The Founder Files: Meet Nina Briance, Founder of Cult Mia

In an industry dominated by repetition and mass appeal, Nina Briance saw an opportunity to bring purpose, excitement, and individuality back to luxury fashion. Drawing on a career that spanned Goldman Sachs, the United Nations, and Moda Operandi, she launched Cult Mia – a global platform championing independent designers and values-driven style.

Scroll on as Nina shares the story behind Cult Mia’s rise, from identifying a gap in the market to scaling a thriving community of over 300,000 fashion-forward shoppers, all while navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship…

I founded Cult Mia…

To bring excitement, individuality, and purpose back to luxury fashion. The industry had become sterile and uninspiring – the same brands, the same products found on all the online luxury platforms, and a sea of sameness on the streets. I saw an opportunity to redefine luxury by giving independent designers a global stage and providing fashion-forward shoppers with bold, values-driven pieces they couldn’t find anywhere else.

My career started in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and UBS, where I learned how the biggest consumer brands scaled rapidly. At the United Nations’ International Trade Center, I worked with women-led retail businesses, witnessing firsthand the struggles independent designers faced in gaining visibility. These experiences gave me the commercial foundation to launch Cult Mia, but the real spark came while earning my MBA at London Business School and working at Moda Operandi.

I saw the clear gap…

Luxury shoppers were tired of mainstream brands, craving bold, exclusive pieces with sustainability and ethics at their core. At the same time, emerging designers lacked access to global audiences and struggled to scale without huge wholesale commitments.

Cult Mia bridges this gap. We curate statement-making collections from the world’s freshest independent designers – vetted for quality, sustainability, and craftsmanship. The result? Shoppers discover truly unique fashion, while designers gain the platform to grow sustainably and become the next generation of global names.

Cult Mia started…

As part of London Business School’s Launchpad accelerator, where we won 1st prize in 2019 and later joined the LBS Incubator Program. From day one, we focused on building a highly curated brand selection, onboarding 100 independent designers in our first year.

We adopted a lean, agile marketplace model, allowing us to scale rapidly without holding inventory—a key differentiator in luxury fashion. Once the supply side was strong, we turned to customer acquisition, enhancing the online experience, building an engaged shopper community, and collaborating with tastemakers and creators to amplify our reach.

Fast forward five years, we’ve vetted over 400 brands across 50+ countries, and our community has grown to over 300,000 fashion-forward shoppers. It’s been an incredible journey, but we’re just getting started – there’s so much more ahead! 

One of the biggest challenges…

Was convincing designers to embrace a dropshipping model – a shift from the traditional wholesale approach. Many were hesitant at first, but once they saw how Cult Mia could expand their reach without large inventory risks, they embraced the opportunity.

Another hurdle was differentiating ourselves in a crowded online luxury space. We solved this by offering exclusive collections – over 40% of our brands are only available on Cult Mia.

Building trust with customers was also key. We invested in sustainability vetting, partnered with Positive Luxury, and ensured that every brand aligned with our core values, creating a marketplace shoppers could rely on.

4. In terms of finance… 

Cult Mia started as a bootstrapped business, focused on proving traction on both sides of the marketplace before seeking external investment. In 2021, we raised our pre-seed round, followed by two additional investment rounds, attracting top-tier industry investors, including H&M Ventures, Fuel Ventures, and Morgan Stanley, as well as fashion leader David Wertheimer (Chanel family).

Beyond funding, we strategically leveraged partnerships with fashion authorities, sustainability organisations, and emerging designer networks, allowing us to scale efficiently without heavy upfront costs. Our growth has been driven by smart capital allocation, a lean operational model, and a strong focus on capital light expansion, ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

One of the biggest turning points… 

Was unlocking significant VC funding, which supercharged our growth and validated our values-driven luxury model, giving us the resources to scale globally. In the past year alone, Net Revenue grew by 191% year-on-year, a testament to the impact of this strategic backing.

Another major inflection point was the surge in inbound demand from designers wanting to be listed on Cult Mia. In our first year, we received about five applications per month from brands eager to join. Today, that number has skyrocketed to over 250 applications per month, showing us that independent designers now see us as the go-to platform for scaling their businesses globally.

Additionally, identifying our key markets – the US and Middle East – was a game-changer. These regions have become our growth engines, allowing us to sharpen our expansion strategy, localize offerings, and build a highly engaged community. 

Our team…

Is built around a shared passion for championing independent fashion, underpinned by ethics, sustainability, and a bold vision to redefine luxury. From day one, I’ve prioritized hiring top-tier talent – bringing in experts from McKinsey, Depop, Net-a-Porter to name a few – who understand both creativity and commercial scalability.

I’ve worked to foster a mission-driven, high-performance culture, where every team member is empowered to contribute to our growth. Open communication, data-driven decision-making, and a relentless focus on impact are at the core of our leadership approach. We operate as a fast-moving, collaborative team, ensuring that every decision aligns with our vision to become the leading authority in independent luxury fashion.

Scaling the business… 

Has been driven by agility, customer-centricity, and differentiated market positioning. Key strategies include:

• Targeted Market Expansion – We doubled down on the US and Middle East, where demand for independent luxury fashion is strongest and acquisition is the most efficient, tailoring our approach to local consumer preferences.
• Tech-Enabled Growth – Automations powering our marketplace model allows us to onboard new designers in under two hours, keeping our selection fresh and exclusive.
• Brand Pipeline Acceleration – With 250+ designers applying to join each month, but remaining picky (only 10% make the cut!), we’ve built an unmatched curation model, ensuring we feature only the most exciting, values-driven brands.
• Community & Influencer Partnerships – We’ve grown our engaged community to 300,000+, leveraging organic social media, creator collaborations, ambassador endorsements, and strategic brand partnerships to drive visibility and effective customer acquisition.

These strategies have allowed us to scale rapidly and sustainably, while maintaining the exclusivity and high quality that we believe sets Cult Mia apart.

One of my biggest challenges was… 

Fundraising while pregnant and with a newborn—navigating a demanding due diligence process while running a fast-scaling business as a solo founder. It was an intense test of endurance, resilience, and adaptability.

The biggest lesson? You can’t do it alone. Building a strong, reliable team and support network (both professionally and personally) was crucial. This experience reinforced the power of prioritization, efficiency, and trust. When pressure peaks, having the right people step up makes all the difference. It truly takes an army, and I’m grateful to have one of the best!

I stay motivated because…

Building Cult Mia is more than a business – it’s the most exciting mission for me. Every day, we’re not just selling fashion; we’re rewriting the luxury playbook, giving independent designers a global platform, and offering shoppers pieces they can’t find anywhere else. Seeing our impact – whether it’s a designer going from local to global overnight or a customer discovering a brand that truly resonates with their identity – keeps me driven.

But I’ve learned that entrepreneurship is a proper marathon, not a sprint. Balancing hyper-growth with personal life is a challenge, but I’ve learned that staying motivated requires discipline, not just passion. Mornings with my daughter and husband are non-negotiable – they ground me before stepping into the fast-paced world of scaling Cult Mia. Surrounding myself with an incredible team and remembering that we’re building something game-changing fuels me, even on the toughest days.

Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs…

• Find the right support network—mentors, peers, and fellow founders will be invaluable.
• Be data-driven but trust your instincts—if you see a market gap, go for it.
• Stay adaptable—your business will evolve, and your ability to pivot is key.
• Focus on what sets you apart—whether it’s values, curation, or customer experience, own your niche.

 

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