Ami Colé Is Closing, and It’s a Wake-Up Call for the Beauty Industry

In a heartfelt letter shared with The Cut, Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye, the founder of cult-favorite clean beauty brand Ami Colé, announced the brand will be shutting down in September 2025. Launched in 2021, Ami Colé was celebrated for its thoughtful formulations, cultural intentionality, and its commitment to melanin-rich skin, all while operating in the still-rigid world of clean beauty. The announcement has sent ripples through the industry, sparking not only sadness but necessary reflection. “We were playing in an arena built for giants,” Diarrha wrote. Despite being backed by early investment and eventually landing on shelves in over 600 Sephora stores, the brand faced the relentless pressure of high retail costs, increased tariffs, and declining investor interest in purpose-led beauty. Even with a strong community and best-in-class product development, the brand couldn’t weather the mounting financial strain.

A Larger Industry Problem

Ami Colé’s closure isn’t an isolated case, it’s a mirror reflecting the systemic challenges Black-owned beauty brands continue to face. In the wake of 2020, many brands were catapulted into the spotlight amid global calls for diversity and inclusion. But years later, much of that support has proven performative and short-lived. While visibility increased, infrastructure didn’t. Funding pipelines remain shallow for Black founders, with less than 1% of venture capital funding reaching Black women. Retail expansion comes with steep costs: marketing fees, influencer activations, packaging upgrades, and shelf placement, all of which often demand capital and scale that small brands simply don’t have. “Ami Colé changed the face of clean beauty, literally. The fact that it still wasn’t enough should alarm us.”

What Comes Next?

The industry must confront some uncomfortable truths: representation is not enough if it’s not supported by sustainable investment, flexible retail models, and milestone-based growth strategies.

We need to:

• Champion safety nets, not just storytelling.

• Build resilient paths for small brands to scale.

• Move beyond trend-driven inclusivity toward long-term equity.

As Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye so powerfully wrote, “This is another love letter, not a goodbye.”

Ami Colé may be closing, but its impact is permanent. It opened doors, changed narratives, and proved what’s possible when beauty is built with us at the center. Let’s ensure it’s not the last brand of its kind to rise, and thrive.