Umar Kamani
 | This article may have been created or edited in return for undisclosed payments, a violation of Wikipedia's terms of use. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. (November 2017) |
Umar Kamani | |
|---|---|
| Born | Umar Kamani 21 March 1988 Manchester, England, UK |
| Alma mater | Manchester Metropolitan University |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Co-founder and CEO of prettylittlething.com |
| Parent | Mahmud Kamani |
Umar (Oomar) 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 and other items to women mainly aged between 12 and 25, "PrettyLittleThing.com."[1] The Kamani brothers were inspired to found their company after witnessing the success of their father, Mahmud Kamani's fashion firm, Boohoo.com, which was floated in March 2014.[2]
Early life
Kamani is the oldest of three children. He attended Wilmslow High School - with an intervening period of four years spent at Stagecoach Theatre School. He graduated from The Manchester Metropolitan University in 2010 with his Bachelor's of Arts degree in international business.[3]
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.[4] This float was a major contribution to the Kamani family's wealth.[5] 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.[6]
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[7] 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.[8] Additionally Umar reported a 500% increase in full-year sales to £30m.[9] In 2016, PrettyLittleThing opened their flagship USA location in Los Angeles, California. The launch party was hosted by Kylie Jenner.[10]
References
- ^ "Brothers plan to grow PrettyLittle brand to big thing". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ^ Craven, Neil (26 May 2014). "'No thanks, I won't be buying a helicopter - or a football club': What Boohoo chief told salesmen after £200m flotation bonanza". This Is Money. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ^ "People: Umar Kamani". Manchester's Finest. Retrieved 14 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.