic moves. His leadership has built what started as a $25,000 credit card-funded startup into a company with 130 stores worldwide.

The ownership story shows how calculated transitions can drive growth. Brandman moved from licensee to production partner to majority owner, then brought on minority partners with retail expertise to accelerate expansion. Each step positioned the brand for its next phase of development.

Psycho Bunny achieved this growth during challenging times for retail. The company's technology investments and omnichannel approach allowed them to scale from seven employees to nearly 1,000 while improving operations across the board.

What started with a rabbit logo sketched on a napkin has become a globally recognized symbol in premium menswear. The brand now extends far beyond its signature polo shirts into a full range of products and markets.

Now that you know the complete ownership story, you can see how strategic leadership and calculated business moves built Psycho Bunny into the global brand it is today.

Whether you're interested in the business strategy or simply curious about the brand behind those distinctive rabbit logos, Brandman's approach offers lessons in how to scale a premium apparel company in today's competitive market.

FAQs

Q1. Who currently owns Psycho Bunny?

Alen Brandman, the global CEO of Thread Collective, is the current owner of Psycho Bunny. He acquired full ownership of the brand in 2021 after a series of strategic transitions.

Q2. Is Psycho Bunny considered a luxury brand?

While not traditionally classified as luxury, Psycho Bunny is known for its high-quality materials, unique designs, and premium positioning. The brand caters to men seeking stylish, sophisticated, and slightly edgy clothing, often sold in upscale retail environments.

Q3. Where did Psycho Bunny originate?

Psycho Bunny was founded in 2005 by Robert Godley and Robert Goldman in Montreal, Canada. The brand has since expanded globally but maintains strong connections to both its founding city and New York, where it also has offices.

Q4. How has Psycho Bunny expanded its product line?

Originally known for polo shirts, Psycho Bunny has diversified its offerings to include a wide range of menswear such as T-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, outerwear, swimwear, and accessories. The brand has also introduced limited women's styles and a full range of children's products.

Q5. What notable partnerships or collaborations has Psycho Bunny engaged in?

Psycho Bunny has formed partnerships in the sports world, including a multi-year deal with tennis legend Andy Roddick and becoming the official athletic outfitter of the National Bank Open. The brand has also collaborated with various artists and celebrities to enhance its brand image and appeal.