David Frossart and Philippe DiMeo, co-founders of Liquides Imaginaires, and Dino Pace, Nichebox

Former Director of Perfume Holding, Dino Pace founded Nichebox thanks to the support of private investors and of a Swiss fund. He aimed to be positioned as a partner, rather than a purchaser of brands with a strong potential on the growth-driving niche market. “We travel the world in search of brands with a unique signature, a story to tell, and a strong concept,” he explains. “We are not only a financial investor, we also offer our thorough expertise, while keeping the founding creators in the driver’s seat to ensure the continuity of the concept,” he adds.

Liquides Imaginaires perfectly matched this profile, so they became the first brand to join the Nichebox portfolio. Dino Pace intends to partner with founders Philippe Di Méo and David Frossard, who are still shareholders and respectively General Manager and Artistic Director, in order to make various investments in digital communication, product development, and commercial initiatives. “We have great ambitions for Liquides Imaginaires. This brand has a huge potential, in particular in China,” says Dino Pace.

In fact, the brand will open several wholly-owned stores in China by the end of the year and inaugurated a first flagship store in Beijing on October 26.

As for Nichebox, they should announce new purchases before 2018 ends.

Liquides Imaginaires inaugurated a first flagship store in Beijing on October 26, and will open several wholly-owned stores in China by the end of the year.

Independent perfume and cosmetics brands with a strong growth potential are increasingly attracting investors and major groups, because they are seen as a way to accelerate growth. The Cattleya Finance S.A. fund from Luxembourg, the holding investment company owned by Benjamin and Ariane de Rothschild, has just taken hold of Caron, one of the oldest French perfume houses. And as for Silvio Denz, president of the board of directors and majority shareholder of the Lalique Group, he has told Swiss magazine Finanz und Wirtschaft he has been looking for small perfume brands likely to offer “good margins”.