Clothing Designing Business

3 Clothing Designing Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 8th, 2024

A clothing design business involves conceptualizing stylish clothing and accessory designs, selecting fabrics and materials, assembling prototypes and finished products, and determining production and distribution plans.

To launch a successful clothing line, you need to understand industry trends, choose a profitable niche like sportswear or business formalwear, use digital design tools for easy iterations and adjustments, implement lean manufacturing to control costs and market aggressively on social media and through influencer partnerships.

With keen business acumen and appealing designs, a clothing design business can stand out in a crowded apparel marketplace. Focus on building a clothing brand that resonates with consumers and enables growth year-over-year.

In this list, you'll find real-world clothing designing business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a clothing designing business that makes money.

1. Sewing Incubator ($720K/year)

Rocio Evenett, co-founder of Sewing Incubator, came up with the idea after realizing the effects of government-sponsored outsourcing on the American garment industry. After undergoing cancer treatment, she developed a business plan to empower entrepreneurs to develop and manufacture products in the USA. The company has since averaged $60K in monthly revenue and works with influencers on exclusive collaborations.

How much money it makes: $720K/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
How many people on the team: 2

How I Started A $60K/Month Sewn Product Development And Manufacture Business

Sewing Incubator co-founder Rocio Evenett started a $60k per month sewn product development and manufacturing business in January 2020, offering entrepreneurs and industry professionals the tools they need to launch an American product line, and has plans to create 10,000 jobs in LA while leveraging accessible technology.

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2. Hawthorn ($600K/year)

Rob Williams and Tom Lovelace founded Hawthorn in 2014 after realizing the need for low quantity, fully custom clothing manufacturing for start-up brands. They started by tailoring their own muscle fit tee-shirts and expanded to producing clothing for other brands after facing challenges finding manufacturers in the UK. Through their perseverance, they gained industry experience and contacts, leading them to start Hawthorn as a full-time business.

How much money it makes: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5.5K
How many people on the team: 0

How We Started A $50K/Month Business Manufacturing Clothing For Other Brands

This case study follows the journey of Hawthorn, a UK-based custom clothing manufacturer that designs clothes for start-up brands, and offers the lowest minimum order quantity in the industry, producing bespoke orders for as little as 50pcs per design.

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3. KAHINDO ($60K/year)

Kahindo Mateene, Founder and Chief Creative Director of KAHINDO, came up with the idea for her luxury sustainable fashion brand after launching a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2014. She repurposed fabric scraps into clutches made by women in her hometown of Goma, Congo. Inspired by her Pan-African upbringing and desire to create positive change through fashion, she rebranded in 2017 and now incorporates original prints and African stories into her designs.

How much money it makes: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $20K
How many people on the team: 1

I Started A Luxury Sustainable Womens Fashion Brand

KAHINDO is a sustainable women's luxury fashion brand that celebrates African fashion and promotes ethical work practices, with annual sales of $60k and wholesale clients like Rent The Runway.

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Read by 3,951 founders