La Miu

About La Miu

La Miu was a multi-channel lingerie company headquartered in Beijing, China, which has since ceased operations. Founded in 2008 by Dong Lu, the company aimed to replicate the success of Victoria's Secret within the Chinese market, targeting young women with fashionable and reasonably priced lingerie. Dong Lu's entrepreneurial journey began in 2006 with an online custom men's shirt venture, Beyond Tailors. Realizing the scalability limitations of that model, he identified a gap in the Chinese market for a lingerie brand that combined the boutique experience with accessibility, leading to the creation of La Miu.

The company operated primarily through its e-commerce platform, lamiu.com, which was its main source of revenue. Complementing its online presence, La Miu established a physical retail footprint with brick-and-mortar stores in high-end districts of Chinese cities, including Beijing and Qingdao, to build brand trust and offer an omnichannel experience. The business model focused on being a branding company first and an e-commerce entity second, emphasizing a superior customer service experience that was lacking in the local retail environment. La Miu's product line extended beyond lingerie to include female apparel, swimwear, and accessories.

La Miu successfully raised a total of $55 million over three funding rounds. Its journey began with angel funding from Hiroshi Mikitani, the founder of Rakuten. This was followed by a $5 million Series A round in July 2009 from Daiwa Securities Group and Rakuten. A substantial $40 million Series B round led by DCM Ventures occurred in May 2011, and a final $10 million Series C round took place in March 2012. Despite its initial rapid growth and significant financial backing, the company was later designated as deadpooled.