Beauty brand Deciem to close stores

Founder alludes to ‘major criminal activity’ in mysterious video post

TORONTO— A Toronto-based beauty brand that has become a cult hit and garnered attention from the likes of Kim Kardashian West is abruptly closing all of its stores.

Brandon Truaxe, the founder of Deciem, said in an Instagram video he posted over the weekend that he is shutting down operations until further notice.

Truaxe did not give a clear reason for the closing of the stores, which are often emblazoned with “the Abnormal Beauty Company” slogan, but alludes to criminal charges in the video.

“Please take me seriously,” he said. “Almost everyone at Deciem has been involved in a major criminal activity, which includes financial crimes and much other. You have no idea what a soldier I have been for 13 years.”

Truaxe listed his location for the post as the White House and named and tagged dozens of high-profile brands and people, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, RBC, U.S. President Donald Trump and recent Deciem investor Estée Lauder Companies Inc. in the missive.

In a statement made to The Canadian Press, Estée Lauder distanced itself from the matter by calling it a “minority” investor in the brand, and noting “we do not control the company’s operations, social media or personnel decisions.”

Truaxe’s mysterious post comes years after he founded Deciem in 2013 and shot to fame with droves of loyal fans.

Deciem sold its products, which include the popular the Ordinary line, online, in various department stores and at about 30 stores it opened in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Mexico, South Korea and the Netherlands.

On Tuesday, Deciem’s website noted almost all of them were closed and the phone went unanswered when The Canadian Press tried to reach managers at several locations.

Deciem spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.

Square One, in Mississauga where Deciem was a tenant, said it did not receive advance notice of the decision to shutter the stores. “Square One was made aware of the closure at the same time it was made public,” a spokesman said in an email, noting that it would not comment on “business decisions of any of our tenants.”