If you ask Webster Capital founder Tony Olson why he’s taken an eye to fashion and beauty, he can distill it down to a single acronym.
“E.M.E. stands for experience, memory and emotion. That’s the pillar of how we’re thinking about some of these brands,” Olson said. “Every single thing you do throughout the day is an experience, some are memorable, and that experience you have creates a memory that elicits an emotion. You build relationships around that, and if it’s positive, you build brand loyalty.”
That has been the guiding philosophy for the former Spins chief executive officer who has taken a passion-first approach to recent investments, ranging from Willy Chavarria to Ring Concierge. And though he’s bullish on fashion and beauty, he sees his portfolio as category-agnostic.
“You bring together fashion, beauty, art, music, and it’s hard to put your finger on, but you know when you see it when it all comes together — that’s the magic,” he said.
Olson has also invested in Paramour Hotel in Los Angeles, lymphatic drainage brand Gente Beauty and was a historical investor in Kitsch. “It’s about an overall sensory experience, and being surrounded by this idea of knowing your customer and thoughtfulness with regard to that relationship and building around that,” he said. “You obviously have to have a financially, fundamentally sound business. But those are the brands we’re looking for today.”
As it relates to the Willy Chavarria investment, part of the round led by Chalhoub Group, he said, “I’m kind of a newbie in the area of fashion and apparel, but I’m excited about it. I say all the time I’ve been doing what I had to do, and now I get to do what I want to do. Willy is a great anchor to go learn around and build from.”
Backstage at Willy Chavarria, spring 2026 men’s.
Francisco Gomez de Villaboa/WWD
It’s also turned out to be a bit of a family affair. Olson’s wife, Izabel Olson, also played a hand in the deal. “I’m Latina, I want to invest in and support people that are my people,” she said. “But what I love about Willy is that it’s really hard to make something political, commercial. He’s starting a conversation, and it’s a counter-narrative to what’s going on in America. I applaud what he’s doing, with so much reverence for his heritage.
“It’s about the brands that really understand the essence of people,” she continued. “For example, Ring Concierge understands the essence of women, and Willy understands the essence of resistance, and he does that extremely well. We want to support brands that are high velocity and they have this E.M.E. that sets them apart because they curate it in a different way.”
Olson said he is still active in the space and willing to write checks for brands that fit the bill. Although Chavarria is one of American fashion’s hottest designers today, it’s Olson’s enthusiasm for his vision that appealed to the brand side.
“From any investor strategy, the first thing you’re looking for is passion above money,” said Sarah Stennett, an early investor in Chavarria. “Tony’s background quite clearly is that he’s a phenomenal businessman, and it can be applied to most businesses — his ability to understand end-to-end consumers and analytics. But he’s very approachable, open-minded, knowledgeable, with a phenomenal business acumen.
“We’re very much aligned around the idea of calculated risk, being disruptive — that’s been his whole career,” added Stennett’s business partner David Grinberg. “It’s a similar philosophy to what we have.”
