Founder Ning Li talked with WWD about the expansion of his brand, the differences in customers’ behavior across markets and his new venture into niche fragrances.

MILAN — Typology, the French beauty brand founded in early 2019 by serial digital entrepreneur Ning Li, is continuing its slow yet steady expansion, officially launching in Italy on Wednesday.

In town for the occasion, Li sat down with WWD to discuss the potential of the market for his clean, direct-to-consumer and gender-neutral company, which after becoming a leading skin care brand in France during COVID-19, gradually stretched its presence to Belgium, the U.K., Germany, the U.S. and Japan.

“We try not to do too many things at the same time, so we handpicked markets, and all for different reasons,” Li said. “The reason Italy came a little bit later than the others is the maturity of e-commerce. Even in 2019, when we launched in France, the market was quite new for shopping online. But now everyone shops online, so I think it’s good timing.”

The second reason was the increasing demand received from local customers for Typology’s products and its eco-conscious ethos, Li said. “We’ve seen that the Italian market and brand awareness were particularly strong without us doing anything…even if we have never done any activity here.”

The B-Corp company is known for its simplified approach to skin care and minimalist formulations addressing precise concerns, from hydration and signs of aging to hypersensitivity and scalp imbalances. The products use targeted active ingredients clearly stated on the packaging, made of mono-materials that are both recyclable and recycled.

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