One of Lady M's founders, Emi Wada, invented the mille crêpes cake and sold them in her Paper Moon Cake Boutiques in Japan starting in 1985.[1] The mille crêpe [ja] cakes she created consist of 20 thin handmade crêpes layered with light pastry cream and topped with a caramelized crust.[2]
In 2001, Wada helped found Lady M as a wholesale business delivering cakes to hotels and restaurants in New York City. By 2004, the Lady M cakes had become so popular that the company decided to open a store in Manhattan's Upper East Side.[3] Kumi Iseki, a restaurateur who owned the Shogun of Japan restaurants in California, was also an early investor in Lady M.[4] Wada later relinquished ownership in Lady M so she could concentrate on business back home in Japan.[1]
Ken Romaniszyn joined the business in 2008 through his mother, Iseki, and became the CEO.[4] He has overseen its introduction and growth of online shipping, its expansion into new markets, and its launch of new product lines.[5]
Following success in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Lady M opened its first boutique in mainland China in Shanghai in 2017 to huge crowds.[6] It expanded rapidly in the country in subsequent years,[3] but in 2022 announced the closure of all Chinese stores.[7]
In 2021, Lady M opened its first champagne bar at its Singapore boutique in the ION Orchard mall.[8]
In January 2026, Lady M announced that it will be closing all its Singapore outlets, ahead of a change which would allow the brand to take a more direct role in the Singapore market.[9]
As of 2023, Lady M operated boutiques in:[10] Singapore (5), Hong Kong (7), Macau (2), Taiwan (5),[11] and United States (19).
