Former Gymshark CEO invests in affordable jewellery brand D.Louise
Former Gymshark Executive Chair and CEO Steve Hewitt has invested in jewellery brand, D.Louise, and has joined the business as investment director as it seeks to redefine the jewellery industry by creating high-quality, aesthetic jewellery at affordable prices.
D.Louise founder Olivia Jenkins and the team began working with Hewitt, through his advisory business Whanau in February 2023. The brand wasn’t seeking investment at the time, however when Hewitt approached them about working together on a long term-basis, the said they felt his experience and expertise would be invaluable to scaling the business.
The company plans to use the investment to further accelerate its expansion efforts – growing awareness by partnering with key ambassadors and hosting offline activations such as pop-ups and events.
A fast-growing business, D.Louise was established in 2021 and is on course for an annual growth rate exceeding 100% this year. Jenkins started the brand as she spotted a gap in the market for everyday jewellery that wouldn’t tarnish after only a few wears. Through much research the brand found a material that is highly durable, meaning all pieces can be worn in the shower, whilst exercising and sleeping without any harm or damage.
Billed as jewellery "you never have to take off", among its bestsellers are a paperclip bracelet made from stainless steel with a 14k gold PVD coating priced at £40 and an eternity bangle also made from stainless steel with 14k gold PVD coating along with CZ stones for £50. Physical vapor deposition, or PVD, is a process used for coating metals such as titanium and stainless steel. The technique involves 'blasting' the gold onto another metal at a high temperature, ensuring durability.
So far D.Louse has sold more than 350,000 units with the UK and the US its largest markets making up 95% of sales. With the investment from Hewitt, it now plans to take its concept global.
"We are thrilled to welcome Steve as our Investment Director. As a young and rapidly expanding direct-to-consumer brand, we are excited to have Steve's expertise on board to propel us towards further expansion. We aspire to not only dominate but also redefine the market, and Steve's extensive experience, particularly his contributions to the direct-to-consumer giant, Gymshark, will prove invaluable on our journey," Olivia Jenkins, Founder of D.Louise
Hewitt added: "These days businesses with genuine, credible and compelling origin stories are a rare gem. Olivia Jenkins and the D.Louise team have built the brand around purpose and inspiring a community which is incredible to see and something very special. The Whanau team and I are incredibly excited to be part of their future journey and cannot wait to join them as we grow the brand internationally.’’
Hewitt began his career at Reebok and worked for a number of sports businesses before joining Gymshark, the disruptive gymwear brand established by entrepreneur Ben Francis. His tenure at Gymshark began with the role of managing director in 2015 and he stepped up to CEO in 2017 becoming Executive Chair in 2021 when he handed back the CEO reins to Francis. He left Gymshark in 2022 and established his advisory business Whanau to support entrepreneurs.
