Arabnet Arabnet

Beirut-based brand Henri Miller is building a name for itself as a local hub for affordable luxury basics.

Birthed out of frustration with traditional shopping routines, the online-only brand seeks to maximize comfort in everyday apparel, and deliver a personalized shopping experience to cater to the wardrobe needs of each of its customers.

Disrupting the Fashion Retail Industry

The brand was founded in May 2015 by Haig Kradjian and Tania Rayes, both graduates of the American University of Beirut. During a trip abroad, the pair noticed significant differences in the pricing of clothing brands compared to prices in Lebanon, so they conducted some research around the fashion retail landscape in the region.

“We noticed that our favorite brands’ prices were lower and were curious to understand why. It turned out the region is dominated by franchises which mark up prices by four times and more,” said Kradjian, co-founder and Director of Operations at Henri Miller.

“We founded Henri Miller because we knew there had to be a better way to get high quality clothing. By being online, we're able to cut out the middlemen to offer beautiful, luxurious products at fair prices,” he added.

The name Henri Miller (Henri with an “i” for a French pronunciation) is simply a combination of the names of characters from the co-founders’ favorite comic books in the classic Tintin series.

Back to Basics

The brand began its creative journey with a selection of high-quality shirts for men and women, crafted by an in-house design team, and made with premium fabrics sourced from Italy, said Kradjian.

Henri Miller’s design culture abides by a minimalistic aesthetic that is personalized and relatable, with a touch of playfulness. This manifests itself in all aspects of the brand from the collections to the packaging and interface - even the company’s offices.

“Our target customer is smart, savvy, and questions the traditional way of doing things. Our customers know the difference between a high quality product and an expensive price tag, and when it comes down to it, they would rather spend money on an amazing weekend getaway than on a ridiculously expensive designer bag,” said Kradjian.

But everyday shirts are just the beginning. The team plans to introduce new basic pieces every season in line with customer-generated suggestions. Website visitors can contribute to the creative direction of the brand by casting their votes in the “Coming Soon” section for the upcoming Spring collection.

Delivering Luxury on a Budget

Prices of shirts and tops  range from $35 to $80. Customers place their orders online and choose to pay either by credit card or in cash upon delivery (COD).

In order to cater to the needs of its customers, Henri Miller offers free next day shipping across Lebanon, and is set to further spread its operations following the public’s favorable reception. Given the fast pace at which it is growing, and its plans to expand into other markets in the near future, hiring talent has become a chief concern for the company.

Kradjian and Rayes were able to launch their brand after raising $100,000 in debt financing (at an unknown valuation) in May 2015. “We’ve been fortunate enough to have investors, mentors and advisors who have supported us for the past few months,” said Kradjian, “Today we’re raising a bigger round from 12 to 15 angel investors that we’ll be closing by end March.”

“We have exciting new things in mind, from expanding our product lines, to creating some fun pop up events, and ultimately making the shopping experience faster and even more enjoyable,” Kradjian said.