Portfolio Company

Violet Grey

Exited
about
Violet Grey
status: EXITED (JANUARY 2022)

Violet Grey is elevating the luxury beauty shopping experience by melding the best elements of the beauty counter with the convenience of e-commerce. Known as “the industry’s beauty edit,” Violet Grey began with a search for the best eyelash curler. For the answer, the Company asked Hollywood’s leading artists and stars to test every eyelash curler against their rigorous standards. They tested on movie sets and red carpets — and once they learned which curler would make lashes curve and not crimp (Utowa, it’s from Japan), they moved on to mascara, lip stain, dry shampoo and everything else a girl needs in her cosmetic wardrobe. The result is a discerning curation of beauty products, tips and inspiration deemed essential by the industry experts who know best. Violet Grey’s digital shelves are lined with the best beauty products on the market, curated by its community of trusted make-up artists, hair stylists and stars.  The Company also has a flagship boutique located on Melrose Place in West Hollywood where customers can shop expertly curated beauty products and exclusive offerings.

Violet Grey
Company News
  • WWD - January 28, 2022
    Farfetch Acquiring Violet Grey Ahead of Beauty Launch

    Violet Grey has found a new home — and its founder Cassandra Grey has found a new mission. Luxury platform Farfetch agreed to buy Violet Grey for an undisclosed sum, bringing in some more beauty expertise ahead of its planned launch into the beauty market later this year. Grey will chair Violet Grey under the Farfetch umbrella and will also become a global adviser for beauty on the Farfetch marketplace and cofounder of NGG Beauty at the company. Violet Grey will remain a stand-alone operating including violetgrey.com and the brand’s Los Angeles store.

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  • Vogue Buisiness - January 2/, 2022
    Farfetch plans beauty launch with Violet Grey acquisition

    Farfetch has acquired upscale, cult beauty retailer Violet Grey as a precursor to launching beauty this year. LA-based Violet Grey – viewed as the beauty industry’s answer to legendary Paris fashion boutique Colette – sells luxury, independent brands including Augustinus Bader and Westman Atelier, alongside megabrands Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Estée Lauder-backed La Mer and Tom Ford, using a mix of curation and editorial-rich content, akin to the Goop model. The acquisition, announced today, for an undisclosed amount, is an “important step ahead of the launch of beauty on Farfetch later this year and will form part of our overall beauty strategy ‘palette’,” says Stephanie Phair, chief customer officer at Farfetch.

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  • Forbes - August 15, 2018
    Violet Grey's CEO Took Her Leadership Skills From The Fashion Industry To Help Grow Startups

    Initially, April joined the advisory board of Spring, but her expertise and relationships with brands garnered her to secure a role as the Chief Brand Officer. During her time at Spring, April was exposed to beauty brands from Estee Lauder to Charlotte Tilbury. She fell in love with the business side of beauty industry which led her to explore moving back to the west coast, where beauty was on the rise. So when the founder of Violet Grey, Cassandra Grey, offered April the role of CEO at Violet Grey, it was a perfect marriage.

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  • WWD - July 11, 2018
    Beats by Dre Partners With Violet Grey on Limited-Edition Headphones

    The Apple-owned headphones company and the beauty retailer have linked to offer product on violetgrey.com and host a party on Melrose Place.

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  • WWD.com - March 30, 2018
    Shiseido Invests in Violet Grey

    Violet Grey’s unique approach to prestige beauty is well-aligned with Shiseido’s e-commerce strategy

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  • LA-Confidential-Magazine.com - June 21, 2017
    Go Inside LA Beauty Destination Violet Grey With Founder Cassandra Huysentruyt Grey

    Ever imagine having access to the beauty must-haves of Hollywood’s top glam squads? Violet Grey is just that— a curated selection of the industry’s best products, dreamt up by Cassandra Huysentruyt Grey in the form of a lush atelier and e-commerce-meets-editorial website. Here, the 40-year-old founder (and wife to the late Hollywood icon Brad Grey) talks Melrose Place and the summer’s hottest look.

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  • L2inc.com - January 25th, 2017
    The New Wave of Beauty Retailers

    The decision of which retailers to partner with is no longer limited to Sephora, department stores, and Ulta. A new crop of beauty retailers that sell an edited list of product are becoming consumers’ source of inspiration.

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