The new funding will also help expand these brands to strengthen the personas of each “Doll." “We haven’t built a brand around an aesthetic, we’ve built it around a much deeper movement,” said Farahi.ĭolls Kill cites success with its “Doll” model, creating six personas of “Dolls” that speak to different subcultures within the community, with products and styles sold under these customer archetypes. Winning often means marketing a sense of belonging to a community. The market for festival-goers and Gen Z, once a small niche, has become larger and more competitive in recent years, with larger players like Asos and Pretty Little Thing taking a share of the market by adding specific festival categories and shopping guides. “Their brand values are very aligned to the values of Gen Z,” said Amy Sun, a partner at Sequoia Capital. Recent Instagram posts include an ASMR edition of staffers favourite products and a “Y2K dream girl” outfit. Dolls Kill is known for featuring kawaii, punk, goth, streetwear and festival. "There are few companies like Zappos that built such technological and operational excellence." Dolls Kill is a global online fashion brand for young persons of all genders. "To us, Alfred seemed like the perfect partner," said Dolls Kill Co-Founder and CEO Bobby Farahi. Sequoia has previously invested in companies like Glossier, Charlotte Tilbury and Instacart.
With the rise of Coachella and general festival-EDM culture in the US, the brand helped establish an online offering similar to Hot Topic and Nasty Gal, pushing other online retailers like Fashion Nova and Pretty Little Thing to expand their categories to include festival wear and rave pieces.Īlfred Lin, former COO, CFO and chairman of Zappos and current partner at Sequoia Capital, led the round of funding and will join the Dolls Kill board. The expansion would also include enhancing delivery and returns as well as providing more on-site support and customer service for international customers. “A large percentage of our followers and site traffic are international,” said Farahi. The funding will be used to expand international operations, as well as launching more brands and strengthening digital offerings for the company. Browse DOLLS KILL shoes, bags, clothing & more designer items now. The company declined to reveal revenue figures, but says it’s profitable. Though I was initially excited to work for my favorite retail brand, I was appalled at the treatment of their employees, myself especially. Discover exclusive womens & mens DOLLS KILL items at Buymas online store.
NEW YORK, United States - Dolls Kill, the online retailer known for its festival wear and following among online "e-girls," has raised $40 million in a Series B funding round led by Sequoia Capital, bringing the amount of total capital the company has raised to over $60 million.įounded in 2011 by former DJ Shoddy Lynn and her partner Bobby Farahi, the brand started within rave and EDM subcultures, offering platform shoes, fishnet unitards and other festival-style pieces.