The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
The Shanghai-based beauty retail and brand management group has led a funding round into the Chinese luxury perfume brand for an undisclosed amount, saying it is a “multimillion-dollar” deal.
In what mark’s the group’s first backing of a Chinese brand, Ushopal founder and chief executive Lu Guo said: “the investment [in Documents] signifies our belief that China has produced brands capable of stepping onto the global stage.”
Established in 2017, Ushopal has successfully managed and operated several international beauty brands in China, including Chantecaille, 111skin, Suqqu and Juliette Has A Gun. Between 2022 and 2023, the group completed the acquisition of the British skincare brand Argentum and French fragrance brand Juliette Has A Gun. Additionally, it has invested in Japanese DTC men’s skincare brand Bulk Homme. Ushopal has also built a network of multibrand luxury beauty stores called Bonnie & Clyde across China.
Documents was founded in 2021 by Meng Zhaoran, quickly gaining popularity among Gen Z and Millennial customers in China through its bold and mysterious brand image, combining traditional Oriental culture with contemporary design aesthetics. The brand closed its initial $1.4 million Series A round of investment in 2022 with the sale of a minority stake to L’Oréal’s investment arm in China, Shanghai Meicifang Investment. The round was also joined by Cathay Consumer Co-creation Fund, which was co-established by Cathay Capital, Kering, L’Oréal and Pernod Ricard.
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“We aim to gain more benefits in global channels, business operations, and supply chain management, working towards enhancing competitiveness and evolving into a more visionary international brand,” said Meng.
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Chinese Omnichannel Partner for Beauty Brands Raises $100 Million
This injection, led by FountainVest Partners, part of the consortium that recently acquired Arc’teryx parent company, Amer Sports, increases Ushopal’s investment pool to $200 million.
Local streetwear brands, festivals and stores selling major global labels remain relatively small but the country’s community of hypebeasts and sneakerheads is growing fast.
This week’s round-up of global markets fashion business news also features Senegalese investors, an Indian menswear giant and workers’ rights in Myanmar.
Though e-commerce reshaped retailing in the US and Europe even before the pandemic, a confluence of economic, financial and logistical circumstances kept the South American nation insulated from the trend until later.
This week’s round-up of global markets fashion business news also features Korean shopping app Ably, Kenya’s second-hand clothing trade and the EU’s bid to curb forced labour in Chinese cotton.