The philanthropist believes the Tunis-based business, founded by French and Tunisian couple Claire and Sofiane Ben Chaabane, can fulfill its ambitions of overseas growth with the new investment.
Founded in 2011 following the Tunisian uprising, LYOUM has been a forefront player on the Mediterranean apparel and design market.
This new funding will enable the company – which is renowned for designing fresh apparel that casually highlights the Mediterranean lifestyle – to double its workforce and push expansion outside of Tunisia.
Ben-Gacem, said: “LYOUM is an exciting brand and one that has grown steadily from a startup into a business that is ready to expand. It is an ideal business to invest in with two ambitious and intelligent people in charge. Claire and Sofiane Ben Chaabane have a very clear plan of what they want to achieve with the business and how they want to expand it. This investment will help them succeed with the plan.”
LYOUM – which has two boutiques in Tunisia at La Marsa and Tunis el Menzah1 – has also run successful ‘pop-up’ shops in Paris and London and has a promising international online sales market. The new investment will be used to expand into other European markets, as well as enhance digital sales channels and communications.
“We have an ambitious vision, which is we want to build LYOUM into an international Mediterranean brand,” said Claire Ben Chaabane.
“This is an important investment for LYOUM that will allow the company to set the pace and better prepare to tackle this exciting challenge! The success of our pop-up boutiques in Paris and London over the past three years confirms LYOUM's potential in the European market.
“Wherever we go, the enthusiasm we encounter reinforces our unique clothing offer, its authenticity and that LYOUM has a place in such competitive markets."
It is the second significant investment in the business since its launch in 2011, following an injection of funds from Mehdi Majoul in 2015. LYOUM’s apparel is 100% manufactured in Tunisia. Its fashion lines offer unique Mediterranean blends, mixing Arabic and European influences with a touch of Parisian chic.
Its online presence, which evokes the advent of a new contemporary Arabic cultural scene, includes a website and social media channels.
