LVMH acquires stake in Nicholas Kirkwood's company

French luxury goods group LVMH has taken a majority stake in ­award-winning British shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood's company.

The acquisition by LVMH, which owns brands such as Christian Dior, Givenchy and Louis Vuitton, for an undisclosed sum will provide Nicholas Kirkwood's company resources to expand internationally, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Kirkwood, 33, founded his shoe brand in 2004. He has twice been named Accessories Designer of the year at the British Fashion awards.

He sells his shoes in 150 shops around the world and has his own outlets in Mount Street, Mayfair, London, as well as in New York and Las Vegas.

"It's with great excitement and pride that I enter this partnership. LVMH is home to the most celebrated and revered brands and talents in our industry, and has an implicit understanding of luxury. From my first meeting with Delphine Arnault and Pierre-Yves Roussel of LVMH, it was clear that LVMH would be the best partner for our brand, as we have the same values of design, creativity and craftsmanship," Kirkwood said in a statement.

LVMH will seek to create a Nicholas Kirkwood retail chain and expand the brand's fashion range by introducing handbags.