Czech Vogue publisher invests in Prague fashion brand Jan Société

Michaela Sivald, publisher of the Czech and Slovak edition of Vogue, has become the first outside investor in Prague fashion brand Jan Société. The size of the deal and the stake are not disclosed, but the fact itself is notable: in the brand's nine years of existence, this is the first outside capital it has received.

The brand's founder Jan Černý retains full control over the creative direction and day-to-day management of the company — Sivald comes in purely as a financial partner, not as a co-creator of the collections.

The story behind the deal deserves a mention of its own: according to Sivald herself, the decision to invest came together during an ordinary visit to the designer's showroom, where in 2024 he was working on a collection for the Czech Olympic team. Her attention was caught by a small table with a tabletop made of hundred-dollar bills. She asked whether Černý was looking for an investor — and a week later received a finished business plan from him.

Černý was born in 1994 in Hodonín, graduated from the fashion design department at Tomas Bata University in Zlín, interned at Louis Vuitton under Virgil Abloh, and then founded his own brand, originally named after himself. Three years ago the brand was renamed Jan Société — to emphasize that it is the result of a team's work rather than purely personal creativity, and to make it more accessible to audiences abroad.

Among Černý's most notable projects are his long-running collaboration with footwear maker Moleda on the redesign of the Prestige sneaker, his role as creative director of the traditional brand KARA Trutnov, as well as a signature collection for the Czech Olympic and Paralympic teams at the 2024 Paris Games and the uniforms for the Czech pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka. His red-carpet outfits have been worn by actress Aňa Geislerová and other celebrities.

Sivald's investment is part of a broader strategy. Together with Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, founder of House of Vanderbilt, she created the Vanderbilt & Zeewald Global Studio platform, which helps independent designers financially, technologically and through media and business contacts — without taking away creative control or ownership of the brand. The studio has already raised $1 million in seed capital and is seeking another $10 million.

According to Sivald, Central and Eastern Europe is home to many talented independent designers who simply lack access to capital, production, distribution and experienced management to turn their creativity into a scalable business. For Jan Černý, the partnership with the Vogue publisher could be a chance to break into foreign markets.