MBO+, through its MBO Capital 5 fund, has become majority shareholder of Kami alongside its three senior executives. This primary buyout completes the handover of Kami from its founders to its management team.
Founded in 1991 as an offshoot of the LVMH group, Kami is based in Montbazon (Indre-et-Loire), with a design studio in Paris and subsidiaries in Romania and China. The company designs and rolls out uniforms worldwide for the boutique teams of leading luxury jewellery, watchmaking and fashion houses, for whom the appearance of sales staff is an integral part of the customer experience. Kami supports luxury houses across all their uniform needs, from creative brief and design through prototyping and industrialisation to delivery and collection replenishment. It relies on around 125 employees, a network of more than 700 partner workshops and suppliers, and two logistics hubs.
Over more than thirty years, founders Didier Willard and Alain Denis have made Kami France’s benchmark for luxury uniforms. Its ability to design collections that stay true to each brand’s DNA, the quality of its garments and the reliability of its international logistics platform have enabled it to build lasting, trusted relationships with the major luxury houses. Building on this credibility, the company has also expanded into adjacent markets such as hospitality, transport and cosmetics.
Initiated in 2023, the handover from the founders to the existing leadership team is now being completed with this transaction. The management team, comprising Nadège Paumier (President), Samuel Falk (Managing Director) and Stéphanie Roy (Chief Financial Officer), aims to open a new phase of growth for Kami by accelerating its development in France and internationally. To this end, it intends to deepen its relationships with existing client houses by equipping new boutiques and broadening its offering, to win new brands on the strength of the credibility it has earned with the most prestigious luxury names, and to pursue its diversification into adjacent sectors.
“Over the course of our discussions with Nadège, Samuel and Stéphanie, a relationship of trust developed. We were impressed by the quality of service they have built at Kami and by the strength of their partnerships with clients. We are convinced they are best placed to lead Kami into its next phase of development, and we are delighted to support them in this project.” Charles Dubar, Partner, MBO Buyout
“Kami holds a unique position with luxury houses, thanks to a comprehensive offering, creative expertise and highly reliable execution, all recognised by its clients. There is real growth potential, both with existing houses and with new clients, and we share the team’s goal of making Kami Europe’s benchmark for premium uniforms.” Raphaël Lahaye, Partner, MBO Buyout
“This transaction concludes a transition we prepared together with Didier Willard and Alain Denis, whom I thank for their trust. Together with Samuel Falk and Stéphanie Roy, we chose MBO+ for its entrepreneurial DNA and its management-centred approach. We are embarking on this new stage with the ambition of accelerating our growth, while preserving the high standards, closeness and responsiveness on which Kami’s reputation is built.” Nadège Paumier, President, Kami