Ollie Watkins and Josh Denzel Invest in Sneaker Reseller The Edit Ldn
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LONDON — The Edit Ldn, the fast-growing sneaker resale platform founded by Moses Rashid, has two new investors: soccer player Ollie Watkins and sports presenter Josh Denzel.
In an interview with WWD, Rashid said their affiliation with The Edit Ldn will “drive awareness of the brand to a much wider audience in the U.K. and on a global level.”
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“These guys are both U.K.-focused and kind of household names. They resonate really nicely with the platform because both have purchased from us before. They’ve experienced it and shared the vision. Their own personal brands are growing, and both are aligned to support the overall growth of the business, which is expected to be 83 percent year-over-year in 2023,” said Rashid.
Watkins, who serves at England and Aston Villa as a striker, said he has a huge interest in business investments and a keen interest in the fashion space.
“I’ve always had an interest in sneaker culture, and joining forces with The Edit Ldn feels like a natural step. Their commitment to providing the coolest product with the best experience is something that stood out to me when making this decision,” he noted.
A prominent commentator in the world of football, boxing, basketball, NFL and motorsports, and a newly appointed ambassador to Oracle Red Bull Racing, Denzel recently dipped his toes in fashion with his Primark x NBA apparel collection.
He said making his investment into The Edit Ldn is “a natural fit.”
“The concept of merging online and offline sneaker shopping and creating a seamless experience is innovative and exciting. A lot of my close circle is familiar with The Edit Ldn, and I have shopped with them many times. Having met Moses on many occasions, the vision and mission is clear and I’m thrilled to be part of it,” he added.
Detailing their involvement with the business, Rashid said they will contribute more than just cash — they are VIP customers turned investors and brand ambassadors.
Watkins will do “a mix of everything, from traditional social posts to longer-form content that would include snap styling and sneaker shopping,” while Denzel will be taking The Edit Ldn behind the scenes to places the platform hasn’t quite been before like the Formula One in Las Vegas or the recent Tyson Fury fight in Saudi Arabia.
At the beginning of 2023, The Edit Ldn received $4.8 million in seed round funding to help scale its business in the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as in the U.S.
The investment was led by the New York-based Regah Ventures, an early investor in Uber, Coinbase and Reddit, with participation from sports celebrities, including NBA player PJ Tucker, Premier League star Jesse Lingard, and New York Giants captain Xavier McKinney, who was appointed a brand ambassador last October.
Having launched a store in Harrods in 2021, The Edit Ldn entered Qatar last year with a pop-up in Galeries Lafayette Doha, and then opened another pop-up at Harvey Nichols in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh in February. It aims to set up a local team in the U.S. by fall and open a retail location in Las Vegas next spring.
On Tuesday, it will also launch a sneaker wall at the New York-based label Avirex’s Berwick Street store in Soho, London, with a mix of Jordans, Air Forces, and Air Max Tailwind V x Skepta.
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