Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Lingerie Brand Raises $125 Million In Series C Funding After Opening First Retail Store

As she sings in Pour It Up, all Rihanna sees is dollar indicators, this time from her lingerie enterprise, Savage X Fenty.

Timed with the opening of the company’s initially ever brick-and-mortar around the weekend, Savage X Fenty declared a new funding spherical of $125 million led by Neuberger Berman. 

Prior buyers L Catterton (a non-public fairness firm backed by LVMH’s Bernard Arnault), Avenir, Sunley Household Capital, Introduction Worldwide, and Marcy Undertaking Companions (the VC company co-established by Jay-Z) also participated in the Sequence C. The Firm also acquired a new expense from LionTree, ACME Funds, Abu Dhabi Growth Fund (ADG) and Multiply Team.

This delivers whole venture cash funding to date to $310 million for the intimate apparel manufacturer, which Robin “Rihanna” Fenty debuted in 2018 with TechStyles Style Group, then spun off in 2019. 

Rihanna turned a billionaire past calendar year when Forbes approximated her net really worth at $1.7 billion, with the bulk of her prosperity rooted in her cosmetics firm, Fenty Beauty, which is truly worth about $1.4 billion. The remaining $270 million comes from the lingerie brand name, as properly as her tunes and performing profession.  

Very last February, Savage X Fenty lifted $115 million in Sequence B. Rihanna, at the time, held a 30% stake in the Savage manufacturer. Savage X Fenty, Neuberger Berman, L Catterton and Marcy Undertaking Associates did not reply to requests for a valuation of the company.    

The most current funding will support the fashion company’s foray into brick-and-mortar retail, ideas to grow overseas and the start of new product or service lines. The Sequence C announcement coincides with the very expected opening of Savage X Fenty’s to start with boutique at the Trend Demonstrate Mall on the Las Vegas Strip.  

The business strategies to open up 4 much more shops in the to start with quarter of 2022 and a whole of 10 by the close of the calendar year, according to Savage X Fenty co-presidents Christiane Pendarvis and Natalie Guzman, who also provide as chief service provider officer and chief marketing officer, respectively.

The subsequent retail store will open in Culver Metropolis in Los Angeles (exactly where the firm is dependent), followed by the Galleria Shopping mall in Houston, the King of Prussia Mall outside Philadelphia and Pentagon City’s Trend Centre in Arlington, Virginia.    

“We’ll start out with a minimal quantity of outlets,” states Pendarvis. “It will characterize a smaller proportion of our company. This is about making positive we’re obtaining the appropriate formulation and assortment blend in stores. This is an particularly curious examination-and-find out yr for us then you will see us ramp up up coming year.”   

Since its inception as a immediate-to-buyer enterprise in 2018, Savage X Fenty has found a revenue CAGR of 150% each calendar year, according to Pendarvis. She and Guzman report to Rihanna, CEO. The corporation declined to remark on income.  

The women’s intimate attire market place, in the meantime, grew given that pre-pandemic 2019, in accordance to the NPD Group. The women’s intimates market place in the U.S. arrived at $15.8 billion in 2021, a 34% increase in dollar gross sales, vs . 2020. 

Jessica Ramirez, retail investigate associate at Jane Hali & Associates, states the model is benefiting from fantastic timing and terrific star electric power. “Savage arrived at a time when the intimates current market sector was becoming challenged to alter, leaving this concept of sexy at the rear of and redefining what that means. Victoria’s Magic formula remaining that out of the discussion for some time, leaving it to new brands with new strategies to go soon after market place share.”

“Rihanna’s following is also component of that gain,” she adds. “With her enormous adhering to there can be gold in almost everything she touches.” 

When a VC complete of $310 million in its treasure upper body is impressive for a young manufacturer like Savage X Fenty, Victoria’s Mystery expects to close 2022 with shut to $6.8 billion in income, continue to commanding some 40% of the lingerie market place. 

“Victoria’s Secret has been hailed as a lifeless manufacturer in spite of its $5 billion in revenue throughout the pandemic,” states Simeon Siegel, fairness study analyst with BMO Cash Marketplaces. “But it was not lifeless, just extremely ill and very substantial.” He claims after its spin off from guardian company L Manufacturers final yr, the world wide legacy brand name is now positioned to reply to new current market traits. “Victoria’s Solution is a lot more healthy as a more compact brand as we have noticed their gain pounds skyrocket.”  

Rather of trailing luxurious strains like Agent Provocateur and La Perla, Savage X Fenty’s transfer toward Victoria’s Secret’s mass-market attractiveness has been evident since February, when LVMH and Rihanna had shuttered Fenty’s upscale ready-to-don clothes line, as Forbes claimed. The destinations for the very first lingerie stores offer a peek into Savage X Fenty’s retail strategy, opting for mainstream malls instead than substantial-end shopping spots like Fifth Avenue in New York or Miami’s Design District.   

Guzman states the business waited until finally its purchaser loyalty program achieved a person million users ahead of opening the very first retail store. “Our locations are primarily based on exactly where we have a high density of VIPs and are in shut proximity to exactly where they shop,” suggests Guzman. “Data is extremely crucial to us and fuels how we are growing this business enterprise.”  

For its IRL retailers, Savage X Fenty partnered with Healthy:Match, an app that utilizes 3D whole human body scans to evaluate buyers and enable them obtain the best match and models. “We want to entry the customers’ requirements the way we did on line,” says Guzman.  

But Savage X Fenty isn’t the to start with to bring touches of tech into the intimates match. Real & Co, Knix and Thirdlove, all started around 2013, followed by the start of Aerie and Lively, ended up all pioneers in leveraging facts for inclusive prototyping, as properly as on the net quizzes and digital instruments for accurate healthy.  

Very similar to its startup friends, Savage X Fenty also emphasizes inclusivity and human body positivity. Bras arrive in much more than 50 sizes, although sleepwear and lingerie is available in dimensions XS–XXXL.  

Even though many bra startups like ThirdLove and CUUP were being also constructed on the notion of inclusive sizing, co-president Pendarvis suggests just about every one manner piece, from its strappy cami corsets to intricate lace teddies, are created in all measurements.

“Unlike other intimate apparel manufacturers, Savage X Fenty absolutely caters to the two ends of the sizing spectrum, from missy to additionally,” says Pendarvis. “We’re not just heading to offer you 40% of the assortment to our furthermore-size buyers, we’re likely to give every little thing, even that crotchless catsuit.”

“Entire body inclusivity is a serious driver for a lot of models,” suggests Kristen Classi-Zummo, trend clothing analyst at the NPD Team. “It’s essential for people to see by themselves in the shops they are procuring at.“

Right before Savage X Fenty opened its 1st store, it relied on its Emmy-nominated vogue reveals to travel dwelling its message of range. Obtainable to all customers through Amazon Key, the shoppable occasions double up as star-studded performances showcasing Bella Hadid, Travis Scott, Halsey, Huge Sean, Lizzo, and Paris Hilton, to title a couple. Equally significant are the hundreds of other designs, a forged of all sizes, ages, sexual orientations and skin tones.

Simeon claims adopting ESG (environmental, social and governance) values is starting to be mainstream and a positive sign of the situations. But it’s not more than enough. “At the close of the day this is retail and telling a diversity story is not ample,” he states. “The product nevertheless has to be a great products and has to resonate.”

When it comes to resonating and producing excitement, possessing Rihanna as founder and CEO, so far, has manufactured it a breeze. Probably it’s also the leadership driving the scenes. “We are about self-confidence and what it means to be hot and attractive,” suggests Guzman. “No other brand is leaning into sensuality the way we are, no a single has focused on suit the way we do.”