Dolls Kill Closes $5 Million in Series A Funding Led by Maveron:Online First Lifestyle Brand That Fuels Expression For The Mass Of Millenials Who Buck The Norm
San Francisco, California (PRWEB) August 11, 2014 -- Dolls Kill (http://www.DollsKill.com), the ecommerce fashion brand that girls “die for” and “NEED” today announced a $5 million investment led by Maveron. Dolls Kill is the latest addition to Maveron portfolio that includes zulily, ebay, Everlane, Shutterfly and Pinkberry. Dolls Kill has built a fashion cult following with millennial women that want to get real with their inner bold and brash personalities and find a home online for true expression.
Since its inception the brand has been focused on building committed fans not just customers and has created an impressive social presences with engagement that major brands yearn for. With 460,000+ Facebook fans, 250,000+ Instagram followers and 100,000+ images tagged #DOLLSKILL the cult is growing like crazy. The round of funding will be used to support product expansion, fulfillment efficiencies, and growing this girl gang like cult.
“We've been wowed by how they've grown the brand completely organically and built a devoted community that spreads the word for them with incredible enthusiasm“ said Jason Stoffer, Partner at Maveron, who will be joining the Board of Directors. “Reading through the thousands and thousands of comments and posts across Instagram and Facebook, it was impossible to not see that cauldron of consumer passion we look for.“
Dolls Kill currently uses 4 iconic Dolls to encapsulate and inspire the styles they sell, helping tell the stories of girls who proudly wear their personality. These collections range from festival fashion to haute Goth, frilly Kawaii to punk rocker chic. Through each Dolls personality and mantra, Dolls Kill customers feel a connection to their looks and vibe. A truly aspirational brand, Dolls Kill hopes for every girl in the world to feel a link with one or more Dolls at some point in their lifetime and the freedom to break the norm and express her true self proudly.
“The raddest part about our fans being so obsessed with the Dolls Kill lifestyle, is that we actually allow them to get hands on and partake with the brand.” said Co-Founder Shoddy Lynn. “With our “Be a Doll” program we get REAL Dolls Kill fans through sites like Instagram and Facebook to come out to our HQ and represent our brand. We allow our fans to be our models. This is their brand, inside out.”
In addition to the funding, leading retail executive Betsy McLaughlin is joining the company’s board of directors. McLaughlin has served as CEO of Hot Topic Inc., and oversaw tremendous growth in the company, which grew to over 800 stores. Hot Topic was also named one of Fortune magazine’s 100 fastest growing companies for several years in a row. She succeeded in tapping into the desires of millions of teenagers by energetically seeking out new trends and capitalizing on them before they become mainstream.
“I am thrilled and amazed by what the team at Dolls Kill has accomplished and planned” said Betsy McLaughlin, former Hot Topic CEO and Dolls Kill board member. “When I first met them I was inspired by their passion for the brand which permeates throughout everything, especially social media. I honestly haven’t been this amped for a fashion brand in years.”
About Maveron:
Maveron is a consumer-only venture capital firm founded in 1998 with offices in Seattle and San Francisco. Representative Maveron investments include zulily, eBay, Capella Education, General Assembly, Shutterfly, Trupanion, and Julep. For more information about Maveron, visit http://www.maveron.com.
About Dolls Kill:
A brand for the girls who want to wear who they are and find an outlet for genuine expression, Dolls Kill is an online boutique for the misfits and miss legits, and an active subversion of the fashion industries "norm." The Dolls Kill customer can be seen aggressively fighting to be who she is and rallying together to enjoy it. She is a proud member of the outsiders. Navigate through the site and unleash your inner riot girl at an online shopping destination unlike anywhere else.
Greg Forst, Dolls Kill, http://www.DollsKill.com, +1 (415) 875-9300, [email protected]
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