Adore Me

Adore Me

Company type	Subsidiary
Founded	2012 (2012)
Founder	Morgan Hermand-Waiche
Headquarters	New York, New York
Products	Underwear, Lingerie, Swimwear
Parent	Victoria's Secret
Website	adoreme.com

Adore Me is a women's intimate apparel brand that sells directly to consumers and is based in New York City. Established in 2010 by Morgan Hermand-Waiche while pursuing his MBA at Harvard Business School, the company holds Certified B Corporation status.

History

Entrepreneur Morgan Hermand-Waiche founded Adore Me after recognizing an unmet demand for affordable yet premium lingerie during his time at Harvard Business School. Before starting the company, Hermand-Waiche spent three years at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where he connected with co-founder Romain Liot. Gary Bravard also joined early on as a co-founder.

The initial capital was provided by Harvard professors and angel investors such as Fabrice Grinda and José Marín. The website launched in March 2012, followed by a $2.5 million second funding round backed by investors including Redhills Ventures and Jaina Capital. In its inaugural year, the company sold close to 100,000 units.

In July 2013, Adore Me raised $8.5 million in Series B financing led by Upfront Ventures and Mousse Partners, bringing total investment to $11.2 million. This funding fueled the growth of its direct-to-consumer model.

By 2014, Adore Me ranked as the second fastest-growing private retail company on the Inc. 5000 list, generating $5.6 million in sales that year and expanding revenue to $16.2 million. In 2016, it secured the #9 spot on Crain’s list of New York’s fastest-growing companies with revenues reaching $83.9 million.

The brand maintained its upward momentum, repeatedly appearing on the Internet Retailer Top 1000 and Inc. 5000 lists by 2017, with a workforce of 121 full-time employees.

In November 2022, Victoria's Secret acquired Adore Me for $400 million to strengthen its subscription-based offerings and broaden its market presence beyond traditional brand loyalty.

Products and services

Adore Me initially offered a product lineup comprising lingerie, sleepwear, swimwear, and plus-size items. The company expanded into activewear in October 2016, providing options ranging from petite to plus sizes. By April 2017, an 88-piece swimwear collection was introduced to serve both standard and plus-size customers. Helen Mears, formerly lead designer for Victoria's Secret's Angels line, heads the design team.

Operating mainly through its online platform, Adore Me utilizes personalized "showrooms" where customers can choose either one-time purchases or enroll in a monthly subscription known as "VIP Membership." Its business approach has drawn comparisons to Zara for its fast-fashion style and competitive pricing strategy.

In December 2017, the company unveiled the Bijou Collection—a premium line featuring luxurious materials such as velvet and French lace, enhanced with gold logo embellishments and piercings.

As of July 2021, Adore Me’s portfolio included bras and panties, lingerie, sleepwear, gifts, activewear, corsets, and bralettes. The brand employs a style quiz combined with an algorithm to tailor product and size recommendations, improving customer personalization while influencing market trends.

Expansion into retail

In April 2016, Adore Me unveiled its inaugural retail showroom located at its headquarters in New York City. By June of the same year, the company formed a collaboration with Nordstrom, making its products available in selected stores as well as through Nordstrom’s online platform. Later, in October 2016, Adore Me further broadened its retail footprint by joining forces with Lord and Taylor, introducing merchandise at their flagship store in Manhattan and on their website.

The brand's first permanent physical store debuted in June 2018 at Staten Island Mall, New York, developed in partnership with Brookfield Properties. This outlet featured innovative "smart" fitting rooms utilizing RFID technology to enrich the shopping experience by providing customers with product information alongside size and color availability.

On Black Friday 2018, Adore Me launched its second brick-and-mortar location at Bridgewater Commons Mall in Bridgewater, New Jersey. This store spanned 3,600 square feet—twice the size of the Staten Island venue—and incorporated lounge spaces designed to engage shoppers. Both retail spaces were crafted by the New York-based Lawrence Group.

In 2018, Adore Me revealed ambitions to establish up to 300 stores within a five-year timeframe. The third and fourth outlets opened in April and May 2019 at Providence Place Mall in Rhode Island and Willowbrook, New Jersey, respectively; both properties are managed by Brookfield Properties. This expansion strategy underscores Adore Me’s intent to merge physical retail with its online operations, aiming to boost market penetration and brand recognition within the lingerie sector.

The Adore Me Group brands

Beginning in 2019, Adore Me diversified its brand portfolio through acquisitions and new launches.

In February 2019, the company acquired Belabumbum, a maternity-focused brand, to extend its product range and address additional phases of women’s lives. Belabumbum offers intimate apparel, sleepwear, loungewear, and activewear tailored for pregnant women and new mothers.

June 2019 marked the launch of Walkpop, a subsidiary brand specializing in legwear such as leggings, tights, and socks available in a variety of sizes, styles, and skin tone options.

In January 2020, Adore Me introduced Joyja, a brand centered on period underwear with inclusive sizing from XS to 4X. Marketed under the slogan "The Happy Period Panties," Joyja focuses on enhancing menstrual comfort through colorful designs and environmentally conscious materials that minimize ecological impact compared to conventional products. Additionally, Joyja targets underserved U.S. demographics by offering affordable pricing and donating products to menstruating individuals living below the poverty line.

Branding campaigns

In March 2019, Adore Me collaborated with Girls Inc. for International Women’s Day by selling panties featuring empowering female-themed prints and donating all proceeds to the nonprofit organization. In 2018, the company partnered with photojournalist Aude Adrien on a portrait series that highlighted women at Adore Me, showcasing their empowerment narratives and career paths.

TV appearances

Adore Me was showcased during the final season of Project Runway: All Stars. Head Designer Helen Mears guided a challenge where contestants created ensembles using lingerie as outerwear—specifically focusing on corsets. The winning design by Christina Exie was subsequently offered for sale on AdoreMe.com following the episode’s airing.

International expansion

Prior to 2017, Adore Me concentrated its operations within North America, catering to customers in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. In September 2018, the company strategically entered the Chinese market by introducing its products through the livestream platform and global marketplace ShopShops, aiming to establish a presence across Asia.

Technology

Adore Me was among the pioneers in adopting Google's Angular framework for both its desktop and mobile websites, significantly improving front-end responsiveness. The brand capitalizes on insights gathered from its Style Quiz to create a tailored shopping experience, which earned it the 2018 Nexty award for 'Best Use of Data in Marketing.'

As the founder of New York Hearts Tech (NYHT), Adore Me actively contributes to New York City's technology startup ecosystem. The company also employs Kubernetes to automate deployment and scale containerized applications efficiently and hosts frequent meetups at its European headquarters to discuss emerging technological trends.

Models

Promoting body positivity and inclusivity remains central to Adore Me’s branding efforts. The company partners with a wide range of models, including Iskra Lawrence, transgender advocate Rose Montoya, Sports Illustrated swimsuit star Nina Agdal, and plus-size model Sophie Tweed-Simmons.

In 2021, Adore Me publicly condemned TikTok for purportedly removing videos featuring African-American, Hispanic-American, and non-traditional Caucasian models, alleging discriminatory content moderation. Ranjan Roy, Vice President of Strategy, emphasized the platform's significant influence on the brand’s content creation and representation of diverse models.

Adore Me Services

Adore Me operates its proprietary distribution facility named Adore Me Services (AMS), situated in Secaucus, New Jersey, which began operations in January 2019. Founder Morgan Hermand-Waiche explained that AMS underpins both product fulfillment and global expansion efforts. The center incorporates advanced technologies such as high-density robotic storage systems, automated put walls, and conveyor belt mechanisms to maximize operational efficiency. Hermand-Waiche stated in 2020 that AMS accelerated sustainability initiatives, facilitated launches of satellite brands, and expanded the try-at-home program — now the company’s fastest-growing revenue stream.

Customer service

Customer reviews are prominently displayed on Adore Me’s website to assist shoppers with informed purchasing decisions. The company earned Retail TouchPoints' Customer Engagement Awards in both 2017 and 2018 and secured Best Omnichannel Experience honors at the 2018 Customer Contact Week Excellence Awards. In 2017, it introduced a hybrid chatbot solution providing live support across various messaging platforms.

Before securing Series B funding, Hermand-Waiche disclosed that early 2012 membership reached 50,000 with monthly revenue increasing by 40%. The business model featured personalized lingerie showrooms combined with a membership program offering a complimentary sixth set.

Nonetheless, Adore Me encountered criticism and legal scrutiny regarding its negative option billing subscription approach that automatically charged customers monthly unless canceled. Many users reported challenges in terminating memberships. Kathy Lira filed a class action lawsuit seeking reimbursement related to these automatic charges. Following an FTC probe into deceptive billing practices, Adore Me consented to refund up to $1.38 million and enhance transparency around subscription terms.

In 2017, the company launched a $1,000 scholarship initiative aimed at supporting women pursuing degrees in business and entrepreneurship.

By 2022, Adore Me became the first lingerie brand based in the U.S. to receive B Corporation certification, underscoring its dedication to corporate sustainability and inclusive retail experiences.

Currently, Adore Me faces a pending class action lawsuit alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act due to insufficient website accessibility for visually impaired users; a comparable case was dismissed in 2022.

In 2023, Adore Me resolved a deceptive billing lawsuit filed by 31 states plus the District of Columbia through a $2.35 million settlement. The plaintiffs contended that customers lost accumulated store credits after canceling VIP memberships despite ongoing monthly charges without purchases. This settlement addressed these recurring fee concerns.