Emma Lewisham launched her skincare range in New Zealand after spotting a gap in the market for a natural and sustainable – but luxurious – product line.
Now, just five years later, the CEO and co-founder has significantly expanded the global presence of her namesake brand with the help of Kiwibank.
Her products are sold by stores such as MECCA, Harrods, Liberty, SpaceNK and Goop and have been used at the Oscars. They are also used by celebrities including Margot Robbie and have even been endorsed by environmental champion Dame Jane Goodall.
But the success didn’t come without hard work and a dedication to doing things differently. The company’s first product targeting skin hyperpigmentation took three years and 57 iterations to make – for Lewisham cracking both the science and the business model was key.
Tom Williams, Head of Sustainable Finance at Kiwibank, says the partnership began at a pivotal time in the business’s growth as it set its sights on further global expansion.
“We’ve been able to provide them with the right tools, the right support and the right bankers to make sure they had the right contacts and systems in place to achieve that growth,” he says.
“They were very clear with us early on that they had big ambitions and didn’t want to expand offshore just for the sake of it, but it was to change the beauty industry.”
Williams says Lewisham has been clear on achieving a “purpose-focused sustainable innovation” from the start.
“The beauty industry isn’t known for sustainability and it was clear from day one just how much sustainability was embedded into the brand, which is a great thing from a resilience perspective, but also a consumer appeal perspective.”
The Emma Lewisham brand has done all this while staying true to its values and, according to the Ministry for the Environment, was New Zealand and the world’s first climate-positive beauty brand.
Redefining packaging with refills
Alongside creating natural skincare products that work, Lewisham sought to challenge the status quo through her brand’s Beauty Circle – a system where products can be refilled and packaging can be returned to be recycled. That reduces the carbon emissions of their products by up to 74%.
Emma Lewisham is the only Kiwi brand in all of MECCA’s 120 stores across New Zealand and Australia. Empty vessels from the complete range can be returned to all of those outlets to be sterilised and refilled, or recycled, making it the skincare industry’s largest circularity initiative within Australasia.
“Having simultaneously discovered the unprecedented level of waste and carbon emissions the beauty industry is responsible for, I knew that from inception Emma Lewisham would rethink the current model of beauty,” she explains.
Early on the brand was told by many retailers that customers wouldn’t adapt to refills and a circular model to reduce their environmental footprint, but Lewisham says they have been proved wrong.
“We know from our retailers that we have one of the highest return-customer rates in our industry, which is essential for our refill model to work and for us to truly create a circular business and demonstrate a new way of doing business.
“To change a model, you first and foremost must have exceptional products, which our return customer rate and sales of refills show we do.”
Kiwibank Commercial Manager Meghna Garg says the bank was excited by Lewisham’s approach to beauty packaging and was inspired to see a successful business in New Zealand and globally.
“That’s the opportunity that our team saw – to support a Kiwi brand making it in the global marketplace,” she says.
Williams adds that the business model is not only desired by customers, but it is both financially and environmentally prosperous.
“The amazing thing is Emma Lewisham shows there can often be that fear that sustainability is going to add cost or make life harder,” he says, “but actually in this case, what it’s done is result in a better product, something that’s more appealing and actually reduces costs too.”
A luxuriously natural and sustainable future
Williams says Kiwibank looks forward to its continuing partnership with Emma Lewisham and helping the business seize opportunities in sustainable and natural beauty, no matter what paths the business decides to take.
“Our role isn’t to tell them how to run their business,” he says. “It’s to be there to bounce ideas off and to make sure when they’re clear on what they want, we quickly package up all the support and the tools they need.
“Emma Lewisham is such an amazing example of proving that sustainability and performance go hand-in-hand, that you can actually do something that’s better for the environment and better for people while creating a product that people really want. That’s a story we can all learn from.”
Lewisham says her brand had sought a banking partner that supported a high-growth business and was also aligned on her sustainability values.
“Kiwibank genuinely care about New Zealand’s wider economy and our environment, offering meaningful benefits to businesses who choose to operate in this way, which we really value,” she says. “As we have continued to invest and grow in international markets Kiwibank have provided tailored solutions to support our funding requirements and supercharge our growth.
“Kiwibank are a joy to work with, they bring incredible strategic value and intelligence, they really care about their work and their clients. Their purpose is prevalent in everything they do.”
Kiwibank tells stories of other sustainable businesses making a positive difference through its Business for Better series featured on TVNZ’s Sunday programme. Each episode follows a Kiwi business as they reflect on their successes and steps towards growth, as well as the benefits gained through Kiwbank’s knowledge and expertise.
The series showcases how sustainable finance considerations are more than just a perk – they are key factors for business success, growth and financing. In this story, Williams and Garg meet with Lewisham to learn more about the research and manufacturing process behind her skincare products.
This content was sponsored by Kiwibank. Watch Kiwibank’s Business for Better on TVNZ’s Sunday at 7.30pm on TVNZ1, or by streaming on TVNZ+.