What C&C California does

C&C California is a women's lifestyle apparel brand founded in Los Angeles in 2002 by Cheyann Benedict and Claire Stansfield, drawing on 1970s West Coast surf culture and iconic celebrities such as Raquel Welch and Natalie Wood. The brand's product line centers on textural, soft-hand-feel fabrics including a signature tri-blend fleece (best seller since 2010), luxe cashmere sweaters, and apparel spanning tees, sweaters, dresses, novelty tops, and active-inspired separates. A C&C Sport sub-brand launched in 2013, and the portfolio has expanded to include home furnishings (earrings, bracelets, chairs) alongside apparel.

Since 2015 the brand has been owned by ACI Licensing and operates as an asset-light licensor, granting category exclusivity to manufacturing and distribution partners while collecting royalties. By 2022 the brand had 18 active license agreements, up from 6 acquired in 2015, and in February 2026 ACI Licensing added Li & Fung as a multi-category licensee for women's swimwear, sleepwear, loungewear, and outerwear with wholesale rights across full-price, off-price, and club retail channels. Products are distributed through major US retailers including Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Ross Stores, Burlington, Home Goods, Bealls, and Meijers/Fred Meyer, supplemented by a small direct-to-consumer e-commerce presence via candccalifornia.com. The core operating team numbers 11-50 employees, consistent with a brand-management entity rather than a vertically integrated apparel manufacturer.

Name

C&C California

Legal name

C&C California

Website

https://candccalifornia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

C&C California is a women's lifestyle apparel brand founded in 2002 in Los Angeles, owned by ACI Licensing and operated as an asset-light licensor with 18 active license agreements. It serves US consumers across department stores, off-price retailers, and DTC e-commerce, with signature soft-hand-feel fabrics such as tri-blend fleece and luxe cashmere.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Lifestyle Apparel

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110), Apparel Manufacturing (315)

SIC

Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Premium & Contemporary Apparel Brands (CRAAAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Women’s Apparel Retail (CRAAABAB), Athletic / Performance & Activewear Brands (CRAAAAAD), Fast Fashion Intimates & Sleepwear (CRAAAGAH)

Keywords

• Women's apparel
• Fashion licensing
• Lifestyle clothing
• Cashmere sweaters
• Activewear apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Licensing Royalties: C&C California generates revenue primarily through licensing agreements with manufacturing and distribution partners. The company grants category exclusivity to licensees who produce and distribute C&C California products, receiving royalties in return. By 2022, the brand had 18 active license agreements covering various product categories.
2. Wholesale Distribution: Products distributed through wholesale channels to major retailers including Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Ross Stores, and others. The Li & Fung agreement grants wholesale distribution rights across all channels including full-price, off-price and club retail.
3. Direct-to-Consumer Sales: Direct sales through the company's e-commerce website candccalifornia.com, with email newsletter signup for customer engagement.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

C&C California designs and licenses a women's lifestyle apparel portfolio built around signature soft-hand feel fabrics, including tees, sweaters, dresses, tops, active-inspired separates, and home furnishings. The brand is owned and managed by ACI Licensing, which grants category-exclusive manufacturing and distribution rights to partners such as Li & Fung in exchange for royalties, while finished goods are sold wholesale through major U.S. retailers and direct-to-consumer via the company website.

Product overview

C&C California is a lifestyle apparel brand founded in 2002 that celebrates 70s West Coast culture through textural, soft-hand feel fashion for women. The brand operates as a licensing model with ACI Licensing owning the brand and managing license agreements. The core product line includes the main C&C California Apparel collection featuring tees, sweaters, dresses, tops, and separates. The portfolio includes the C&C Sport Collection (activewear sub-brand), Luxe Cashmere Sweaters, and Tri-Blend Fleece (signature fabric). As of 2026, the brand is expanding into new categories through a Li & Fung license for women's swimwear, sleepwear, loungewear, and outerwear. Products are distributed through major retailers including Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Ross Stores, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• C&C California Sport: Sport collection launched in 2013 featuring luxe leggings and hoodies.

Products and services

• C&C California Apparel The main C&C California women's apparel line featuring textural, soft-hand feel fashion inspired by 1970s West Coast culture, including tees, sweaters, dresses, tops, separates, and active-inspired clothing for women.
• C&C Sport Collection Active-inspired sub-brand collection featuring luxe leggings and hoodies, offering the brand's signature soft-hand feel in performance-adjacent silhouettes for women.
• Luxe Cashmere Sweaters Premium cashmere sweater collection that became top sellers following Liz Claiborne's 2005 acquisition of the brand, extending the soft-hand feel into a higher price tier.
• Tri-Blend Fleece Signature tri-blend fleece fabric collection that became a best seller in 2010, known for comfort and the brand's soft-hand feel.
• Super Soft Tees Foundational t-shirt collection featuring ultra-soft fabric that gained overnight success after being featured on Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Things show in 2003.
• Women's Swimwear Women's swimwear collection including swim separates, one-pieces, and beachwear, debuting under the Li & Fung license with wholesale distribution across full-price, off-price, and club retail.
• Sleepwear & Loungewear Women's sleepwear sets and loungewear collection featuring comfortable fabrics with the brand's signature soft-hand feel, debuting under the Li & Fung license.
• Women's Outerwear Women's outerwear collection ranging from windbreakers to parkas, debuting under the Li & Fung license at Holiday 2026 market with wholesale distribution across all channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured on Oprah Winfrey's 'Favorite Things' show in 2003, becoming an overnight success
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Li & FungcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 February 2026Li & Fung announced a licensing agreement with C&C California to produce and distribute women's swimwear, sleepwear, and outerwear. The agreement grants category exclusivity and wholesale distribution rights across all channels including full-price, off-price and club retail. The first collection debuts at Holiday 2026 market featuring swim separates, one-pieces, beachwear, sleepwear sets, and outerwear from windbreakers to parkas.
• Brand GenuityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022ACI Licensing signed on Brand Genuity in 2022 for expansion into international markets, supporting the brand's global growth strategy.
• ACI LicensingcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2015ACI Licensing acquired C&C California and C&C California Sport in 2015, securing 6 new licenses for the brand at that time. ACI Licensing, together with Established.Lifestyle, owns the C&C brand and manages the licensing program. By 2022, ACI Licensing had expanded the brand to 18 license agreements.
• Perry Ellis InternationalcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2008Perry Ellis International purchased the C&C California brand from Liz Claiborne in 2008, continuing the brand's expansion and distribution.
• Liz ClaibornecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2005Liz Claiborne bought the C&C California brand in 2005, expanding the collection into luxury cashmere sweaters that immediately became top sellers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Velvet by Graham & Spencer: Premium contemporary women's basics brand focused on everyday luxury essentials with soft fabrics. Comparable to C&C California in target customer, casual-luxury positioning, and emphasis on fabric quality as a key differentiator.
• Vince: Contemporary apparel brand offering elevated essentials with a California sensibility. Comparable in premium-casual positioning, women's apparel focus, and broad wholesale plus DTC distribution strategy.
• Splendid: Contemporary women's apparel brand known for soft, casual fabrics and lifestyle positioning. Closely comparable to C&C California in fabric philosophy (soft-hand feel), customer demographic, and off-price plus full-price distribution strategy.
• James Perse: Los Angeles-based premium casual apparel brand known for ultra-soft fabrics and minimalist California aesthetic. Directly comparable in fabric-first differentiation, price tier, and West Coast lifestyle positioning.
• Ella Moss: California lifestyle women's apparel brand offering similar premium-casual soft-hand feel fashion. Directly comparable in target demographic, price point, and lifestyle positioning, and historically a sister brand to Splendid under the same ownership umbrella.
• Sanctuary Clothing: California-inspired women's contemporary apparel brand with similar lifestyle-driven aesthetic and soft, versatile wardrobe staples. Comparable in target demographic, category mix, and price positioning.
• Rails: Contemporary lifestyle apparel brand offering premium casual women's clothing with emphasis on soft fabrics. Comparable in target demographic, premium-casual positioning, and multi-channel wholesale plus DTC distribution.
• PJ Salvage: Specialty women's sleepwear and loungewear brand with soft, comfort-focused fabric positioning. Directly relevant given C&C California's planned expansion into sleepwear and loungewear under the Li & Fung license.

Broad incumbents

• Free People: Large-scale women's contemporary lifestyle brand under URBN with similar bohemian-lifestyle aesthetic and wholesale plus DTC reach. Broader assortment and larger scale than C&C California, but overlapping customer and category footprint.

Others

• Established.Lifestyle: Brand management and licensing company co-owning C&C California alongside ACI Licensing. Directly relevant as a strategic partner managing the brand's licensing program and recent category expansion initiatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CandCCalifornia
• Instagraminstagram.com/candccalifornia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about C&C California