Ami Colé is closing. The brand’s story has implications for the Black beauty industry.

Published

Republish this story

Republish this story

Next month, beauty brand Ami Colé will shutter, marking an unfortunate reality for many Black-owned businesses — what happens when financial interest dries up?

Founder Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye’s July announcement, which she detailed for The Cut , shocked many across the beauty space.

In the piece, N’Diaye-Mbaye outlined the journey of starting her business, from growing up in her mother’s Harlem braiding salon to pitching Ami Colé — known for their innovation in lip oils and shade-inclusive makeup — to over 150 investors in 2019. After a surge in support for Black entrepreneurship following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020, N’Diaye-Mbaye said she received more interest in the brand, becoming one of 30 Black women to r