12 Clothing And Accessories Business Success Stories [2024]
Here are some real life success stories of starting a clothing and accessories business:
1. Hippy Feet ($1.06M/year)
While studying at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, the founder of Hippy Feet, Michael Mader, suffered a traumatic brain injury that left him unable to work and provide for himself. Inspired by the support he received from his friends and family during his recovery, he decided to start a business that could act as a support group for individuals experiencing homelessness. This led to the creation of Hippy Feet, a sock and apparel company that provides transitional employment to homeless youth.
How much they make: $1.06M/year
How much did it cost to start: $30K
Current team size: 2
Hippy Feet, a Minneapolis-based sock and apparel company, has created jobs for over 160 individuals experiencing homelessness with a 6-month job readiness program and has grown 2020 revenue by 156% over 2019, using sustainable materials and practices while providing sales of custom, branded socks and apparel.
2. Olori ($180K/year)
Tomide Awe, the founder of Olori, was inspired by her rich Nigerian culture and the beautiful textiles she grew up surrounded by. She wanted to share African craftsmanship and empower women, so she started Olori, a business that creates gorgeous, Africa-inspired handbags. Through incorporating traditional fabrics into modern designs, Olori invites people from all over the world to experience the beauty and culture of Africa while supporting artisans and women-owned businesses in Africa.
How much they make: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 1
Olori founder Tomide Awe shares how she turned her love for African textiles into a profitable e-commerce business, with a Kickstarter campaign that raised over 112% of their goal, over 2,000 units sold, and a profitable revenue of $180k/year.
So... can you actually make money with a clothing and accessories business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Everlane ($120M/year)
At just 25 years old, Michael Preysman had a vision to create a direct-to-consumer clothing brand that would not only stand out from the competition, but also have a minimal impact on the environment. His vision became a reality as Everlane's value skyrocketed from $0 to over $100 million in just six years. Learn more about their journey to success on pixelphant.com.
How much they make: $120M/year
Current team size: 333
This case study explores the impressive growth of an ethical fashion brand, Everlane, whose founder saw his company's value increase from $0 to over $100 million in just six years.
4. Portland Gear ($1.44M/year)
After building a strong and engaged community on Instagram, Marcus Harvey saw an opportunity to create a brand that resonated with Portland residents. Leveraging his background in garment design and branding, he launched Portland Gear on Black Friday in 2014, aiming to provide quality menswear items and accessories that foster a sense of community in the city.
How much they make: $1.44M/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 15
This case study showcases how Portland Gear founder Marcus Harvey leveraged his Instagram community to build a successful retail clothing store offering quality menswear items and accessories.
So... can you actually make money with a clothing and accessories business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
5. Urbanity Shop ($1.22M/year)
How much they make: $1.22M/year
Current team size: 7
This case study showcases an entrepreneur who created a thriving boutique store for both men's and women's clothing, footwear, and accessories, with renowned brands such as Nike, Billionaire Boys Club, and Herschel available under one roof.
6. Voonik ($34.2M/year)
Navaneetha Krishnan and Sujayath Ali founded Voonik to revolutionize the fashion shopping experience in India. With over 1 million downloads and a million transactions per month, their app caters to both men and women, offering customized clothing options based on physique, personality, lifestyle, and budget.
How much they make: $34.2M/year
Current team size: 210
Voonik- India's fastest-growing fashion shopping app, offers a personalized shopping experience for women with over 1M downloads, more than a million transactions completed each month and desktop website launched in March 2013.
So... can you actually make money with a clothing and accessories business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
7. PaigeLauren ($7.8M/year)
Former architectural designer Paige Lauren founded PaigeLauren in 2009 to fulfill her quest for simple and classic baby clothes for her friends. The luxury baby clothing company, known for its soft and organic fabrics, has become a prominent player in the market, generating a monthly revenue of approximately $650,000. With a modest 16K+ followers on Instagram, PaigeLauren continues to thrive in the cute and comfy baby clothing industry.
How much they make: $7.8M/year
Current team size: 41
Luxury baby clothing company PaigeLauren, making simple & organic fabrics with a luxurious look & feel for babies & toddlers, and boasting a monthly revenue of around $650,000 through their promotion on Instagram.
8. Be Kind Apparel ($5.4K/year)
to look. We wanted it to be clean, simple, and user-friendly. We wanted our logo to be prominent and for customers to easily navigate through the different product options. It took us about a week to design and build the website, and we made sure to include high-quality product photos to showcase our clothing.
How much they make: $5.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $3.6K
Current team size: 1
Be Kind Apparel is an ethical and sustainable Irish leisurewear brand that focuses on spreading kindness and supporting mental health, selling tee shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts in a variety of colors and sizes with recycled materials being used in production and 5% of profits donated to local charities, making a profit of 450 euros per month.
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
