Jan. 9, 2017
Milk Makeup Receives First Outside Investment From Leading Growth Equity Firm Main Post Partners
EW YORK, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Milk Makeup, the award winning color cosmetics line from the visionary co-founders of Milk Studios, Mazdack Rassi, Erez Shternlicht and Moishe Mana, today announced its partnership with Main Post Partners, a leading private equity firm focused on investing in high growth consumer brands. Main Post Partners’ minority growth investment is the first outside capital for Milk and will help management accelerate Milk’s path toward becoming a leading global brand.
For over 20 years, Milk has been at the cultural intersection of the fashion, music photography and film worlds and is a hub for nurturing creativity. In 2016, Milk launched its first consumer product line, Milk Makeup, which has rapidly grown as the leader of a pack of new rebellious, upstart indie brands. Milk Makeup was founded by Milk’s Mazdack Rassi and his co-founders, along with Dianna Ruth, Georgie Greville and Zanna Roberts Rassi.
With its innovative beauty, skin care and hair care products available online and through brick-and-mortar retailers like Sephora, Urban Outfitters and Birchbox, the brand will expand internationally into Sephora Canada and quadruple its door count in 2017. Milk’s iconic illuminated, white gondolas showcase its fresh makeup collection, offering distinct formulas, applications and packaging to a new breed of empowered, ambitious and entrepreneurial individuals.
“Milk Makeup is about highlighting who you are, as opposed to covering you up. Milk redefines the discovery experience for consumers who love creativity and self-expression. They are the rebels, thinkers and makers who shape our vision and bring it to life,” says Milk Co-founder and Creative Director Mazdack Rassi. “We are grateful to our Chairman Scott Sassa for shepherding our new partnership and this next phase of growth with Main Post Partners.”
Main Post Partners is investing from its inaugural fund, which closed in February of 2016 after spinning out of Weston Presidio. The Partners behind Main Post have made investments in a select portfolio of high growth, disruptive consumer brands. Notably, they invested in industry darling Too Faced Cosmetics where they partnered with Michael McNamara, former CEO of Neutrogena and Philosophy and the company’s founders and management to rapidly transform the business and launch a succession of home run hero products including Better Than Sex Mascara, Born This Way foundation and the much coveted Chocolate Eyeshadow Palettes. Too Faced was recently purchased by Estee Lauder for over $1 billion.
“Milk has a passionate customer base and innovative, creative DNA that will resonate worldwide. We are excited to partner with Rassi and his team to support this next phase of the company’s growth,” says Josh McDowell, Partner of Main Post. “We are thrilled to have another opportunity to invest in an exciting brand with a dynamic team and exceptional retail partners,” comments Jeff Mills, Managing Partner of Main Post.
“Right now as a company we’re focused on listening to and growing our community, and that means we have to scale and market,” Rassi adds. “Main Post will give us the capital and confidence to do just that – they’ll undoubtedly help us deliver a little piece of Milk culture to consumers everywhere as we expand across the world.”