39 Women's Clothing Line Success Stories & Case Studies [2023]

Updated: January 18th, 2023
Start A Women's Clothing Line

Starting a women’s clothing brand is a great way to enter entrepreneurship. You don’t need to have millions of dollars or vast experience to start your clothing line—just the drive and determination to be your own boss.

Women’s fashion has come a long way over the last decade, and there are many growth opportunities! New trends are constantly emerging, and old ones are returning, too, so there will always be an audience for your new designs if you keep up with the times (and stay on top of them).

Learning from experts who have been in this women's clothing business for years could be helpful for you to start your own business.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a women's clothing line:

1. SexyModest ($6M/year)

Brigitte Shamy (from Highland) started SexyModest over 14 years ago.

Revenue
$500K / month
Team
2 founders / 15 employees

Case Study

My name is Jason and I am the co-owner of SexyModest.com. My wife and I design and manufacture modest women’s clothing that is available online and in Costco.

how-we-started-a-500k-month-modest-women-s-clothing-brand-and-closed-a-deal-with-costco

2. Tradlands ($1.61M/year)

Jeremy Roberts (from Portland, ME, USA) started Tradlands about 11 years ago.

Revenue
$134K / month
Team
2 founders / 4 employees

Case Study

Hi, my name is Jeremy Roberts and I am a co-founder of Tradlands with my wife Sadie Beaudet. We sell ethically-made women’s clothing with a focus on effortless, refined, quality essentials. We began Tradlands in 2012 after reading the Four Hour Work Week with an idea and question - how can we design, manufacture, and sell high quality and great fitting button-up shirts for women? That initial idea sparked our company and we opened our Shopify store and sold our first shirts on February 5th, 2013.

Currently, the business is generating around $134k a month in revenue. We’ve grown tremendously in the past year and currently have 7 FT and PT employees and recently achieved our first year where we hit $1million in revenue.

how-this-couple-started-a-130k-month-women-s-effortless-refined-quality-clothing-brand

Learn more about starting a women's clothing line:

Where to start?

-> How to start a women's clothing line?
-> How much does it cost to start a women's clothing line?
-> Pros and cons of a women's clothing line

Need inspiration?

-> Examples of established women's clothing line
-> Marketing ideas for a women's clothing line
-> Women's clothing line slogans
-> Women's clothing line names

Other resources

-> Women's clothing line tips
-> Women's clothing line quotes
-> Women's clothing line hashtags

4. Leze Apparel Inc. ($540K/year)

Karen Lee (from Vancouver, BC, Canada) started Leze Apparel Inc. over 5 years ago.

Revenue
$45K / month
Team
2 founders / 0 employees

Case Study

I’m Karen from LEZE the Label. We're creators of comfortable living through recycled workwear that feel like pajamas. Our line consists of pants, tops, blazers, jumpsuits, and more — but our hero products are pants. Our community of women embodies the modern working woman between the ages of 25-50 years old. Whether you’re a freelancer, entrepreneur, mother extraordinaire, or building your corporate dreams, it’s evident today’s career path is taking on new forms, and we exist to meet you there.

Today, we are growing at a steady rate of 30% every month and are projected to revenue 3x more than in 2019. But guess what? 6 months ago, we were in over US$180,000 of production debt with hardly any means to pay it off.

how-we-started-a-45k-month-women-s-workwear-from-recycled-materials

5. Beautiful Disaster ($7.2M/year)

Christina DuVarney (from California, USA) started Beautiful Disaster over 15 years ago.

Revenue
$600K / month
Team
3 founders / 10 employees
Location
California, USA

Case Study

My name is Christina DuVarney and I am the founder and co-owner of Beautiful Disaster Clothing. Our mission is to empower the beautifully broken and the perfectly imperfect with the clothing that we wear. I created this brand to empower women by giving them confidence in their closet.

Our customers are women of all ages who have faced adversity at some point in their life and have come through their struggle as a stronger person. Our customers are from all over the United States and around the world. We are now making over 4M in revenue per year, and growing every day!

how-i-started-a-400k-month-women-s-clothing-line

6. Height Of Fashion ($300K/year)

Natalie Matthews (from Melbourne Victoria, Australia) started Height Of Fashion almost 6 years ago.

Revenue
$25K / month
Team
1 founders / 1 employees
Location
Melbourne Victoria, Australia

Case Study

Hey, I am Natalie Matthews the Founder of Height-Of-Fashion, An online clothing store for tall women 5’10” and over.

how-i-went-from-instagrammer-to-starting-my-own-fashion-brand

7. Garage Gym Barbell Apparel ($84K/year)

Susie Q Aranda (from Tehachapi, California, USA) started Garage Gym Barbell Apparel over 5 years ago.

Revenue
$7K / month
Team
2 founders / 0 employees
Location
Tehachapi, California, USA

Case Study

Hi there, My name is Susie Q Aranda and I’m the owner of Garage Gym Barbell Apparel. I design pretty things for strong women right in my garage. Providing tees, leggings and more for women of all sizes including our stronger plus size lifters. In addition, I also offer free garage gym workouts to follow at home and if you’re local; in person only women strength classes.

I believe that anyone, anywhere, at any level is capable of starting or continuing their fitness journey…even in their home garage! That's where Garage Gym Barbell began and has continued to grow.

how-i-started-a-7k-month-women-s-gym-apparel-business-from-my-garage

8. Sleeves 2 Go ($27.6K/year)

Susan Costanza (from Florida, USA) started Sleeves 2 Go almost 12 years ago.

Revenue
$2.3K / month
Team
1 founders / 1 employees
Location
Florida, USA

Case Study

Hi, My name is Susan Costanza, I am the designer and founder of Sleeves 2 Go Inc.

I started my company with a very small personal investment and chose not to take on any debt or loans. I wanted to build the company slowly and not overextend myself. My company is small but I am happy to say that Sleeves 2 Go has been profitable.

9. Encircled ($2.4M/year)

Kristi Soomer (from Toronto, Ontario, Canada) started Encircled over 10 years ago.

Revenue
$200K / month
Team
1 founders / 10 employees
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Case Study

My name is Kristi, I’m the founder and CEO of Encircled. Encircled is on a mission to create versatile, high quality and responsibly-made clothing so that our customers can be truly proud of their wardrobes.

Encircled started in 2012 with one product, in two colours, on the floor of my 500 sq. foot condo. We’re now a team of 10, with over 35 products, in close to 2300 sq ft of office space and continue to expand. We’ve experienced over 300% growth alone in the past two years.

10. KAHINDO ($60K/year)

Kahindo Mateene (from New York, NY, USA) started KAHINDO over 6 years ago.

Revenue
$5K / month
Team
1 founders / 1 employees

Case Study

My name is Kahindo Mateene, I am the Founder and Chief Creative Director of KAHINDO, my luxury sustainable namesake fashion brand. KAHINDO is a luxury womenswear brand created with original prints and exuberant colors that celebrates the legacy of African fashion with a modern twist. A socially responsible brand, we are dedicated to ensuring ethical work practices for the women who create our brand in Africa.

For me, fashion is only as beautiful as the way I treat the female artisans and workers who help me create my line. That means focusing on sustainability and ethical work environments for my global partners and using the KAHINDO brand as a vehicle to create equity and job opportunities for women. Together, we share the heart and soul of Africa with the rest of the world through fashion.

i-started-a-luxury-sustainable-womens-fashion-brand

11. Blue Skies & Ko ($12K/year)

Katlyn (from Woodstock, GA, USA) started *Blue Skies & Ko * about 4 years ago.

Revenue
$1K / month
Team
1 founders / 1 employees

Case Study

Hey Dreamers! Welcome to the journey! My name is Katlyn and I am the owner of Blue Skies & Ko Boutique. Blue Skies & Ko offers hand-stamped pieces of jewelry, simplistic and trendy pieced jewelry, and now clothing!

Just before I jumped into my dream here with Blue Skies & Ko I was just your average server at a tavern making roughly 25K a year… This leap easily doubled my income within just a few short months.

i-turned-my-crafting-hobby-into-a-profitable-jewelry-clothing-boutique-with-just-2-000

12. Sene ($480K/year)

Ray Li (from Los Angeles, California, USA) started Sene over 6 years ago.

Revenue
$40K / month
Team
1 founders / 3 employees
Location
Los Angeles, California, USA

Case Study

My name is Ray Li and I’m the founder of Sene. We combine classic styles with radical comfort, and custom-make each piece to fit. Every order is covered by our 60 Day Guarantee - free alterations, remakes, exchanges and returns.

Our collection for men and women currently spans custom shirts, custom pants and bottoms, custom outerwear, custom suits.

starting-a-custom-tailored-clothing-line

13. Jess Mi Boutique ($6K/year)

Jess Michelle (from Seattle, Washington, USA) started Jess Mi Boutique over 6 years ago.

Revenue
$500 / month
Team
1 founders / 1 employees
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA

Case Study

Hi everyone! My name is Jessica Carter, popularly known as Jess Michelle, and I am the founding owner of Jess Mi Boutique. I cater to women of all shapes and sizes on more of the dressier side than casual.

In today’s market, I easily make about $500 a month in sales compared to barely $75 per month when I started. My business went from something that was just on Facebook to now a wardrobe necessity for events such as annual hair and beauty shows across the Seattle-Tacoma Metropolitan area!

14. Hawthorn ($600K/year)

Rob Williams (from London, UK) started Hawthorn over 9 years ago.

Revenue
$50K / month
Team
2 founders / 0 employees

Case Study

We are Rob Williams and Tom Lovelace, Directors and Founders of Hawthorn, clothing manufacturers, based in the UK. Hawthorn was founded in 2014, however, we have personally been in the fashion industry for around 9 years now, having started clothing brands before starting Hawthorn.

Hawthorn has come a very long way from the first iteration. We initially set out to be an “all things to all people” business, offering every conceivable thing imaginable that a clothing brand might eventually want, including eyewear, footwear, and leather goods. We quickly realized that although we had the capability to produce these items, our time was best spent honing the service that is central to our business; men’s casual clothing. Our website has been through around 8 versions, and we’ve learned a lot during our entrepreneurial journey.

how-we-started-a-50k-month-business-manufacturing-clothing-for-other-brands

15. Boutique Rye ($120K/year)

Gia Paddock (from Phoenix, Arizona, USA) started Boutique Rye about 6 years ago.

Revenue
$10K / month
Team
2 founders / 0 employees
Location
Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Case Study

Hi everyone, my name is Gia, and I am the owner of Boutique Rye. We are a women’s clothing and accessories boutique that is all online!

We have anywhere from clothes that are appropriate for work or clothes that will make you turn heads on a night out on the town. I try and buy clothes with many different styles in mind. I'd like to think that we are a one-stop shop for a diverse group of women!

16. Creative Fashion Blog ($120K/year)

Lisa Miller-Mecham (from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) started Creative Fashion Blog over 5 years ago.

Revenue
$10K / month
Team
1 founders / 1 employees
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Case Study

Hello! My name is Lisa Miller-Mecham. I’m a creative mom of 4 who runs a craft/sewing website called CreativeFashionBlog.com. I started out as an accessory designer, turned award-winning fashion designer, turned DIY blogger… and now a profitable sewing pattern maker.

My best month so far in 2020 has generated slightly over $15,000 while working part-time. I’m actually launching a course next month to show other creative women how to do the same!

how-i-make-10k-month-selling-printable-sewing-patterns-from-my-fashion-blog

17. ATC Memes ($414K/year)

David Lombardo (from New York, USA) started ATC Memes over 7 years ago.

Revenue
$34.5K / month
Team
2 founders / 2 employees
Location
New York, USA

Case Study

Hi, my name is David Lombardo and I am one of the founding members of a website called ATC Memes.

Over the years, the concept evolved into an online store called RadarContact.com, where we sell many unique and niche types of merchandise catering to those who are involved with or have an interest in the aviation industry.

18. ALTRD ($12K/year)

Saara Hafeez (from New York, New York, USA) started ALTRD about 5 years ago.

Revenue
$1K / month
Team
2 founders / 0 employees
Location
New York, New York, USA

Case Study

We are Saara and Stephanie - we’ve been friends for 8 years and have both launched our own socially oriented businesses. We recently started ALTRD - a clothing alteration service.

these-two-founders-started-an-on-demand-clothing-alterations-startup

19. Hera Closet ($120K/year)

Shaden Abushaera (from Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates) started Hera Closet over 5 years ago.

Revenue
$10K / month
Team
1 founders / 15 employees
Location
Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Case Study

I am Shaden, 33 years old. I can define myself as a Mom, Feminist, and Entrepreneur. I simply look at fashion as an art. My dream is to create a new world of self-expression for independent designers and to help them sell their creations in a meaningful way. In Ancient Greek mythology, Hera represents women, nurturing and watchfulness, while possessing luxury and beauty.

We want to create a home for brands with stories to tell. Brands you’ll want to know about because of what they stand for. Whether you are here to buy or to sell, we are pleased to offer a healthy online business environment that meets your needs and desires.

how-i-started-a-10k-month-arabic-clothing-platform

20. LilKong Brand ($36K/year)

Tramell McInnis (from Los Angeles, California, USA) started LilKong Brand ago.

Revenue
$3K / month
Team
1 founders / 0 employees
Location
Los Angeles, California, USA

Case Study

Hi there, Tramell McInnis here. I am the Owner & Co Designer here at LilKong Brand. I started working on my lifestyle designer fashion brand in late 2017. I got it established mid-2018.

Within 3 years of launch, our expected business evaluation is to be around $300,000.

on-starting-a-premium-lifestyle-apparel-company-from-compton

21. Go Mama ($36K/year)

Natalie Pitts (from Auckland, New Zealand) started Go Mama over 2 years ago.

Revenue
$3K / month
Team
1 founders / 2 employees

Case Study

My name is Natalie and I am a wife, mama of two young children, and a Service Woman in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. In 2020 I conceived an idea to design maternity activewear for women to feel motivated to do physical activity to support their mental health. This is when Go Mama began.

All of the Go Mama clothing serves the purpose of being comfortable, supportive and functional to wear during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Our clothes are designed to expand as a mama progresses through pregnancy, and most of our tops have discreet zips so it is more accessible and convenient to breastfeed/nurse when you are on the go. Our main customers are pregnant women or those who are on their breastfeeding journey.

how-i-launched-a-successful-maternity-activewear-brand-during-my-leave-from-the-royal-new-zealand-air-force

22. Chemo Cozy ($36K/year)

Ellen Hamilton (from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) started Chemo Cozy over 9 years ago.

Revenue
$3K / month
Team
2 founders / 0 employees
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Case Study

Hi! My name is Ellen Hamilton and I’m a Founder and CEO of Chemo Cozy; a company that makes fashionable and functional apparel designed to provide warmth and comfort to patients during infusion treatments.

We now have customers in all 50 states and internationally and have three online stores- our website chemocozy.com, an Etsy shop, and now a store on Amazon.

23. Yoke Apparel Manufacturing ($276K/year)

Jesse James (from Da Nang, Hải Châu District, Da Nang, Vietnam) started Yoke Apparel Manufacturing about 4 years ago.

Revenue
$23K / month
Team
1 founders / 30 employees

Case Study

Hello everyone, my name is Jesse James and I am the visionary of Yoke Apparel Manufacturing which is located in Vietnam. Yoke is a fully comprehensive clothing manufacturing service specializing in low minimum order quantities.

Covid19 interruptions and restrictions have prevented us from increasing our capacity which has been hard to watch as a business owner. However, we are excited to open up the floodgates as customer demand is strong and we could expect to grow 2-3x sustainably per annum.

we-moved-to-vietnam-and-started-a-276k-year-clothing-manufacturing-business

24. Blush Boutique Co ($300K/year)

Emilie Casseday (from Greeley, Colorado, USA) started Blush Boutique Co ago.

Revenue
$25K / month
Team
1 founders / 7 employees
Location
Greeley, Colorado, USA

Case Study

Hello there! My name is Emilie Casseday and I own and run Blush Boutique Co in historic downtown Greeley, Colorado. Blush is a boutique full of clothes, home goods, jewelry, bath and body products and more. The goal was to have a highly curated and beautiful space full of quality products where you can find something for yourself and someone else as well. One of the most beautiful things that have evolved out of becoming a brick and mortar shop is the community. While first and foremost we are retail space, Blush has an amazing community of women and men. We host events, classes, meetups and more and the relationships that have evolved from that have been an incredible blessing.

Blush started as a humble idea between myself and a friend that quickly went from thought to action. We opened Blush in my basement in 2017 with just a few pieces of clothing, some fun jewelry, and a whole lot of hope. We quickly grew in customers and needed a new space and began to talk brick and mortar. My partner had to step away but I geared up to move into an actual space in our downtown and we continue to grow. Blush is now an established business in the downtown community in Greeley and we are going on our 4th year in business and we aren’t slowing down!

how-i-started-a-25k-month-boutique-that-sells-clothes-home-goods-jewelry

25. OceanZen ($300K/year)

Steph Gabriel (from Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia) started OceanZen over 9 years ago.

Revenue
$25K / month
Team
1 founders / 0 employees
Location
Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia

Case Study

My name is Steph and I am the founder for OceanZen which is a sustainable swimwear brand that uses a fabric made from recycled plastic bottles and fishing nets from the ocean.

I launched OceanZen in my final year of uni with $5,000, so I started small with only a couple of hundred pieces. Now we manufacture and produce thousands on sustainable bikinis and ship them globally!

26. Swoveralls ($1.2M/year)

Kyle Bergman (from New York, New York, USA) started Swoveralls over 6 years ago.

Revenue
$100K / month
Team
1 founders / 10 employees
Location
New York, New York, USA

Case Study

Hey there! My name is Kyle Bergman, and I am the Founder and Chief Swoverall Officer of The Great Fantastic. My brand’s mission is to create the world’s comfiest apparel products made from sustainable materials, and ethical manufacturing practices.

Our hero product, Swoveralls, is the combination of sweatpants and overalls into one glorious masterpiece. I sold my first pair about 18 months ago, and have done over $300k to date all while not only having a variety of full and part-time jobs, but also going to business school, and playing lacrosse for the Israeli Men’s National Team.

sweatpants-overalls-how-i-turned-a-silly-idea-into-a-viral-brand

27. Serena Hannah Athletics ($168K/year)

Serena Jenkins - Hannah (from Long Beach) started Serena Hannah Athletics over 5 years ago.

Revenue
$14K / month
Team
2 founders / 0 employees

Case Study

Hi Starter Story! Thanks so much for allowing me the opportunity to conduct this virtual interview with you:) My name is Serena Jenkins - Hannah and I own a fitness brand that helps women shape & tone their hourglass figure as well as mentally empower them in the process. We have multiple products for women but our #1 selling item is the Hannah Booty Band System. I’m also a Realtor® with SGE Realty.

I’ve invested a lot of money back into the brand to help it grow & I’m currently waiting on Amazon to allow my products back in stock. This is another MAJOR issue with their platform. They have the power to “lose, hold, and stall” your shipments and you as a seller have NO say in the matter. For example, I sent in my products in October and “they can’t do anything” until after Christmas. This is actually something that’s happened to me before as well and something I’m sure many other sellers can attest to. This is why building a brand outside of Amazon is a smart move. YOU take back your power instead of hoping for a scam customer service seller agent from who knows where telling you there is nothing they can do for you.

how-i-created-a-14k-month-women-s-fitness-brand

28. Sewing Incubator ($720K/year)

Rocio Evenett (from Los Angeles, CA, USA) started Sewing Incubator over 3 years ago.

Revenue
$60K / month
Team
2 founders / 2 employees

Case Study

My name is Rocio Evenett and I’m a co-founder of Sewing Incubator. We launched in January of 2020 to offer sewn product development (from idea to prototype sample) and manufacture from our own factory in Los Angeles.

We’ve been averaging $60K monthly revenue for 2020, but at the height of the emergency shutdowns, we were generating close to 100K while we pivoted to help with the high demand for PPE Made in the USA.

how-i-started-a-60k-month-sewn-product-development-and-manufacture-business

29. Nasty Gal ($55.9M/year)

How Sophia Amoruso started an eBay store called Nasty Gal Vintage and founded the digital media brand and community #Girlboss.

Sophia Amoruso (from Los Angeles, CA, USA) started Nasty Gal over 16 years ago.

Revenue
$4.66M / month
Team
1 founders / 217 employees

Case Study

In 2006, Sophia Amoruso founded Nasty Gal Los Angeles-based fashion company named Nasty Gal. This fashion brand has its roots in classic rock 'n' roll and the thrill of the hunt for vintage.

When Sophia was 22, she opened the Nasty Gal Vintage eBay store, which quickly became popular. The company was recognized in 2012 by INC Magazine as the Fastest Growing Retailer.

Over a short period of time, their revenue increased from $250,000 to $1.1 million to $6.5 million to $30 million.

Sophia also published a book with the hashtag "#GIRLBOSS," which has been used 17 million times on Instagram. The book has sold 500,000 copies, and Netflix has distributed the television program "Girlboss" to 100 million households.

Read the full story on usatoday.com ➜

30. Everlane ($120M/year)

In this series of eComstories, today let's learn how Everlane was able to grow from $0 to $100M+ in just 6 Years. Read now and get your take aways

Michael Preysman (from San Francisco, California, USA) started *Everlane * over 12 years ago.

Revenue
$9.98M / month
Team
1 founders / 333 employees

Case Study
  • Michael Preysman is the founder of this direct-to-consumer clothing brand named Everlane.
  • Their story began in 2010 when a 25-year-old American thought of creating a brand that would stand out from the competition.
  • Their current mission is to help people put their best fashion foot forward while having minimal effect on the environment.
  • Michael’s vision for success came true when he witnessed his company’s value increase from $0 to $100M+ in just 6 years.

Read the full story on pixelphant.com ➜

31. Voonik ($34.2M/year)

Voonik is a men's & women's fashion eCommerce startup. Read more about Voonik Founders, Funding, Growth, Business Model, Revenue, and Company Profile.

Navaneetha Krishnan and Sujayath Ali (from Bengaluru, Karnataka, India) started Voonik over 10 years ago.

Revenue
$2.85M / month
Team
2 founders / 210 employees

Case Study
  • Voonik was founded by Navaneetha Krishnan and Sujayath Ali to customize the shopping experience for both men and women.
  • This is one of the fastest-growing fashion shopping apps for women in India, where you can purchase clothing that complements your physique, personality, lifestyle, and preferred spending limits.
  • Their app has received over 1M downloads and completes more than a million transactions each month.
  • This brand's first desktop website, Voonik.com, launched in March 2013.

Read the full story on startupnewsxp.blogspot.com ➜

32. Urbanity Shop ($1.22M/year)

Lee Smith (from Bellevue, Washington, USA) started Urbanity Shop over 13 years ago.

Revenue
$102K / month
Team
1 founders / 7 employees

Case Study
  • Lee Smith is the founder of Urbanity, a contemporary boutique for men’s & women's clothing, footwear, and accessories.

  • Lee opened the first Urbanity store back in 2009 after graduating from college at the University of Idaho.

  • It is a locally operated store offering customers the opportunity to shop for stylish fashion items in a cozy and laid-back shopping environment

  • At Urbanity, people can find renowned brands like Daisy Street, Billionaire Boys Club, Jordan, Girl Dangerous Ice Cream, Nike, Herschel, and others in one store.

  • Urbanity plans to continue to grow year by year and offer the best and most exclusive brands in the country.

article

Watch the video on youtube.com ➜

33. Lunya ($25M/year)

Let's look at the steps Lunya took to build themselves from the ground up and create a wildly successful, customer-centric marketing strategy.

Ashley Merrill (from Santa Monica, California, USA) started Lunya almost 11 years ago.

Revenue
$2.08M / month
Team
1 founders / 61 employees

Case Study
  • Ashley Merrill is the dynamic founder and CEO of the upscale sleepwear company named Lunya.
  • The brand offers stylish sleepwear and rest wear for both men & women that spell out comfort in bold letters.
  • In 2012, she started working on her concept for a business based on upscale materials like cashmere and alpaca, never forgetting the comfort and strongly emphasizing body-flattering cuts.
  • Since its official launch, the company has grown YoY by 500%.

Listen to the full podcast on storybehindthebrand.libsyn.com ➜

34. Pink Lily ($141M/year)

Today I’m thrilled to have Tori Gerbig on the show. Tori runs a $140 million business selling clothing and boutique fashion over at PinkLily.com.

Tori Gerbig (from Nashville, Tennessee, USA) started Pink Lily over 9 years ago.

Revenue
$11.8M / month
Team
1 founders / 101 employees

Case Study

In 2014, Tori Gerbig launched Pink Lily, an online fashion store for women's clothing. She had initially started her business on eBay in 2011.

  • The company has delivered more than 1.5 million products to customers since its inception. It delivers over 1,000 orders per day and more than 200,000 orders annually.
  • 56% of customers place repeat orders.
  • Tori Gerbig has over 595K followers on Instagram, and she uses this platform regularly to promote her business.
  • At present, Pink Lily has an annual revenue of $141M from more than 11,000 products.

Listen to the full podcast on nichepursuits.com ➜

35. iGirl World ($1.26M/year)

Bella McFadden has become the first-ever seller to earn £1 million ($1.26 million) on the app. The global recession spurred by the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t shrunk her business. In fact, sales have gone up by 146% since the lockdown began.

Bella McFadden (from Los Angeles, CA, USA) started *iGirl World * over 6 years ago.

Revenue
$105K / month
Team
1 founders / employees

Case Study

Bella McFadden (a.k.a. Internet Girl) started iGirl in 2017, while she was a teenager growing up in Canada and building an alt-fashion community from the bottom using only social media, her own selected wardrobe, and Depop, a social e-commerce platform to buy & sell fashion.

Her aesthetic sense, inspired by Y2K emo culture made iGirl the underground internet's hottest commodity.

iGirl has quite a strong social media presence, and she uses this to her advantage to market her products online. The iGirl Instagram account has more than 380K followers and Bella’s YouTube channel Internet Girl has over 138K subscribers.

iGirl quickly went viral & instantly became popular in the goth-loving community once they launched their cult classic original accessories and apparel.

Bella became Depop’s first user to earn over 1 million dollars, is now living her best life in Los Angeles. As of Oct. 1, she's making the leap from app user to launching her own website, igirlworld.com, where she'll move away from resale and focus on selling her original designs under her brand name, iGirl.

Read the full story on thestar.com ➜

36. Smaragdas Art ($12K/year)

Albina (from Athens, Greece) started Smaragdas Art over 2 years ago.

Revenue
$1K / month
Team
1 founders / 1 employees

Case Study

Hello! I am Albina, I am a designer. I create unique handmade jewelry, one-of-a-kind creations, home decoration items, bags, and clothes.

i-started-a-slow-fashion-brand-got-my-work-into-new-york-fashion-week

37. MeUndies ($75M/year)

Direct to consumer underwear start-up MeUndies is willing to take risks with provocative advertising that courts controversy to help it steal the spotlight in a busy market.

Jonathan Shokrian (from Culver City, CA, USA) started MeUndies over 12 years ago.

Revenue
$6.25M / month
Team
1 founders / 126 employees

Case Study

MeUndies is a brand of men's and women’s underwear that was started by Jonathan Shokrian in 2011.

Jonathan was fed up with the unpleasant buying experience while shopping for underwear and collected $400,000 primarily from family & friends to start a millennial-friendly online store for underwear.

In 2014, MeUndies made headlines after Facebook blocked some of its ads because some photos of scantily-clad models in the company’s underwear were in breach of Facebook’s advertising guidelines.

This eventually brought them a significant amount of media attention which resulted in sales growth.

In recent years, the popularity of MeUndies has grown a lot since younger generations started turning away these big traditional brands like Hanes or Victoria’s Secret.

MeUndies has more than 500k+ Facebook fans and 340+ Instagram followers thanks to endorsements from stars like Kylie Jenner and the Hadid sisters.

Read the full story on cnbc.com ➜

38. Tommy John ($22.6M/year)

Tommy John launched in 2008, and the company has grown 2.5 times year over year since 2014 and is expected to exceed $100M in sales this year. Read this story on this disruptive brand to see what they did to make underwear so hypnotizing.

Tom Patterson and Erin Fujimoto (from New York, NY, USA) started Tommy John over 15 years ago.

Revenue
$1.88M / month
Team
2 founders / 162 employees

Case Study

Tommy John is a vertically integrated consumer brand in the underwear market that Erin Fujimoto and Tom Patterson founded.

In 2008, Tommy John made its debut with the first patented undershirt in the world with a stay-tucked guarantee. Since then, the company has grown to include underwear, socks, casual wear, and activewear.

Other than operating online, they are currently focused on opening their brick-and-mortar stores and have recently expanded to offer direct-to-consumer women's clothing.

In 2012 they focused more on building a direct-to-consumer relationship to offer better products and improve customer experience. Since 2014 the company's revenue has seen a five times growth, and recently, they sold their 5 millionth pair of underwear.

The brand has been highlighted in the Wall Street Journal, Esquire, GQ, and Golf Digest, among other publications. Additionally, you can currently find Tommy John's products in over 1000 retail locations across the USA.

Listen to the full podcast on podcasts.apple.com ➜

Pat Walls,  Founder of Starter Story
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