Carmen Busquets backs Moda Operandi

Carmen Busquets, the online luxury retail investor,

has increased her investment in Moda Operandi, the first online luxury retailer to provide consumers access to the full collections from top designers direct from the runway.

Earlier this month, Moda Operandi confirmed that it had completed a $36 million round of financing led by RRE Ventures, which also included the participation of previous investors such as Carmen Busquets, New Enterprise Associates, New Atlantic Ventures, and CondeNast, as well as new strategic investors such as LVMH and IMG.

The new financing will support the robust growth of the global retailer as it continues to add on brand partners. The company also announced that it plans to use the financing to launch in-season buying in the fall that will feature a highly curated selection of product across all categories.

Commenting on her investment Carmen Busquets said: “The Moda Operandi model of providing consumers with the opportunity to buy collections ahead of their official launch reminds me of how I built my first business in the luxury sector. When I started out in business the kind of technology we are seeing today was not available, but the growth of online has created opportunities for small niche brand to deliver luxury smarter, faster right across the globe.

“This is an exciting niche and very different to what other businesses in the luxury space are currently offering. My belief is that Moda Operandi has great potential to grow into a global business and I am very pleased to support the Company in the next stage of its development.”

Áslaug Magnúsdóttir CO-founder and CEO of Moda Operandi, added: "Moda Operandi’s exceptional growth in the first year of business demonstrates the booming global demand for great design and the strong response we are witnessing from women worldwide to shop directly from the runway. We are pleased to be supported by such visionary investors as Carmen Busquets, one of the leading investors in online luxury retail.”

Busquets is a leading online fashion and luxury entrepreneur and is a founding investor and board director of Net-A-Porter.com. She held a 30 per cent share in Net-a-Porter before exercising her controlling rights when the Company was sold to Richemont Group in 2010. She now retains a 2 per cent share holding in the company. Other companies that she has invested in includes: CoutureLab, which sells rare and unusual products from around the world; Jem, an ethical gold company; Caratime, a European online jewellery and watch market place; as well as Astley Clarke, a UK-based online jewelry retailer.