What Ulla Johnson does

Ulla Johnson is a privately held, New York-based contemporary fashion brand founded in 1998 by designer Ulla Johnson. The company designs and sells women's ready-to-wear clothing (dresses, tops, denim, knits, swimwear, outerwear, pants, jumpsuits), accessories (handbags including the signature Charlotte, Adria, and Paloma lines; shoes; jewelry), and in 2026 expanded into fragrance with the launch of the ULLA sub-brand offering eaux de parfum and candles.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model anchored by the ullajohnson.com e-commerce site and owned boutiques, supplemented by curated wholesale distribution and dedicated NYC and Paris showrooms serving international accounts. Pricing spans from $190–$470 for tops, $490–$3,800+ for dresses (with gowns exceeding $6,500), $575–$1,290 for handbags, $1,200–$2,300 for outerwear, and $135–$210 for fragrance. Geographic reach covers North America, the UK, continental Europe, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, with the company citing strong growth in the UK, Europe, and Southeast Asia as a catalyst for category expansion.

The brand is currently in a phase of institutional build-out: Thibaut Perrin-Faivre (ex-Burberry Americas CEO) serves as CEO, Laura Pei (ex-Burberry Americas CFO) joined as the company's first-ever CFO in November 2025, a Madison Avenue flagship is planned for September 2025, and the ULLA Fragrance collection launched in April 2026 through Violet Grey and brand boutiques. Strategic art licensing partnerships (Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, previously Robert Rauschenberg Foundation) and the PreLoved resale program round out a hybrid brick-and-mortar / DTC / wholesale luxury model targeting fashion-conscious women, bridal and occasion-wear customers, and the travel/resort segment.

Name

Ulla Johnson

Legal name

Ulla Johnson Inc.

Website

https://ullajohnson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Contemporary Apparel and Accessories

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (45612)

SIC

Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Women’s Apparel Retail (CRAAABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Luxury Accessories Retail (Leather Goods, Sunglasses, SLG) (CRAKAGAE)

Keywords

• Women's ready-to-wear
• Designer handbags
• Contemporary apparel
• Fashion accessories
• Luxury fragrance

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ready-to-wear and apparel sales: Direct retail of women's fashion including dresses, tops, bottoms, outerwear, knitwear, and swimwear. Products sold at various price points from $290 for basic tops to $6,500 for luxury gowns. One-time purchase model with no subscription component.
2. Accessories and handbags: Handbags including signature lines like Charlotte, Paloma, and Adria. Raffia bags, leather goods, jewelry, and shoes. Premium pricing for artisanal leather goods ranging from $575 to $1,290.
3. Fragrance line (Ulla): Launched first fragrance line under brand name 'Ulla' comprising three eaux de parfums at $210 each and candles priced at $135 each. Distribution through Violet Grey and Ulla Johnson boutiques. Fragrance developed with perfumer Lyn Harris and Robertet.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ulla Johnson designs, produces, and sells women's ready-to-wear clothing (dresses, tops, denim, swimwear, knits, coats, and outerwear), accessories (handbags, shoes, jewelry), and a newly launched fragrance line under the sub-brand ULLA. Products are sold through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, owned boutiques, select wholesale partners, and authorized fragrance distributor Violet Grey.

Product overview

Ulla Johnson is a fashion brand offering ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, and fragrance. The core offering consists of ready-to-wear clothing categories (dresses, tops, denim, swimwear, skirts, pants, knits, coats, and jackets) and accessories (handbags, shoes, jewelry). The brand has expanded into fragrance with the Ulla Fragrance collection launched in 2026. Notable handbag lines include The Charlotte (crossbody, shoulder, camera bag, tote), The Adria (tote, crossbody), and The Paloma (tassel flap bag). The brand also operates PreLoved, a resale program for pre-owned items.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ULLA Fragrance: A fragrance line launched in 2026, featuring eaux de parfums and candles developed in partnership with perfumer Lyn Harris and Robertet. Products include three eaux de parfums at $210 each and candles at $135 each.
• PreLoved

Products and services

• Ready-to-Wear Clothing Primary clothing category featuring seasonal ready-to-wear collections for women, including dresses (midi, mini, long, gown), tops, denim, swimwear, skirts and shorts, matching sets, pants and jumpsuits, knits, and coats and jackets. Dresses range from $490 to $3,800+; tops from $190–$470; knits from $290+. Designed for fashion-conscious women across casual to formal occasions.
• The Charlotte (handbag line) Signature hand-woven leather handbag collection made in Italy, offered in crossbody, shoulder, camera bag, and tote styles with multiple colorways. Premium pricing for artisanal leather goods.
• The Adria (handbag line) Leather tote and crossbody handbag collection featuring a sculptural pleated wave design, available in large tote and small crossbody sizes in various leathers and suedes.
• The Paloma (handbag line) Leather tassel flap bag collection featuring hand-shaped leather tassels and gold hardware, available in suede and embossed leather variations.
• Knitwear Knitwear collection including tops, tanks, pullovers, and skirts in pointelle, jacquard, and lurex knits, featuring signature pieces like the Margot knit top, Clotilde tank top, and Clio knit midi skirt.
• Denim Designer denim collection featuring The Esme jumpsuit, The Lou stretch jean, The Colette straight leg jean, The Laurel kick flare jean, and The Briar collarless denim jacket, with premium elevated denim and twisted brass hardware.
• Shoes Footwear collection including kitten heels (Francine, Vendome, Colette), strappy heels (Aris), sandals (Aves flip-flop, kitten heel), flats (Gracie pointy toe, ballet flats), and clogs (Esti), priced from $320 to $895+.
• Jewelry Jewelry collection sold alongside handbags and shoes under the Accessories category on the Ulla Johnson website.
• ULLA Fragrance Collection Sub-brand fragrance line launched in April 2026 comprising three signature eaux de parfums ($210 each), candles ($135 each), and incense. Developed with perfumer Lyn Harris and fragrance house Robertet; bottles inspired by 19th-century Chinese snuff bottles with porcelain caps. Distributed through Violet Grey and Ulla Johnson boutiques.
• PreLoved Brand-owned resale program for pre-owned Ulla Johnson items, supporting sustainability and extending product lifecycles.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Helen Frankenthaler FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Formal licensing agreement for SS26 collection inspired by Helen Frankenthaler's work. Collection featured Frankenthaler's art printed on garments through official licensing arrangement with the foundation.
• RobertetcoreTechnology or IntegrationFragrance development partner for Ulla fragrance line launch. Robertet is a fragrance house that collaborated with perfumer Lyn Harris and Ulla Johnson on the three eau de parfum scents.
• Lyn Harris (Perfumer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead perfumer for Ulla fragrance collection. Created three signature scents with bottles inspired by 19th century Chinese snuff bottles featuring porcelain caps.
• Violet GreycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLuxury beauty retailer and authorized distributor for Ulla fragrance line launch. Distribution partner for the new fragrance collection alongside brand boutiques.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Brock Collection: California-based contemporary womenswear label focused on dresses, occasion wear, and romantic craft-driven design. Comparable on artisanal aesthetic, occasion-driven customer, and independent scale.
• Nanushka: Contemporary womenswear and accessories brand with strong DTC and resort-driven assortment. Comparable on craft-forward design, premium contemporary pricing, and accessories-led brand extension strategy.
• Altuzarra: NYC-based contemporary luxury womenswear label focused on dresses, ready-to-wear, and accessories with craft-forward design language. Closely comparable on founder-led creative direction, NYFW presence, and premium price architecture.
• Veronica Beard: American contemporary womenswear brand with dresses, ready-to-wear, denim, and accessories sold DTC and through wholesale doors. Comparable on assortment breadth, premium contemporary positioning, and US-centric international growth trajectory.
• Zimmermann: Australian contemporary luxury womenswear brand with signature dresses, artisanal details, and premium pricing across ready-to-wear, swimwear, and accessories. Highly comparable on occasion wear, brand aesthetic, and DTC-plus-wholesale distribution model.
• Self-Portrait: Contemporary womenswear label known for distinctive occasion dresses and event dressing at accessible luxury price points. Comparable on target customer (occasion-driven), pricing architecture, and seasonal collection cadence.
• Johanna Ortiz: Colombian contemporary womenswear label specializing in resort and occasion dresses with artisanal details. Comparable on romantic silhouettes, occasion-driven assortment, and international wholesale presence.

Broad incumbents

• Tory Burch: American accessible luxury womenswear and lifestyle brand with apparel, handbags, shoes, jewelry, and fragrance at scale. Comparable on American heritage positioning, signature handbag IP, and DTC-plus-wholesale-plus-fragrance architecture.
• Carolina Herrera: Established luxury fashion house with dresses, ready-to-wear, accessories, and a sizable fragrance business. Comparable on occasion wear strength, brand-led fragrance expansion, and premium positioning, though operating at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• Mansur Gavriel: Independent accessories-led brand known for handbags and small leather goods. Comparable on signature handbag IP (Charlotte/Paloma/Adria vs. bucket/tote), premium positioning, and DTC-plus-wholesale model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ullajohnsoninc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ulla-johnson-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/ullajohnson/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@ullajohnsonofficial
• Pinterestpinterest.com/ullajohnson
• Xx.com/ullajohnsoninc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ulla Johnson