In a high-profile verdict handed down Friday at a court in southwest England, James Holder, the 54-year-old co-founder of iconic British streetwear label Superdry, has been found guilty of rape. The guilty verdict came after a jury deliberated on the case, which centered on an attack Holder carried out against a woman in 2022, following their first meeting at a local bar in Cheltenham. Following the conviction, judges denied Holder bail, meaning he will remain in custody while awaiting his sentencing hearing scheduled for next week.
Holder, along with business partner Julian Dunkerton, launched Superdry in 2003, building the brand from a small startup into a globally recognized streetwear label that won widespread popularity for its blend of casual design and British aesthetic. But the company has faced a series of major challenges in recent years, most notably a pronounced slump in sales that prompted a major corporate restructuring. As a result of that restructuring, Superdry was officially delisted from the London Stock Exchange earlier in 2024 and rebranded under the new name Superdry & Co.