Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

How Indie Beauty Brands Can Still Thrive

While emerging lines of the early 2010s were able to disrupt the landscape thanks to lower barriers of entry, new-to-market labels face a tougher road ahead as they struggle to carve out their niche and raise capital in a tough economy.

Yola Mzizi

16 October 2023

A botched tattoo healing experience left Oliver Zak dismayed. In 2019, the then-senior at Miami University was instructed to use petroleum jelly on his new ink, which left his tattoo in a cloudy state. The mishap led Zak and classmate Selom Agbitor to begin brewing their own healing balms in a crockpot with ingredients purchased from Amazon and apothecaries around their college.

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About the author

Yola Mzizi

Yola Mzizi is the Editorial Associate at The Business of Fashion (BoF). She is based in New York and provides operational support to the New York team and writes features for BoF and The Business of Beauty.

In This Article

Topics

Beauty:Cosmetics

How Dwayne Johnson Made a Skincare Brand Men Actually Buy

The ‘everyman’ skincare market is moving towards premiumisation, as brands like Johnson’s Papatui ditch traditional one-note marketing for a more considered approach.

Opinion: Harry Styles Is Selling Sex — Even If Wall Street Won’t

The successful restock of a vibrator and lube from Styles' beauty and wellness brand Pleasing shows how celebrities are sustaining the sexual wellness category, writes Bloomberg's Jessica Karl.

The Business of Beauty Global Awards: An Update on 2025’s Winners

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This week, Priya Rao examines Gen Alpha’s next big brand, Hiku.

Retailers Push UK to Join US and EU Ending Shein Parcel Loophole

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Exclusive: Deciem to Relaunch The Chemistry Brand

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Executive Memo | Navigating the Unravelling of Multibrand Retail

Wholesale remains essential for the luxury industry, but the rules of engagement have changed. Brands need to know how to minimise the risks and maximise the rewards in their relationships with multibrand players.

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