Cassandra Grey

Cassandra Grey established Violet Grey in 2012 as an online beauty retailer based in Los Angeles. The primary mission of Violet Grey was to provide reliable beauty recommendations and a curated selection of products to consumers. Prior to launching Violet Grey, Grey worked for nine years as a creative consultant, engaging in advertising and influencer marketing. Her work involved image making within the beauty industry, focusing on hair and makeup to build aesthetic narratives for clients. This background informed her approach to Violet Grey, where she aimed to create a trusted platform for beauty commerce by collaborating with leading makeup artists and hairdressers.

In 2022, Farfetch acquired Violet Grey as part of its strategy to enter the global beauty market. Following the acquisition, Grey maintained her role as chair of Violet Grey and joined Farfetch as a global beauty advisor. She also co-founded the beauty division of Farfetch-owned New Guards Group, which focused on incubating and accelerating emerging beauty brands. However, Farfetch subsequently closed its beauty marketplace in 2023, leading to a new development for Violet Grey.

In a significant career move, Cassandra Grey reacquired Violet Grey from Farfetch. She partnered with private equity investor Sherif Guirgis for this transaction. As of the reacquisition, Grey serves on the executive board of Violet Grey, contributing to its creative vision, retail expansion, and revenue growth. She also assumed the role of chairman and artistic director at Violet Labs, a new brand development arm. Her ongoing commitment is to uphold Violet Grey’s standard for curated, high-quality beauty products and to evolve the brand as a platform for beauty discovery and innovation.