In September 2026, Seoul-based Gentle Monster parent Iicombined appointed Renaud Divisia as general manager of Europe to lead its regional expansion.
Divisia previously served as general manager of Puig Korea and international director of Byredo, following several years at LVMH’s Dior Parfums in leadership roles across Europe and the Middle East.
In his new role, Divisia oversees organisation, retail expansion, and commercial strategy across Europe, where the South Korean group first launched in 2018.
Expanding Beyond the London Beachhead
Iicombined entered Europe in 2018 with a Gentle Monster store in London’s West End. Standalone locations in Paris and Milan followed. Those openings tested European appetite for the brand’s gallery-style retail spaces in competitive fashion capitals.
Europe demands a different commercial model than Asia. In Asian markets, Gentle Monster built scale through experiential flagships that rotate art installations every few months. European high streets present steeper prime rents in cities like Paris and Milan. These locations require tighter retail economics and established wholesale accounts alongside mono-brand real estate.
Bringing in a leader with roots in European luxury fragrance and cosmetics gives Iicombined a structure capable of handling multi-brand rollouts. The company cannot rely solely on the eyewear playbook that drove its early international visibility.
Managing a Multi-Brand Portfolio
Founded in 2011, Iicombined has expanded well beyond eyewear into a broader lifestyle business. Its wider portfolio includes fragrance and skincare brand Tamburins, bakery cafe concept Nudake, headwear label Atiissu and kitchenware brand Nuflaat.
Tamburins gives the group a second growth vehicle with direct appeal to European department stores and specialty beauty retailers. Fragrance brands scale faster than luxury eyewear. Replenishment cycles are shorter, and distribution networks through multi-brand retail are already built.
Operational risks remain across fragmented European real estate markets. Opening high-cost flagships in London or Paris requires major capital. Western European luxury consumers also demand sustained brand heritage rather than rapid trend turnover.
Capital Backing and the Next Phase
Private equity firm ZWC Partners invested in Iicombined earlier this year to finance global expansion. That capital targets growth across Asia alongside deeper penetration into Europe and North America.
Divisia must now decide how to expand the wider portfolio. His immediate challenge is whether to introduce Tamburins and Nudake into existing flagships or secure dedicated real estate across prime retail streets in France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
