Donatella Versace and REVOLVE Group Inc. are launching a joint venture that will create a new independent beauty and fashion business, with the venture initially targeting consumers in the United States, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Additional markets may be considered over time as the venture evolves, said officials in a news release.
The new business will combine Donatella’s creative direction and cultural influence with REVOLVE’s digital commerce platform, technology, consumer intelligence and operating capabilities. The companies said the venture is intended to develop products and experiences around the way younger consumers discover, shop and engage with fashion and beauty.
New business to begin with beauty
Donatella will serve as chief creative officer and lead the venture’s creative vision, including its identity, products, collaborators and broader cultural positioning. REVOLVE will provide capabilities spanning digital commerce, technology, consumer intelligence, operations, marketing and community engagement.
The venture will initially launch in the beauty category, with its name, creative direction and first product launch expected to be disclosed in the coming months. The companies said additional markets could be considered as the business develops.
“I believe creativity should be fearless, inclusive and alive in the world. I have always been inspired by the next generation, in music, film, art and, of course, fashion. This partnership gives me the freedom to speak to that generation in a completely new and personal way, through beauty and fashion. REVOLVE understands something I believe deeply: culture comes from connection. Together, we want to create that connection with a new voice, a new look and a new energy,” said Versace.
The companies said the venture will seek to combine fashion, beauty, entertainment, talent, creators and community through content, experiences, conversation and commerce. The business is being established as an independent venture centred on Donatella’s creative vision.
Revolve brings digital retail platform
REVOLVE, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RVLV, said its role will include providing the infrastructure and technology needed to operate the new business. The company operates the REVOLVE and FWRD retail platforms and has built a model around digital commerce, social media, creators and its consumer community.
“Donatella is one of the defining creative voices of our time. This partnership gives that vision an entirely new platform and the freedom to build something from the ground up,” said Michael Mente, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, REVOLVE Group.
“By combining Donatella’s creative authority with REVOLVE’s technology, infrastructure and global reach, we have an opportunity to create something genuinely distinctive — and build it for the long term,” said Mike Karanikolas, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, REVOLVE Group.
“Donatella has an extraordinary instinct for what the next generation wants and an unmatched ability to connect fashion with culture. That is what makes this partnership so exciting,” said Raissa Gerona, President of Brand and Partnerships, REVOLVE Group.
The companies said the new venture will draw on Donatella’s decades of work in fashion, music, entertainment and popular culture, as well as REVOLVE’s relationship with millions of consumers and its network of talent and creators.
Donatella to lead creative direction
Donatella became artistic director of the House of Versace in 1997 following the death of her brother, Gianni, and led its creative direction for nearly three decades, according to the release. Her career has included collaborations and relationships with figures in music and entertainment, as well as work with younger designers including JW Anderson, Anthony Vaccarello, Christopher Kane and Kim Jones.
The release said Donatella has received international honours including the Fashion Awards’ Fashion Icon Award and Italy’s Grand Ufficiale dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana.
REVOLVE was founded in 2003 by co-CEOs Michael Mente and Mike Karanikolas. The company sells apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty and home products through its REVOLVE and FWRD segments, using a shared platform.
The company said its community includes millions of consumers, thousands of global fashion influencers and more than 1,600 emerging, established and owned brands.
The companies described the joint venture as the beginning of a broader business, with its first product and brand details to be announced in the coming months.
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