Andie, a direct-to-consumer swimwear brand known for premium one-piece suits designed for all body types, announced the acquisition of California-based essentials label Richer Poorer. This deal marks Andie’s first acquisition and a major step toward its vision of becoming a multi-brand and multi-category lifestyle business.
Launched in 2017 by CEO Melanie Travis, Andie quickly rose to prominence with its high-quality swimwear, known for its inclusive fit and elevated design. And last year, Travis began exploring category expansion into seasonless, everyday apparel that aligned with the brand’s coastal chic aesthetic. As she pursued an acquisition strategy, she learned that Richer Poorer (a brand she had long admired) might be interested in selling.
Richer Poorer was created in 2010 by Iva Pawling and Timothy Morse and became known for its effortlessly cool wardrobe staples. And in 2023, the brand was acquired by mall chain Francesca’s. Two years later, Francesca’s was ready to part ways — creating the perfect opportunity for Andie to step in and carry the brand forward.
With this deal, Richer Poorer will be folded into Andie’s high-performing e-commerce operations, enabling the brand to leverage data more effectively to drive customer acquisition, optimize inventory, and accelerate growth.
Travis also emphasized that Richer Poorer will continue to operate as a standalone brand, with its identity and product focus intact.
As part of this integration, each brand will begin featuring select products from the other on their respective websites. The goal is to create meaningful cross-discovery between two highly aligned customer bases: modern, intentional shoppers who prioritize comfort, quality, and style.
This move reflects a bigger trend in the direct-to-consumer space, where consolidation has become a strategic path to scale as brands face rising acquisition costs, fierce competition for consumer attention, and mounting pressure for profitability.
KEY QUOTES:
“I’ve been a longtime fan and customer, and the brand had everything we were envisioning—elevated basics, comfort, wearability, and a loyal customer base. It felt like a natural extension of Andie.”
“Customers won’t see big changes — we love the brand and the product, and that’s why we bought it. But we’re going to bring fresh energy through a sharper merchandising lens, a best-in-class site experience, fewer stockouts, and faster fulfillment. What customers love about Richer Poorer will remain, just supported by a stronger operational backbone.”
“This isn’t about restructuring — it’s about scaling. We’ve spent eight years building a lean, powerful operation at Andie. Now we get to apply that model to more than just swim. It’s the next chapter, and I couldn’t be more excited.”
Melanie Travis
