Katie Fang, Aliya Rachinski become ESW Beauty equity partners as creator influence moves in-house

Beauty creators Katie Fang and Aliya Rachinski have become the first creator equity partners at skincare brand ESW Beauty, taking ownership stakes and strategic roles as brands increasingly look beyond creators' reach to their expertise.

Alongside creating content, Fang and Rachinski will help shape product development and campaign strategy, while providing consumer insights drawn from their online communities.

ESW Beauty co-founder and chief executive Elina Sofia Wang told The Daily Influence the decision was a strategic one, driven by the company's growth ambitions.

"For nearly seven years, we've intentionally built ESW Beauty independently, focusing on creating a profitable business, earning the trust of our retail partners, and building a loyal community," she said. "That foundation gave us the opportunity to be thoughtful about who we invited to help shape the company's next chapter."

The appointments coincide with ESW's expansion beyond its treatment products into a broader everyday skincare brand.

"This was less about bringing in outside capital and more about bringing the right long-term partners to the table," Wang added.

Fang rose to prominence in 2023 after a video of her crying when she was called into work on her day off went viral. She built on that momentum by posting daily "Get Ready With Me" videos before class. Rachinski, meanwhile, has built a loyal audience by documenting her skincare and acne journey alongside the milestones of young adulthood.

"Katie and Aliya bring an incredibly deep understanding of today's beauty consumer. They know what resonates, what feels authentic, and how purchasing decisions are actually made because they have those conversations with their communities every day. That's a perspective you can't replicate," Wang said.

Fang said the opportunity appealed because it offered more than a traditional brand partnership.

"What excited me about ESW wasn't just the products, it was the opportunity to help build something. Being able to contribute ideas, product feedback and long-term strategy while having real ownership makes this feel like a true partnership," she said.

Founded in 2019, ESW Beauty has grown from a sheet mask-focused startup into an independent skincare brand stocked in more than 19,000 retail locations across North America.

The appointments add to a growing number of creators taking on formal strategic roles inside businesses. Earlier this month, Blenders Eyewear named creator Jordan Howlett its first Chief Content Officer, giving him responsibility for product launches, creative output and collaborations beyond traditional brand campaigns.

The beauty sector has also been an early adopter of creator ownership models. Earlier this year, Gen Alpha skincare brand Evereden awarded equity stakes to three teenage creators under its Generation E programme.