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Windsong gives JVN Hair new life with nationwide Ulta Beauty debut
Windsong Global’s portfolio company JVN Hair is set to launch across 700 Ulta Beauty stores and online on 20 July, marking a major milestone for the brand just 19 months after its acquisition, according to a report by Glossy. Originally founded by “Queer Eye” star Jonathan Van Ness and incubated by biotech group Amyris, JVN Hair…
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K-beauty prize in play: Anchor Equity and Taekwang advance in $441m Aekyung pursuit
Anchor Equity Partners and Taekwang Industrial have emerged as leading contenders in the race to acquire a controlling 63% stake in South Korea’s Aekyung Industrial. The deal is expected to be valued at approximately ₩600bn ($441.4m), according to sources cited by KED Global. The stake is currently held by AK Holdings and Aekyung Asset Management.…
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Blackstone sharpens its focus on beauty with $590m Juno Hair deal
Blackstone is in advanced discussions to acquire Juno Hair, South Korea’s largest premium salon group, in a transaction valued at $590m. According to sources cited by KED Global, the deal would mark one of the largest buyouts in Korea’s fragmented beauty services sector. The proposed acquisition would see Blackstone purchase the full stake currently held…
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Oakley Capital acquires heritage British brand Smythson in multi-brand expansion deal
Oakley Capital has acquired heritage British luxury label Smythson as part of a broader investment in iconic European brands. The deal, executed through Oakley’s investment vehicle Iconic BrandCo, also includes the acquisitions of Italian home furnishings label Fornasetti and premium leather goods maker Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano. Smythson, established in 1887 and renowned for its high-end…
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Oakley Capital acquires majority stake in iconic Italian design house Fornasetti
Oakley Capital has acquired a 60% stake in Immaginazione Srl, the holding company behind luxury Italian design brand Fornasetti, in a deal aimed at scaling the historic firm into a global lifestyle business. Founded by Piero Fornasetti in the 1940s and now led by his son, Barnaba Fornasetti, the Milan-based atelier is known for its…
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Inflexion exits control of Medik8 as L’Oréal deepens premium skincare push
L’Oréal has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Medik8, the British premium skincare brand, in a move that strengthens its Luxe Division’s portfolio and underscores continued private equity interest in the high-growth beauty segment. Inflexion, the mid-market private equity firm that previously backed Medik8, will retain a minority stake under the terms of the…
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Exclusive Interview: Andrei Gemeneanu on building Romania’s private equity future
Andrei Gemeneanu, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Morphosis Capital, is on a mission to put Romania firmly on the private equity map. In this candid conversation with Private Equity Insights at CEE’s Largest PE Conference, he shares his views on the regional landscape, Morphosis Capital’s growth story, and how education and values-led investing play a defining…
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Renaissance-backed Rino Mastrotto brings Prada on board with 10% stake sale
Private equity-backed leather group Rino Mastrotto has sold a 10% stake to luxury fashion house Prada, marking a strategic partnership in the high-end leather supply chain. The deal, supported by Renaissance Partners, includes a cash investment by Prada and the transfer of two tanneries – Conceria Superior in Italy and Tannerie Limoges in France –…
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Huda Beauty founder buys back equity stake from TSG Consumer, regaining full ownership
Huda Beauty has returned to full independence following the conclusion of its eight-year partnership with TSG Consumer Partners. Huda Kattan, founder and co-CEO of the global beauty brand, has bought back TSG’s minority stake, regaining full control of the company she launched in 2013. Kattan’s husband, Christopher Goncalo, serves as co-CEO alongside her, while her…
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MidEuropa hands off Optegra to EssilorLuxottica, fuelling European eye care ambitions
MidEuropa has agreed to sell Optegra, a leading European ophthalmology platform, to EssilorLuxottica. The deal, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close later this year. Optegra operates over 70 eye hospitals and diagnostic centres across Europe, offering both medically necessary and elective vision treatments. Since acquiring the company in 2023, MidEuropa has driven Optegra’s…