15 Fashion Accessories Brand Success Stories [2024]

Updated: November 19th, 2023
Start A Fashion Accessories Brand

Fashion accessories are an integral part of our wardrobes and are chosen specifically to compliment a person's outfit.

Typical fashion accessories include footwear, apparel, jewelry, wallets, handbags, hair accessories, and watches.

The global fashion accessories market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.3% during the forecast period (2021 - 2026).

Here are some real life success stories of starting a fashion accessories brand:

1. Cuff Style ($600K/year)

Eric Morton, one of the co-founders of Cuffstyle, came up with the idea for Cuff Adapters out of frustration with the limited ability to wear cufflinks with standard button-down shirts. He realized that most people owned very few formal French cuff shirts and rarely wore cufflinks as a result. This led to his realization that there was a need for an innovation that would allow cufflinks to be worn more often with any button-down shirt in any setting, leading to the invention of Cuff Adapters.

How much they make: $600K/year
Current team size: 4

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How We Invented A $10K/Month Innovative Cuff Adapters

CuffStyle created Cuff Adapters, silicone tabs that fit over shirt cuff buttons allowing cufflinks to be worn with standard button-down shirts, and has sold over 2,000 packs and received 100+ reviews with a 4.6/5 star rating on Amazon, with plans to move into big-box retail and B2B sales.

About
Eric started Cuff Style about 5 years ago
Revenue
Eric grew the business to $50K/month
Read by 6,572 founders

2. Mahiya ($1.04M/year)

Ryan and Alex Hutchinson started Mahiya, a bohemian leather accessories label, after Ryan agreed to help Alex with her new concept for unique designs. With an initial investment of $20k and the use of social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, they quickly gained traction and now average $75,000 in sales per month through their website, showroom, and worldwide boutique wholesalers. They have plans to expand into the Japanese market and continue creating new designs.

How much they make: $1.04M/year
Current team size: 1

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How A Couple Started A $75K/Month Bohemian Leather Accessories Company

Australian-based fashion accessories label Mahiya sees an average of $75,000 in sales each month through its website, showroom, and boutique wholesaler customers, after husband-and-wife team Ryan and Alex Hutchinson invested AUD20,000 ($13,462) and started working from their bedroom in 2013.

Revenue
Alex grew the business to $87K/month
Read by 6,377 founders

So... can you actually make money with a fashion accessories brand?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

3. FLXCUF ($24K/year)

Jay Fuller came up with the idea for FLXCUF while working behind a bar and constantly struggling with his shirt sleeves rolling down. He initially tried using rubber bands as a temporary fix but realized there could be a better solution. Inspired by the concept of a flex collar in a Van Heusen shirt, Jay came up with the idea for flexible shirt cuffs that expand as they go up the arm.

How much they make: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
Current team size: 0

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How I Launched A $2K/Month Solution That Holds Shirt Sleeves

FLXCUF, a dress shirt sleeve solution designed to hold up sleeves in one fold, has seen sales growth since its launch 3 years ago, and has secured placement in two boutique retailers, all while using influencer marketing and cross-promoting to maximize collaborations.

About
Rob started FLXCUF over 6 years ago
Revenue
Rob grew the business to $2K/month
Costs
It cost Rob $2000 to start the business
Read by 6,178 founders

4. ZipSeam ($18K/year)

SiDi, the founder of ZipSeam, came up with the idea after he realized his wardrobe consisted of ill-fitting, oversized shirts. Unable to afford professional tailoring, SiDi developed a DIY solution using planks of wood and later improved upon it with a C-shaped tube. After launching a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly $60k, SiDi faced challenges with website migration and personal setbacks but is now focused on rebuilding the business through influencer marketing and plans to expand into retail.

How much they make: $18K/year
Current team size: 1

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How I Created A DIY Shirt Tailor And Raised $60K On Kickstarter

This startup founder invented the ZipSeam, which raised nearly $60k on Kickstarter and has now grown to $3k+ in monthly sales through influencer marketing, despite initial website and marketing challenges.

About
SiDi started ZipSeam almost 10 years ago
Revenue
SiDi grew the business to $1.5K/month
Read by 3,903 founders

So... can you actually make money with a fashion accessories brand?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

5. 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

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I Started A $180K/Year Africa-Inspired Handbags Brand

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.

About
Tomide started Olori over 6 years ago
Revenue
Tomide grew the business to $15K/month
Costs
It cost Tomide $10000 to start the business
Read by 2,755 founders

6. Hawkers ($6M/year)

How much they make: $6M/year
Current team size:

​​Turning a $300 Investment into a $60M Sunglasses Empire

How Alejandro's sunglasses e-commerce, Hawkers, used influencer marketing to raise over €70M and generate a monthly revenue of €6M.

Revenue
They grew the business to $500K/month
Read by 729 founders

So... can you actually make money with a fashion accessories brand?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

7. Costume Baldor ($120K/year)

Former Macy's employee Natalie Gomez left her job and started her side hustle as an online retailer on Poshmark. By buying clothing items from thrift stores and selling them at a higher price on her Poshmark store, Gomez made an impressive $10,000 in just one month, which encouraged her to pursue this venture full-time.

How much they make: $120K/year
Current team size: 0

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This 35-year-old made $100,000 reselling clothes and no longer needs to work

Learn how Natalie:

  • Started: Made her first $40 in less than 24 hours
  • Grew: Once her wardrobe was empty, she started buying clothes to flip them for a profit
  • Family business: Now her father sources and ships stuff from thrift stores.

I don’t want a nice office job; I want to work on my own terms.

Read by 847 founders

8. Nykaa ($486M/year)

How much they make: $486M/year
Current team size: 1311

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The Story of Nykaa, India’s Best Beauty Retail Platform

Get inspired by the story of Nykaa - India's leading beauty and personal care marketplace with an impressive yearly revenue of $482 million, expanding into fashion and manufacturing its own line of products.

About
They started Nykaa almost 12 years ago
Revenue
They grew the business to $40.5M/month
Read by 769 founders

9. Nasty Gal ($55.9M/year)

How much they make: $55.9M/year
Current team size: 217

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How I became an entrepreneur and Girlboss: Sophia Amoruso

Nasty Gal, founded by Sophia Amoruso in 2006, experienced a revenue increase from $250k to $30m; Amoruso published the hashtagged book "#GIRLBOSS" and the TV program "Girlboss" was distributed to 100 million households.

About
They started Nasty Gal about 17 years ago
Revenue
They grew the business to $4.66M/month
Read by 802 founders

10. 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

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Voonik - Personalizing The Shopping Experience More Than Ever

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.

About
They started Voonik about 11 years ago
Revenue
They grew the business to $2.85M/month
Read by 768 founders

11. Mon Purse ($24M/year)

How much they make: $24M/year
Current team size: 19

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How Quality Customization Turned Mon Purse Into A Multimillion-Dollar Fashion Business

Custom leather bags and fashion accessories business MON generates an impressive $24 million in revenue, thanks to founder Lana Hopkins' unique idea of letting customers design their own handbags.

About
They started Mon Purse about 10 years ago
Revenue
They grew the business to $2M/month
Read by 606 founders