41 Trending Fashion Designer Businesses [2024]
Fashion designers are creative people who come up with new designs for clothes, footwear, accessories, and other items that people wear. They figure out what materials to use, what colors will look best together, and how to make sure that each piece looks good on a variety of body types.
As a fashion designer, you have the opportunity to create something new and exciting.
Tips on how to become successful:
- Understand the fashion industry
- Develop and master the needed skills
- Start with a vision for your brand and know your brand inside-out
- Create a plan for how that vision will be executed
- Don't skimp on marketing or promotions
Looking for some examples of a fashion designer?
Interested in case studies of a successful fashion designer? Check out our full list of success stories.
1. Mahiya
Mahiya handtooled leather designed products. Leather purses, Leather Handbags and so much more. WORLDWIDE SHIPPING. Click now to view our full range now.
How much they make: $1.04M/year
Where they're located: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Current team size: 1
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.
2. The Design Cart
The Design Cart is an online supplier of Beads online, Embroidery Material, Buttons, Sequins, Fabric online and Jewelry making material for Fashion Designers. Buy Beading Supplies, Threads, Embroidery Material, Borders and Laces, Stones, Dabka, Zari, Beads, Fabric online for fashion and jewelry design. Buy Cotton,Silk.
How much they make: $1.44M/year
Where they're located: New Delhi, Delhi, India
How much did it cost to start: $25K
Current team size: 25
Website traffic: 60K/month
The founder of The Design Cart, an Indian online B2B sourcing portal for the fashion industry, shares how he turned his weekend gig into an EBITA positive business, servicing over 20,000 unique designers and brands globally and achieving a monthly turnover of over $80k until COVID-19 hit, by relentlessly running behind supply and demand, optimizing his online marketing strategy and keeping costs low for sustainable profits.
Learn more about starting a fashion designer:
Where to start?
-> How much does it cost to start a fashion designer?
-> Pros and cons of a fashion designer
Need inspiration?
-> Other fashion designer success stories
-> Marketing ideas for a fashion designer
Other resources
4. Rebecca Minkoff
Shop women's designer handbags, designer clothing, shoes, and accessories from Rebecca Minkoff, featuring on trend styles for every season.
How much they make:
Where they're located: New York, NY, USA
Current team size: 64
5. Tailornova
Tailornova is online 3D fashion design software that helps you create unlimited designs easier and faster than ever.
Where they're located: Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Website traffic: 140K/month
6. Love Is Project
The #loveisproject connects people around the world through a universal message of LOVE. Empower artisan communities through an ethical supply chain. Shop now!
How much they make: $2.4M/year
Where they're located: San Francisco, California, USA
Current team size: 2
Love Is Project generated over $1.2 million in revenue by utilizing a "Pay It Forward" business model, creating 1,200+ jobs for female artisans around the world, and utilizing storytelling to attract and retain customers.
7. Joah Love
Trendy, cool children's apparel. Pre-shrunk, super-soft, high-quality clothing made with love for boys, girls, babies and adults.
How much they make: $468K/year
Where they're located: Los Angeles, California, USA
Current team size: 7
Joah Love is a children's lifestyle clothing brand that generates over $40,000 a month through its direct-to-consumer website, and has plans to expand to Europe and Asia, while also prioritizing sustainability and inclusivity for children with special needs.
8. SexyModest
Sexymodest.com is an online store selling modest and stylish clothing for women. The business serves a niche market of customers looking for fashionable yet modest options. Founded by sisters in 2001, the company has grown to be profitable with a small team of employees. Unique selling point: styling tips for modest fashion.
How much they make: $6M/year
Where they're located: Highland
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 15
SexyModest.com is a 7-figure business producing around 250k and selling 150k pieces a year, which began as a side hustle in the founder's basement and designs modest women's clothing available online and in Costco.
9. I Love Ugly
New Items. The most recent additions to the I Love Ugly Online Store. New items are added throughout the year and will appear in this section.
How much they make: $3.6M/year
Where they're located: Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Current team size: 20
Website traffic: 70K/month
This case study showcases how Valentin Ozich built an online menswear brand, I Love Ugly, from scratch with a clear vision of creating premium streetwear catered to men that's affordable and sold primarily online, with some products selling upwards of 50,000 units/pieces globally and still remain some of the strongest sellers today.
10. Nimble Made
A size inclusive brand, founded by Asian American entrepreneurs, striving for diversity and representation in fashion.
How much they make: $60K/year
Where they're located: Los Angeles, California, USA
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 0
A year-old D2C menswear brand that sells "actually slim" dress shirts, uses grassroots marketing, SEO, and Facebook/Instagram ads as their top customer acquisition channels with $40k in sales and plans to expand their product selection to pants, accessories, and more.
11. Kashgar
Kashgar - unusual, handmade, beautiful & sustainable handicrafts, homewares, objects & jewellery spanning 25 countries & 50 tribal cultures
How much they make: $300K/year
Where they're located: Darwin, Australia
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.
12. Tini Lux
Our earrings are better than "hypoallergenic." They are the first earrings specially designed for sensitive ears and metal allergies. Tini Lux is the source for high end fashion earrings made from medical grade titanium and niobium.
How much they make: $264K/year
Where they're located: New York, New York, USA
Current team size: 1
Tini Lux is a profitable e-commerce fashion business that provides a line of fashion earrings specifically for women with metal allergies that has gained a loyal following from its target demographic of women aged 18-45 in 15 months since launching.
13. ANIMA IRIS
Shop in demand women's designer handbags and accessories from Anima Iris. Browse our Spring / Summer 2021 collection and Ready to Ship handbags, all uniquely made in Africa.
How much they make:
Where they're located: Philadelphia, PA, USA
14. Desires by Mikolay
Welcome to Desires by Mikolay a leader in fine and designer jewelry, fashion and gift items, custom design and jewelry repair.
How much they make: $3.44M/year
Where they're located: Chappaqua, New York, USA
Current team size: 7
Desires by Mikolay, a luxury jewelry brand offering a quality selection of custom design and fine jewelry, tripled its brick and mortar since starting in 2005 and now receives orders from all over the US online, after building an authentic brand with passionate owners.
15. Happily Ever Borrowed
How much they make: $60K/year
Where they're located: New York, USA
Current team size: 1
Luxury e-boutique Happily Ever Borrowed rents bridal accessories to brides for their special day, offering high-end designer accessories for around 80-90% off retail prices.
16. LoveLornLingerie
Explore the darker side of pleasure, pain and everything in between in custom leather harnesses and fetish lingerie handmade in Brooklyn, NY.
How much they make: $62.9K/year
Where they're located: New York, USA
Current team size: 0
Love Lorn Lingerie started as a side hustle and now generates $1.9k per month in revenue through Etsy and local events, with plans to expand into wholesale and increase marketing efforts to eventually replace the founder's day job.
17. OceanZen
OceanZen Bikini is Australia's leading ethical and sustainable swimwear and bikini label. Our swimwear pieces are made from recycled plastic bottles and fishing nets from the ocean. Shop our latest sustainable and ethical bikini Collection. 100% great for the environment.
How much they make: $300K/year
Where they're located: Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 0
OceanZen is a successful sustainable swimwear brand that has manufactured and sold thousands of bikinis worldwide, after being launched by Steph with only $5000 in her final year at university.
18. Creative Fashion Blog
A Do It Yourself Fashion And Style Blog
How much they make: $120K/year
Where they're located: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
How much did it cost to start: $50
Current team size: 1
Learn how this DIY blogger turned sewing pattern maker generates over $10k per month in passive income, and discover her tips for building an authentic brand on a budget.
19. zapato FEROZ
Zapatos bebés primeros pasos. Calzado infantil saludable, ligero y flexible 🦶 Las mejores deportivas, botas, bailarinas y sandalias. "Como andar descalzo"
How much they make: $6M/year
Where they're located: Paterna, España
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 6
Zapato FEROZ is a thriving children's footwear company whose sales have grown exponentially to reach $60,000 per month in the last 12 months, with 80% of sales made directly through their website, due to their dedication to producing the highest quality, healthy shoes for babies and children.
20. The Shoe Consultant Ltd
Susannah Davda (The Shoe Consultant) is a UK based Footwear Consultant, supporting start-ups and established shoe brands to succeed in the industry. Find out more about how The Shoe Consultant can help you through one to one consultancy.
How much they make: $48K/year
Where they're located: London, UK
How much did it cost to start: $700
Current team size: 1
Susannah Davda explains how she started a niche consultancy business helping people start shoe brands, earning $3.5k per month through personalized services and a highly successful online course.
21. Short Steve Button Downs
Breathable, fashionable short sleeve button downs
How much they make: $60K/year
Where they're located: New York, USA
Current team size: 1
Short Steve Button Downs is a New York-based online retailer that specializes in producing high-quality short sleeve button down shirts (SSBDs) out of soft, breathable performance fabric; the company, which launched in May 2019, is currently making about $5,000 per month in revenue.
22. Lazyjack Press
How much they make: $252K/year
Where they're located: New York, New York, USA
Current team size: 0
Lazyjack Press, a luxury men's accessories brand, offers high-quality, Italian silk ties, pocket squares, bow ties, and socks with uniquely named designs and a focus on fun, appealing to audiences of all ages, and is primarily sold through trade shows and pop-up shops.
23. LilKong Brand
LilKong is proud to provide unique, high-quality, LilKong Premium Streetwear Fashion for men, women, and children. Shop our store now and break away from the norm.
How much they make: $36K/year
Where they're located: Los Angeles, California, USA
Current team size: 0
Tramell McInnis, owner of LilKong Brand, talks about his start-up experience, challenges faced in choosing the perfect manufacturer and launching a premium fashion brand, and his vision of expanding a young lifestyle designer fashion brand appreciated by middle to high-class income customers with 3-year estimated evaluation of $300K.
24. CODDI
CODDI is a fashion brand that sells single and double zipped boots. It also offers hoodies and hats for men. All their products are durable and made with good quality material.
How much they make: $24K/year
Where they're located: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Current team size: 1
CODDI, a boot company based in Chicago, raised just over $61k on Kickstarter and made $2.5k in sales in June, $2k in sales in July, and another $2k in August, all while utilizing free marketing methods like Instagram and Facebook posts to build a community before their website launch.
25. Bang-Up Betty
Funny and feminist jewelry and apparel made with care in Arkansas.
How much they make: $84K/year
Where they're located: North Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
Current team size: 1
How Stacey turned her handmade jewelry hobby into a business that generates an average revenue of $6,000 per month, with a focus on staying true to your designs and customers, and the importance of organic marketing through social media and SEO.
26. Ishihara Design
Aesthetic Clothing from the Multiverse~ | inspired from Vaporwave, Future Funk and Internet Culture, and Artist friendly ! What more could you want ;)
How much they make: $12K/year
Where they're located: Osaka
How much did it cost to start: $350
Current team size: 0
Learn how one founder started a passive income clothing brand that brings in $1,000/month, through focusing on a specific niche market and leveraging relationships with friends, and the importance of efficient financing and focusing on customer engagement to drive sales.
27. Cinquanta Cox-Smith
How much they make: $120K/year
Where they're located: Killeen, TX, USA
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 1
A multipreneur shares how she built a successful print on demand side hustle, generating $120,000 per year through multiple brands spread over various platforms.
28. Absolute Fitness Apparel
Active wear designed to elevate performance both in the gym, and out. View the wide range of fitness clothing we have to offer.
How much they make: $7.8K/year
Where they're located: London, England, United Kingdom
Current team size: 0
Absolute Fitness Apparel is an online based fitness-fashion brand in the UK that successfully launched 5 lines with 2.11% conversion rate, 1.6k average monthly traffic, and £43.50 average sale by focusing on influencer and affiliate marketing, SEO, Facebook ads, high-quality content, and mobile-optimized ecommerce platform.
29. Valhalla Wood Forge
Handcrafted wood rings and American flags, made in the Pacific Northwest by a veteran
How much they make: $102K/year
Where they're located: Portland, Oregon, USA
How much did it cost to start: $400
Current team size: 3
Valhalla Wood Forge is a veteran and first responder run woodworking company that grossed $8500 in October 2019, noted for making rustic wood decor and high end men’s jewelry.
30. Cotilda's Fashion Limited
Take a look at our range of dashiki clothing, including men's shirts & dresses, we also provide custom & made to measure clothing, shop online here...
How much they make: $13.7K/year
Where they're located: Middlesbrough, England, United Kingdom
Current team size: 0
Cotilda Makhumula-Nkhoma's online clothing business, COTILDA.COM, was kickstarted by the FUEL program at Teesside University, and has since had features in British Vogue and appeared on ITV News, with trade shows working well as an offline tool to retain customers.
31. Jamie Clawson
Premium Leather Accessories for iPhone XS, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 6, MacBook, iPad and more. Handmade in New York City.
How much they make: $48K/year
Where they're located: New York, USA
Current team size: 1
A designer founded a leather manufacturing business which started as a one-person operation, costs were kept low by making products to order and the most cost-effective way of attracting and retaining new customers was through email and newsletters.
32. Sleeves 2 Go
Sleeves 2 Go is the perfect fashion accessory solution to give you partial coverage of the upper arm area while wearing a sleeveless outfit.
How much they make: $27.6K/year
Where they're located: Florida, USA
Current team size: 1
Sleeves 2 Go creates attachable flutter sleeves for women to mix and match beautifully with different types of garments, offering stylish coverage of upper arms of any size or age while simultaneously creating an easy fashion fix-it solution for our everyday wardrobe needs.
33. Gold Pan Pete Design
Outdoors and nature inspired jewellery and gifts for men and women. Handcrafted in New Zealand for worldwide adventurers and explorers.
How much they make: $30K/year
Where they're located: Queenstown, New Zealand
Current team size: 0
A primary school teacher found his passion for jewelry-making, turning it into a successful business generating $2500-3000 per month through sales at the Creative Queenstown Arts and Crafts Market, online, and through stockists, with plans to expand and eventually make it his full-time profession.
34. DEAL WITH DEVIL
Deal with Devil - Carefully Curated Silhouettes of Modernised Fashion AW19 Available Now.
How much they make: $7.8K/year
Where they're located: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Current team size: 1
Australian Lux Streetwear brand, Deal with Devil, was created by Lachlan Sonter as an outlet for his mental state, and has since become a popular brand, with its black long sleeve crewneck being the highest-selling garment.
35. Betsy DeVille
betsydeville.com offers inspiring and delightful jewelry, scarves, home decor, kitchen linens and housewares for the discerning atheist.
How much they make: $1.2K/year
Where they're located: Austin, Texas, USA
Current team size: 0
Betsy DeVille is an e-commerce business that offers fashion, accessories, home decor, and gifts for a community of secular, rational, and atheist thinkers, which has doubled its income each year and had an estimated $1000 in sales last year.
36. Aziza Jewelry
Custom Name Necklaces, Genuine Gemstone Earrings, Mother-Daughter Jewelry, 14k and high quality sterling silver Inspirational Word Jewelry made by Aziza.
How much they make: $240K/year
Where they're located: Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Current team size: 1
A jewelry business founder discusses how she started her $5k/month side hustle selling custom word necklaces and shares advice on making connections in your industry, investing in yourself, and using social media for marketing.
37. Crawford Denim and Vintage Co.
How much they make: $24K/year
Where they're located: Manhattan Beach, California, USA
Current team size: 0
Learn how Susie Shaughnessy created Crawford Denim and Vintage Co, a small-batch denim brand that mixes vintage and modern styles and is made in California from USA goods and deadstock and how she scaled back the business last year and is focusing on incremental growth and working with boutiques and increasing unique denim styles.
38. Fashion Design App
Do you want to design female clothing quickly? Would you like to access to a 1000 graphics library for inspiration? Fashion Design App is for you.
39. Fashion Design Sketches Stylish Outfit Ideas
Сreate a unique fashion illustration with «Fashion Design Sketches» app! Learn to draw clothes and bring your creative ideas into reality with the help of our sketchbook.
40. iGirl World
Welcome to iGirl World! Shop your heart out!
How much they make:
Where they're located: Los Angeles, CA, USA
- 4,818 founder case studies
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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
