Key Investments and Acquisitions Shaping the Fashion, Beauty, and Tech Industries

Nov 12, 2025 at 3:26 PM

In the past months, the fashion, beauty, and tech industries have witnessed a flurry of investment and acquisition activities, underscoring a period of dynamic growth and strategic realignment. From November 2025, Skims, co-founded by Kim Kardashian, secured a substantial $225 million funding round, boosting its valuation to $5 billion. This investment is earmarked for expanding its physical retail footprint internationally and fostering product innovation. The brand aims to transition into a predominantly physical business, with plans for more owned retail stores and category diversification. Similarly, ShopMy, an affiliate and influencer marketing platform, successfully raised $70 million in its Series B round, pushing its valuation to $1.5 billion. The platform, which connects brands like Gucci with content creators, experienced a 200% revenue growth in the past year, indicating a strong demand for streamlined creator commerce solutions. This surge reflects a broader industry trend towards leveraging digital platforms and influencer networks for market penetration and brand engagement.

The financial landscape of these sectors also highlights major acquisitions and strategic partnerships. Unilever, for instance, divested its prestige skincare brand Kate Somerville to Rare Beauty Brands, while BNTO, an AI-powered fashion retail platform, completed a $15 million Series A funding round to advance its AI styling agent, Maya. These moves demonstrate a clear focus on technological integration and strategic brand consolidation. Willy Chavarria, the New York-based designer, secured a minority investment from UAE-based Chalhoub Group, aiming to expand its global retail presence in Europe and Asia and launch new projects. Further strengthening market positions, Frasers Group acquired multi-brand retailer The Webster, and LVMH Luxury Ventures made minority investments in heritage knitwear brand Molli and luggage brand Db, signaling a strategic intent to support brands with distinctive voices and untapped growth potential. These transactions collectively illustrate a robust market where companies are actively seeking capital to innovate, expand geographically, and enhance their operational capabilities, often with a keen eye on sustainability and technological advancement.

Looking ahead, the commitment to innovation, sustainability, and market expansion continues to drive investment decisions. The industry is seeing a shift towards integrating AI and advanced technologies to personalize consumer experiences, optimize supply chains, and foster circularity. Companies like Faircraft, a lab-grown leather startup, and Circ, a textile-to-textile recycling platform, are receiving significant funding to scale their sustainable initiatives, reflecting a growing consumer and investor appetite for environmentally conscious solutions. Moreover, brands are increasingly focusing on building strong community engagement and leveraging digital tools to connect with consumers, as seen with platforms like Try Your Best (TYB) and social commerce platforms like Whatnot. The emphasis on personalized experiences, ethical production, and technological advancement underscores a forward-looking vision for the fashion and beauty industries, poised for continued evolution and growth in the global marketplace.