Supermodel Karlie Kloss Makes Angel Investment In Coterie, A Diaper Company

All diapers are not created equal. At least that’s what Coterie, a direct-to-consumer diaper company, will have you believe. The brand is a cult favorite of new moms for its soft, hypoallergenic diapers made without harsh chemicals. As the company says, “We’re a modern baby brand that’s changing everything about changing.”

“We’re scientists and engineers, but many of us are parents, who know first-hand the difference a really good diaper can make,” Coterie said. “Fewer leaks and less diaper rash can mean a more comfortable baby and better sleep for the whole family.”

One mom who took notice is supermodel Karlie Kloss, an angel investor for a decade in innovative brands, who invested an undisclosed sum in Coterie and signed on as an ambassador to the brand.

Introduced to Coterie by fellow model Ashley Graham, Kloss had a closet stocked full of Coterie diapers and wipes before her baby, Levi, even arrived. “I felt so prepared and excited,” Kloss said. “I was excited to begin this new chapter in my life and pretty quickly realized that it wasn’t just hype, and it wasn’t just marketing. Coterie is really a superior product and experience and something that as an investor and consumer I couldn’t appreciate until being in the demographic that buys diapers.

“Very quickly into using the diapers and wipes I saw how the product is in a league of its own,” Kloss said. “It made me realize that I wanted to be more involved, not only in just getting to know the team behind the company and understanding their vision, but seeing if there was a way to collaborate, as an ambassador or investor. It really organically developed from this place of admiration for the brand and what they’re doing.”

Coterie has some impressive claims. For example, its diaper is 70% more absorbent and keeps babies three-times as dry as store-bought brands, the company said, adding that the products are dermatologist-tested, cruelty-free, third-party tested in independent labs, and free of more than 200 potentially irritating or harmful ingredients.

The diapers don’t contain parabens, fragrances, dyes and phthalates, and the company uses sustainable plant-based materials wherever possible, without sacrificing quality.

“The integrity with which they design the product,” Kloss said, “they think of research and development and really invest in sustainable materials and sourcing plant-based ingredients. It gives me [confidence] as a consumer and as a mom, and makes me proud as an investor to work with a brand like Coterie and use their product every single day on the thing that matters most to me – my son.

“Because I’m somebody who is so research-focussed, I do my research before making a purchase, no matter what it is,” said Kloss, who did her due diligence on Coterie. “The amount of thoughtfulness and research and development that went into creating the product is impressive.”

Coterie’s other products include pants, which are like pull-ups, and wipes, “which are phenomenal,” Kloss said. “Growing up with my career in fashion, baby wipes have been in my carry-on bag for many years. The Coterie wipes, even if you don’t have a child, are the best on the market.

“The late night diaper changes with the pant makes it so much easier,” Kloss said. “He’s at that toddler age where he’s just a complete wiggle worm. It’s like an obstacle course trying to change a diaper. The pant makes it so easy. You just pull it on as a pull-up. It’s just as absorbent and high quality as the diapers. It has this velcro-like design so it’s easy to take off. You don’t have to pull it down. It’s very innovative.”

Coterie is a direct to consumer brand, which ships diapers, pants and wipes to consumers’ doors. “There’s the integrity and quality of the product, but also it’s how you experience it,” Kloss said. “Between travel and work, life is busy. I’ll be low on diapers and get a text from Coterie saying, ‘Your shipment is coming in. Do you need more or less, do you need more wipes?’

“It sounds like such a small detail, but that text interface is something that eliminates the need for those late night runs to the grocery store to pick up diapers,” Kloss said. “My son has very sensitive skin and he’ll react to laundry detergent or clothing. From day one, I was really sensitive about what I put on him, especially, diapers. Because it is so absorbent, it really does make a difference with eliminating rashes. In those early days when you’re sleep training, if the baby’s diaper is more absorbent, they’re not going to wake up with a wet diaper.”

Delivery of the diapers starts at $90 per month. Sizing depends on the baby’s weight, with seven options, from newborn and under 10 pounds to 35-plus pounds. Coterie said it has sold over 100 million diapers to date, and continues to grow with a commitment to expanding innovative product offerings to additional parenting and baby products in the future, the company said.

Kloss has been making angel investments for more than a decade. She looks for products, ideas and founders who are building better things, be it software or consumer goods, and that are solving a problem. “This idea of better for you, better for the planet, is a philosophy I think about as a consumer and as an investor. I’ve invested in a number of things really as a result of my own lived experience.

“I’m an optimist,” Kloss added. “When I see a problem, I see it as an opportunity to solve something. I feel very entrepreneurial, I love business, I love meeting entrepreneurs who are building interesting things. I think my first angel check that I ever wrote was to a company with a product that I originally had an idea to start. I really thought long and hard about it, and thought I’d rather invest in them because I believe so deeply in the problem that they’re trying to solve, and I think they can do it better than me.”

The product was direct to consumer organic tampons from a company called Lola. “They make high quality, high integrity, premium products conveniently delivered to your door,” Kloss said. “That was the initial catalyst for my angel thesis and along the way I’ve invested in a number of businesses that span a number of categories.”

“This is the first time that I’m investing in something in this space, and not just as an investor, but as an ambassador, embracing this part of my life that’s so deeply personal. As a mother, I’m so proud to be part of the Coterie family.”

Kloss declined to say whether she will be featured in Coterie advertising and marketing, but added that there could be more announcements from the company in the coming weeks.

“As a mom, we all want to do whatever we can for our kids, to care for them and to provide the best opportunities in every capacity,” Kloss said. “This is something that’s been an important part of my entry into parenthood. Appreciating the integrity of the product that Coterie makes, I think there’s so much more Coterie can do to grow into new product categories. This company was only launched in 2019, so Coterie itself is a toddler. I’m really excited to support them as they build this business.”

It’s also important to Kloss that Coterie has donated over a million diapers to Baby2Baby, a charitable organization that provides children living in poverty with diapers, clothing and other necessities. “Not all investments that I make do I get involved in this capacity,” Kloss said. “Because this is so personal, I wanted to give my time, my dollars and my platform, because I really believe in Coterie.”