13 Fashion Accessories Business Success Stories [2024]
If you love fashion and clothing design, you may want to start a fashion accessories business. As a fashion accessories consultant, you help clients develop and adapt personal and professional styles.
Fashion accessories are decorative items that supplement one’s outfit. They include jewelry, gloves, belts, scarves, watches, sunglasses, bow ties, leggings, suspenders, and tights. To work as a professional stylist, collaborate with clients to understand their needs, and tailor styles and aesthetics to each individual’s preferences.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a fashion accessories business:
1. Foxly Handmade ($72K/year)
Jen, the founder of FOXLY Handmade, started her business by experimenting with various handmade bag styles before realizing the potential of zipper pouches. She simplified her product line and partnered with artists to create illustrations for the pouches, allowing her to scale the business and expand her brand's reach. Transitioning to eCommerce sales in 2019 proved successful, and Jen anticipates tripling last year's sales by the end of this year.
How much they make: $72K/year
How much did it cost to start: $600
Current team size: 0
Foxly Handmade, a handmade bag company based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, pivoted to focus on e-commerce sales and scaled their business to anticipate tripling last year's revenue, which was made possible by data analysis to focus on their standout product.
2. Country Outfitter ($1.2M/year)
John James, CEO of Engine, started his previous business, Acumen Brands, during the 2009 financial crisis. With over a decade of ecommerce experience, James and his team built multiple online stores, including Country Outfitter, which grew to become a $100 million retailer of cowboy boots within six months, despite neither founder owning a pair themselves. Using innovative marketing strategies, such as Facebook giveaways and viral loops, Country Outfitter acquired 9 million fans and 11 million email subscribers, resulting in an 8% conversion rate and $100 million annual revenue run rate.
How much they make: $1.2M/year
Current team size: 20
Former Acumen Brands CEO shares how he acquired nine million Facebook fans in 90 days for one of his brands, leveraged that success to raise $100 million in venture capital, and ultimately failed spectacularly after being acquired, highlighting the importance for ecommerce companies to focus on direct relationships with customers.
So... can you actually make money with a fashion 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. Rainier Watch ($23.8K/year)
David, a full-time Front End Developer, came up with the idea for his business, Rainier Watch, when he realized there was no online platform to track the visibility of Mount Rainier, a beloved mountain in the Greater Seattle area. He started a Twitter account to post daily updates on the mountain's visibility, which gained a following. Eventually, he decided to turn it into a business by selling stickers and expanding the product line to include shirts, hats, and more.
How much they make: $23.8K/year
How much did it cost to start: $300
Current team size: 0
Rainier Watch is an outdoor-inspired apparel brand that grew from selling stickers to generating several thousand dollars in sales each month through its custom Woocommerce website, as a community-driven business for quality goods inspired by mountains, donating to organizations protecting and supporting the National Parks upon purchase.
4. Fifth & Ninth ($300K/year)
Mark Mesrobian, the founder of Complete Sourcing Solutions (CSS), came up with the idea for his business after being fired from a corporate job. He leveraged his relationships in the US and China to import products from Asia for other companies. Eventually, he transitioned to creating his own brands, with the flagship brand being Fifth & Ninth, a direct-to-consumer mobile and lifestyle accessory site. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mesrobian pivoted his business to meet the demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) by repurposing one of his original sites, Symtek.
How much they make: $300K/year
Current team size: 5
Complete Sourcing Solutions pivoted to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking their original site from $0 to over $100K in less than a month, leveraging their experience in sourcing and relationships in the US and China.
So... can you actually make money with a fashion 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. Kashgar ($300K/year)
through a very tough year of barely breaking even, and in 2010, we made the decision to downsize to one store and focus on online sales. This was a risky move, but it turned out to be the right decision. Today, Kashgar is thriving as an online business, with monthly revenues of $25,000 and a loyal customer base. The future looks bright as we continue to source unique and exotic goods from around the world and connect with customers who appreciate the beauty and history behind our products.
How much they make: $300K/year
Current team size: 2
Kashgar is a successful family business that began with a love of travel and now exclusively sells unique goods sourced from over twenty different countries online, grossing an average of $25,000 a month.
6. 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 fashion 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. Nykaa ($486M/year)
How much they make: $486M/year
Current team size: 1311
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.
8. Mon Purse ($24M/year)
How much they make: $24M/year
Current team size: 19
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.
9. Woodies ($2.28M/year)
Cory had previously launched a semi-successful watch brand. Due to his watch business, he traveled a couple of times to China, and after one of the trips, he came back with the idea for wood sunglasses. Wood sunglasses seemed awesome so Cody tried to jump on them early. He was able to sell 8,000 glasses in a week with a launch on Groupon.
How much they make: $2.28M/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 1
Woodies, a wood sunglasses brand founded by Cory Stout, reached over $3.5M in revenue in 2018, despite starting with only $15K from a failed business and has succeeded through Amazon sales, spending $50K monthly on PPC and keeping ACOS at 30%.
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
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- 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
