The Ready-to-Wear Brand Founded and Designed by Salvo Rizza Grows with New Minority Stakeholder and Licensing Deal
Des Phemmes, the French ready-to-wear brand founded by creative director Salvo Rizza in 2019, is scaling up with the help of a new business partner. Italian manufacturing company Olmar and Mirta SpA acquired a 45% stake in Oasi Srl, the brand’s parent company, for an undisclosed amount. Also part of the deal is a ten-year licensing agreement, with Olmar and Mirta agreeing to support Des Phemmes in production and distribution.
Founded in 1997 by Giambattista Tirelli, Olmar and Mirta also holds the license of the Uma Wang brand, in addition to owning the Gentryportofino and Fisico labels. The company is most well known for being the longtime manufacturing licensee of Rick Owens, from 2001-2015, until the brand consolidated under Owenscorp.
Rizza and Tirelli shared that the aim of the agreement is to support Des Phemmes’ push into new global markets – including further expansion into the U.S., which has made up a majority of its retail success – and product categories. Also included in the brand’s expansion strategy is in-between-season capsules with exclusive retail partners, an approach we’ve been seeing more of recently.
The new push doubles down on the steadily building success the young brand has already been finding in recent seasons. Last year, Des Phemmes arrived at marquee retailers in the states, including Moda Operandi, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman. The brand has gotten another more recent boost thanks to a partnership with a celebrity styling agency that landed viral shots of Anne Hathaway and Gwen Stefani wearing Rizza’s designs.
