Australian digital dress maker Fame and Partners has netted USD7.6MM (AUD10.2MM) worth of investment to expand into to the US market.
The Series A funding round was co-led by high profile investors Firstmark Capital and Upfront Ventures.
The investment sees two directors from the investment firms, Founding Partner Rick Heitzmann and Founding Partner, Yves Sisteron, joining the board of Fame and Partners.
They will bring their experience of working with fellow digital game-changers AirBnB, Pinterest and Shopify to the fashion concept.
Fame and Partners combines fashion design and digital technology to deliver a bespoke tailoring service where customers can choose dresses in their preferred style and customise to their own specifications.
Customisable features include size, colour, length, shape and garment details.
The dresses are then made to order by seamstresses and delivered directly to the customer in as little as 48 hours.
The label uses data driven decision making to further tailor the customer experience and cater to a wide range of
occasions.
Made-to-measure dresses including weddings, date night, festivals, dinner parties, corporate events, black tie events, racing carnivals, plus proms and formals.
Fame and Partners is now taking its concept global following its successful investment round.
The label is relocating its headquarters to Los Angeles and hiring 40 new staff members across the business through 2016.
These include chief revenue officer and president (Americas) Leah Stigile, previous global vice president of eCommerce at ethical footwear brand TOMS.
The funding will also be used by Fame and Partners to boost its supply chain and develop major distribution partnerships in the US and Australia.
"The occasion dress market in particular is simply not very well served today. Fame and Partners offers a totally new customer experience with their just-in-time, on demand manufacturing and ability to customize designs," said Yves Sisteron, Managing Partner of Upfront Ventures.
"With their disruptive technology and creative, inspiring leader in Nyree, I see enormous potential for this business."
Fame and Partners was founded in 2014 by Nyree Corby, an Australian entrepreneur with a long history in ecommerce, digital media and early stage venture capital; where she developed her skills in nurturing promising start-ups.
“The Series A financing is a major milestone in the company’s life and the quality of our investors is a testament to the potential of the Fame and Partners business model," Corby said.
"This financing will facilitate our plans to disrupt mass market fashion globally. No other fashion house offers our service – made to order, low-wastage, personalised style and experience.
"I’m so excited to be working alongside our new directors in fully establishing Fame and Partners first in the U.S. and Australia… and then beyond.”