THE LIST’s Post

"👗💼 The fashion investment forecast for 2024 looks promising! As we pivot from a spree of fire sales to a more stabilized economy, fashion start-ups like True Classic are eyeing lucrative exits. With a sought-after $1bn valuation amidst a 40% sales surge, the investment landscape is bustling with activity. Will strategic partnerships and IPOs stitch together a new era of profitability for the fashion sector? 🚀 Read on for insights into how brands are dressing for success and the potential returns for savvy investors. #FashionInvesting #StartupExits #EconomicRecovery #LinkedInReads"

Following a lackluster year of M&A activity in 2023, the beauty sector is now seeing a flurry of acquisitions across the category during this early stretch of 2024. The higher interest rates, inflationary pressures, and constant rumblings of a possible recession we experienced last year contributed to the gloomy and stagnant M&A landscape, but it thankfully did not have a significant impact on the beauty sector’s overall success. Nor has it cooled expectations for the year ahead. On the contrary, we’ve seen a ton of M&A activity already in late 2023 and early 2024, with E.L.F. BEAUTY acquiring popular skincare brand NATURIUM, Unilever acquiring the premium haircare brand K18 Hair, and Dr. Barbara Sturm being acquired by Puig. Brands such as Kosas, Augustinus Bader, and Westman Atelier are also frequently labeled as potential acquisition targets in 2024 and beyond. Story by CASSIE ROSENTHAL of Rosenthal & Rosenthal, Inc. #sponsored #beautybusiness #beautyindustry #mergersandacquisitions #finance #dealflow

Not every beauty brand will be fortunate enough to have a clear exit mapped out. But there are steps that brands can take now to bolster their funding and capitalization strategies, so they are well prepared and well positioned when the time is right.

LVMH: A dance with Streetwear - Strategic Partnership, Tryst or Temporary Relevance? @FabianaFakhoury, I agree that LVMH seems to be rebalancing its portfolio, which is expected for a company of their size. I agree Off-White appears to be a natural choice for divestiture, especially following their latest earnings report. Looking at LVMH’s history with streetwear—selling Off-White, discontinuing Fenty’s fashion line, and leveraging Supreme for cultural relevance—it raises a key question: If you were advising a hot, up-and-coming streetwear brand that LVMH approached, what would be your strategy? Do you see streetwear brands fitting naturally within the LVMH portfolio, or are they more of a short-term boost for cultural relevance? For the M&A experts: Does LVMH offer longevity to streetwear brands, or is it more about giving them a temporary lift before spinning them off? Also, what if Pharrell, alongside a rotating team of cultural icons like Asap Rocky, Tyler the Creator, Nigo, and Demna, were called in to support the creative team? Could this move have elevated both cultural relevance and strategic growth for the long term? Next up: Samuel Ross’ next move.. #CustomerCentricity #CustomerExperience #DesignThinking #BusinessModels #Innovation #ProductDevelopment #ProductInnovation #Technology #StrategicPartnerships #StrategicThinking #MarketIntelligence #Sustainability #SustainableInvestment #BusinessConsulting #LVMH

Strategy Case Study: In case you've been living under a rock lately...the current richest man in the world is Bernard Arnault, Ceo of LVMH. (as of March 18th) Now, unless you've been keeping up with the Forbes billionaire list, you may not have heard of him until recently. His brands on the other hand--just to mention a few: - Christian Dior - Tiffany and Co - Sephora - Marc Jacobs - TAG Heuer - DOM PÉRIGNON - Cheval Blanc hotels - LVMH stands for Louis Vuitton MOËT Hennessy (Those who know me may be chuckling to themselves right now because they know I have an "attracted to shiny" streak.) So what's the strategy here? Those are a lot of really nice brands, but they're all over the place! Fashion, jewelry, hospitality, watches, liquor, WINE (insert chuckling friends once again here). The answer may be obvious to some, but for those of us that are starting to figure all this out... Mr. Arnault would say "high quality", and his investments through mergers and acquisitions speak to that, but I want to take it a step further. It's not about the products...it's about who he can market and sell to, i.e. LVMH's target customers (Brian O'Connor (Fractional CMO) would call this "positioning"). Think about it...the same people who buy high-end champagne would probably also be interested in high-end jewelry or a week-long stay at a high-end hotel in Paris (which serves high-end wine). Once you see the synergies and how all these products could overlap, you realize one thing: Mr. Arnault isn't successful because he makes really nice products. Mr. Arnault is successful because he knows who is customers are and goes and acquires more stuff that they would want.

From radical transparency to rebrand. The remaking of Everlane is today's lead story in The Business of Fashion. And when Malique Morris picks up the phone, you know it’s going to be a great conversation. He asks the big questions, and always has a long-term lens on a brand. A must-read that unpacks: ➡ The wider context behind a brand that came unstuck in the gaps between perception and performance, expectation and experience ➡ How Everlane is setting a new course ➡ Rebuilding trust and establishing new #cultural #relevance ➡ Addressing the focus required to see it through under a new North Star of #leadership 💡 Importantly this raises a debate on what #sustainable #growth looks like – is the ultimate ambition really about more $1bn brands, or around more sustainable trajectories and ecosystems of growth? https://lnkd.in/e8pEGZtz   #brands #brandstrength #brandequity #culture #creativity #collaboration #rebrand #relevance #generations

Will M&A activity in the #beauty sector shift towards new strategic targets? Over the past few years, it has seemed like everyone – from online influencers to top-tier financiers – has staked their claim in the beauty market, launching brands, incubating startups or making high-profile investments. So what’s next for M&A in beauty? First, I do expect to see more crossovers between the beauty and #luxury spheres. In late 2022, Estée Lauder`s $2.8bn acquisition of the TOM FORD brand showed its confidence in luxury as a major revenue driver. Kering Group’s $3.8bn purchase of luxury fragrance house Creed as cornerstone of its new in-house beauty division, is another example. Gucci’s beauty license – currently held by Coty until 2028 – is reportedly worth as much as $500m in sales… will Kering bring it in-house next? Richemont indicated a similar strategy, announcing the formation of its Laboratoire de Haute Parfumerie et Beauté. Second, I expect to see continued investment into developing markets, specifically India. The Indian beauty sector is ballooning, as international groups target the region for expansion. The Carlyle Group recently took a $300m majority stake in VLCC, a provider of beauty and #wellness solutions; LVMH struck a deal with Reliance Industries to expand SEPHORA India, and in the same month, Unilever Ventures announced the backing of haircare brand WishCare and predicted “many, many decades” of “massive growth” in the segment. Thirdly, and perhaps most interestingly, I predict that M&A strategies will fundamentally shift. Since the beginning of 2023, for example, L'Oréal has built up a raft of #sustainability and technology focused acquisitions, buying in microbiome research know-how with the acquisition of Lactobio, taking a minority stake in Chinese biotech company Shinehigh Innovation; and acquiring the environmental water tech startup Gjosa SA. In the past few months, Shiseido acquired Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, Unilever Prestige took control of K18 Hair and Puig bought Dr. Barbara Sturm. These are businesses that not only address a distinct consumer need and complement existing portfolios, but have proven scalability, global relevance, and a pre-existing multichannel pres...

Portfolio rebalancing is part of any brand umbrella company and Off-White seems like a good choice to be sold, especially since LVMH's latest earnings release. #CustomerCentricity #CustomerExperience #DesignThinking #BusinessModels #HumanCenteredDesign #Innovation #Ideation #InnovationAcceleration #InnovationManagement #LeanDevelopment #ProductCreation #ProductDevelopment #ProductInnovation #ProductLifecycleManagement #LCM #R&D #Technology #turnaround #restructuring #strategicpartnerships #consultingservices  #strategicthinking #marketintelligence #strategy #strategic #capitalraising #capitalization#capital #innovateforchange #fundamentals #innovativesolutions #possibilities #sustainabilty #sustainableinvestment #businessconsulting #strategicplanning #consumers #businessmodel #bethechange #fundraising 

A challenge for brand management at sneaker retailer Snipes. In the world of Hip-Hop, the Snipes brand ranks in the top ten, just behind Nike, and its growing well, now a leadership change is pending. Its influential founder is departing, and investor discount shoe retailer #Deichmann steps in to take over the iconic Hip-Hop brand. The transition holds sway over brand identity and success. "The company culture and its brand are crucial factors for #Snipes. A seamless succession is paramount, and the fact that the founder handpicked his successor is a very positive sign. The new CEO must grasp the essence of the brand to continue its brand management and success," as I highlighted for Handelsblatt's Florian Kolf. "Snipes doesn't need a turnaround manager." Furthermore, Deichmann has played its cards right so far by giving the startup the space it needed for growth. The danger in acquisitions often lies in the fact that large corporations tend to stifle the essence of startups. Thanks for the interview, Florian Kolf. Read the full article on handelsblatt.com: https://lnkd.in/ex-4C2C3 #marketing #BrandManagement #Retail #sneaker #myWHU

Looking for investment for your #fashion brand? Thinking of making an investment? But do you know a direct subscription from an advance subscription? Could a convertible loan note be the way forward? What are funding rounds and how do they differ from crowdfunding?   The issue of investment in the #fashion industry is one which is often in the news – from FARFETCH to S.S.DALEY to CULT MIA. But working out what type of investment is appropriate isn't always straightforward. In this month’s issue of Fashion Focus we lift the lid on fundraises and investments https://lnkd.in/ePE_UEiT