1. Andrew Rosen
The Theory founder and CEO is also an investor in Alice & Olivia, Rag & Bone, and Helmut Lang. He invests publicly and privately in brands.

2. Marvin Traub, Marvin Traub Associates
While Traub, best known for his years at Bloomingdale’s, mostly consults for big companies, he is also a partial investor in brands like Rachel Roy and Matthew Williamson. (Sources say that at this moment, Traub is not looking to invest in more labels. But who knows what 2011 will bring.)

3. Sage LLC
This Los Angeles-based private equity firm invests in small to mid-market labels. (Since this is L.A., that means lots of denim.) These are the people you reach out to when you’ve built a successful business and want to take it a step further.

4. J Christopher Capital
This private equity firm is currently invested in Tory Burch, as well as non-fashion brands like Jawbone.

5. Ramez Toubassy, Brand Sense Partners
This firm mostly does brand consulting for big corporations, but it recently invested in a few fashion and lifestyle companies, including label Canvas and Tribe.