Lingerie and nightwear brand Bluebella has hit its £500,000 investment target on Crowdcube, with nine days still to run on the campaign.
Launched by CEO & Founder Emily Bendell in 2005, the company has grown from a home party plan business to a multi-award-winning lingerie brand for the “Instagram generation”, stocked by Asos, House of Fraser and Urban Outfitters.
In its mission statement, the company says the ‘Bluebella woman’ does not see “lingerie as a functional or traditionally sexy purchase”, but a “fashion crossover style and a personal self-indulgence.”
“No-one should leave gorgeous lingerie languishing in a drawer, waiting for that ‘special occasion’ – our highly wearable fashion-led collections can make every day feel just that little bit more exciting”.
Ms Bendall was named the Most Captivating Entrepreneur at the GBE Awards 2013, as well as one of Management Today’s 35 under 35 in 2015. She has worked alongside a strong team, including Brand Director and industry veteran Janet Mudge, to ensure the success of Bluebella thus far. Bluebella is now set to launch in the US with key retailers Nordstrom and Bare Necessities, alongside a dedicated US e-commerce site.
The £500,000 crowdfunding campaign launched at the beginning of November and has already raised £647,540 from 327 investors; an impressive feat in the run-up to Christmas, where many campaigns on Crowdcube seem to be struggling to attract attention.
“As a consumer brand we felt that crowdfunding would add a brilliant marketing element to the fundraising campaign – not only creating a buzz around the campaign, but also an ongoing army of brand ambassadors”, Ms Bendall said of Bluebella’s decision to raise investment through crowdfunding.
“It’s gone amazingly well – we hit our funding target halfway through the campaign and are now overfunding.”
And with the global lingerie market forecast to grow 17 percent per year to $40 billion in 2020, it’s no surprise that investors can’t get enough. Bluebella’s campaign still has nine days left.