Umar Kamani
Umar Kamani (born 21 March 1988) is an English fashion retailer and businessman. At 24, Kamani and his brother Adam co-founded a fashion firm and online retail company selling clothing, accessories and other items to women mainly aged between 12 and 25, "PrettyLittleThing.com."[1]
Umar Kamani | |
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Born | Umar Kamani 21 March 1988 Manchester, England |
Alma mater | Manchester Metropolitan University |
Occupation |
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Known for | Co-founder and CEO of PrettyLittleThing |
Parent(s) | Mahmud Kamani |
Relatives | Adam Kamani (brother) |
Career
Boohoo.com
In 2006, Kamani began working in the family business as a manager at Boohoo.com. In 2014, Boohoo debuted on the Alternative Investment Market with a market value of £560m.[2] This float was a major contribution to the Kamani family's wealth.[3] In September 2016, analysts began speculating that Boohoo.com would acquire PrettyLittleThing after reviewing Boohoo's financials, which showed a 40% increase in turnover to £127.3m for the half year which ended in August 2016.[4]
PrettyLittleThing.com
Brothers, Umar and Adam Kamani co-founded PrettyLittleThing.com in January 2012. By the middle of 2013, celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Michelle Keegan, Rita Ora, Jessie J, Ryan Thomas[5] and Nicki Minaj had been seen wearing clothing from their rapidly growing fashion retailer. 66% of the company was acquired by Boohoo for £3.3m in December 2016. The PrettyLittleThing.com team grew from 65 to 300 employees from 2014 to the end of 2015. This increase was to accommodate the workload influx from fulfilling 20 orders a day in 2014 to shipping 20,000 parcels a day by the middle of 2015.[6] Additionally Umar reported a 500% increase in full-year sales to £30m.[7] In 2016, PrettyLittleThing opened their flagship USA location in Los Angeles, California. The launch party was hosted by Kylie Jenner.[8]
References
- "Brothers plan to grow PrettyLittle brand to big thing". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- "Family behind Boohoo.com pocket £240m from sale of company shares". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Boohoo raises a smile for Manchester's Kamani family". Financial Times. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Boohoo.com mulls Pretty Little Thing acquisition". The Business Desk. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- Panther, Lewis (9 July 2016). "Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas lands his first Hollywood role - but it's not in a film". Mirror. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Umar Kamani on making Pretty Little Thing the next big thing". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Boohoo.com founder's son racks up sales of £30m with online fashion venture PrettyLittleThing". Retail Week. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Kylie Jenner Rocks Tamara Mellon Heels At Pretty Little Thing's U.S.A. Launch". Footwear News. Retrieved 14 November 2016.