James Manso

New York

Beauty and Fashion Market Editor at Women's Wear Daily (WWD)

Beauty market editor @WWD | Bylines at @LOfficielUSA, @DuJourMedia. Opinions are my own. [email protected].

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Articles

The 2024 Top 100 Beauty Companies

6 days ago | wwd.com | Alex Wynne |Jenny B. Fine |Faye Brookman |Emily Burns |Kathryn Hopkins |Noor Lobad | +5 more

Speed and agility were the buzzwords of 2024, so it's apropos that beauty sales broke the $250 billion barrier for the first time last year. But there are clouds on the horizon. What's clear from the 2024 WWD Beauty Inc Top 100, our annual ranking of the world's largest beauty companies by sales, is that the industry is undergoing seismic shifts as a result of geopolitical tensions, technological advances and a consumer landscape that is more complex than ever before.
Beauty Packaging Gets Pricey Amidst Global Tariffs

1 week ago | wwd.com | James Manso |Jennifer Weil

A rising tide may lift all boats, but the same can't be said for rising tariffs. Beauty brands are bracing themselves for steep increases in packaging costs after the U.S. slapped 125 percent tariffs on China last week, where a large chunk of key components are manufactured.
Jones Road Plots New Retail, Category Expansions

2 weeks ago | wwd.com | James Manso

Jones Road is growing, and isn't ruling out any area for expansion. The brand, founded by Bobbi Brown in 2020, is launching a new complexion product, with fragrance on the way; opening retail stores in Austin and Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill before expanding its website to ship to Australia and more countries in the European Union, and has named Brown's son Cody Plofker chief executive officer and Chrissy DeVries chief operating officer, respectively.
Taraji P. Henson Buys Brand From Maesa

2 weeks ago | wwd.com | James Manso

TPH by Taraji is now under the full control of its founder. Taraji P. Henson, who founded TPH by Taraji in 2020 with Maesa, has bought the brand outright from the incubator behind Fine'ry, Kristin Ess and Being Frenshe, among others. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Taraji P. Henson Buys Brand From Maesa

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | James Manso

TPH by Taraji is now under the full control of its founder. Taraji P. Henson, who founded TPH by Taraji in 2020 with Maesa, has bought the brand outright from the incubator behind Fine’ry, Kristin Ess and Being Frenshe, among others. More from WWDFinancial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Scentbird Is Launching a Luxury Fragrance Edit With Neiman Marcus

2 weeks ago | wwd.com | James Manso

Scentbird is taking another stab at department store partnerships. The subscription platform for fragrances has inked a partnership with Neiman Marcus, which entails 30 brands selected by Neiman Marcus buyers. Called Neiman Marcus Select, travel sizes of each are available for sampling on both companies' websites for $16.95, starting April 8. Participating brands include D.S. & Durga, Ex Nihilo, Montale, Mancera, Acqua di Parma, Mind Games, Navitus and Vilhelm Parfumerie, among others.
Under New Ownership, David Webb Enters a New Chapter

2 weeks ago | wwd.com | James Manso

David Webb is under new ownership - and has a new chief executive officer as well. The heritage jewelry brand has been acquired by Middle West Partners, the Boston-based private equity firm, and has named James Weiss its new CEO. Weiss has been an adviser to the brand since 2017, is an investor at Redstone Road, and previously spent time at Palantir Technologies and Bain & Company. In an exclusive interview with WWD, Weiss declined to specify terms of the deal or the company's annual revenue.
Mr. Chow Is Getting Its Own Custom Hand Soap from Uni

2 weeks ago | wwd.com | James Manso

Chicken satay, Mr. Chow noodles, lychee martinis - and now, hand soap. In a sense, Mr. Chow is adding a custom hand soap to its menu, with a little help from refillable beauty brand Uni, which has created a new limited-edition soap for the hospitality heavyweight's bathrooms. The custom scent entails notes of neroli, lavender and sandalwood, alongside skin care ingredients aloe vera and kakadu plum with the brand's proprietary Uni Marine Complex for moisture.
Mr. Chow Is Getting Its Own Custom Hand Soap from Uni

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | James Manso

Chicken satay, Mr. Chow noodles, lychee martinis — and now, hand soap. In a sense, Mr. Chow is adding a custom hand soap to its menu, with a little help from refillable beauty brand Uni, which has created a new limited-edition soap for the hospitality heavyweight’s bathrooms. More from WWDThe custom scent entails notes of neroli, lavender and sandalwood, alongside skin care ingredients aloe vera and kakadu plum with the brand’s proprietary Uni Marine Complex for moisture.
Can Hailey Bieber Break Beauty's M&A Slowdown?

2 weeks ago | wwd.com | James Manso |Kathryn Hopkins

Can Hailey Bieber break the beauty M&A curse? Sources have confirmed to WWD that her beauty brand Rhode has hired J.P. Morgan and Moelis to jointly explore deal options at a valuation of $1 billion, after a bevy of brands entered the market in the last year that never culminated in deals. Rhode's sales are understood to be around $200 million. Neither Rhode, J.P. Morgan nor Moelis could be reached for comment by press time.