It’s still not clear just who Sarah Staudinger’s new friends are, but they have deep pockets.
Staudinger’s hot brand Staud “received a significant investment from a consortium of multibillion-dollar family offices,” according to Los Angeles-based The Sage Group, which served as financial adviser to the company.
Families with 10-digit bank accounts often have offices that help manage that money and take stakes in promising companies that are either just good bets or in a sector, like fashion, where the investors have a particular passion.
The investment confirms WWD scoops this year that the brand was looking for new investors and then, later, that the deal had been struck.
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Staud, which was founded by Staudinger and George Augusto, has been in growth mode with 10 stores, an e-commerce business and wholesale. And despite general market uncertainty, from tariff spikes to economic slowdowns, the brand has been increasingly registering on the investment set’s radar.
For now, it seems the new money hasn’t led to any organizational changes.
Sage said, “The business will continue to be led by Sarah and George, as well as Jon Zeiders, president, from Staud’s headquarters in Los Angeles, and is poised for continued rapid expansion in product categories, sales channels, and geographies.”
Staud’s latest collection, for resort 2026, was both chic and fun, displaying the brand’s range — from beach to mountain top — with what Staudinger described as “the unity of opposites.”
“This collection is really for the girl who doesn’t want to choose between the opposites, but wants to unite them,” she told WWD this month. “We really wanted to give her the freedom to explore this, ‘Do Not Disturb’ energy, whatever that may look like for her, whether it’s actually an adventure or a couch.”
Given that new investment — if funneled into operations — can supercharge a hot brand, Staud’s adventure might just be beginning.
