12 Clothes Business Success Stories [2024]
Starting a clothing manufacturing business can be a lucrative and great opportunity. In fact, clothing manufacturing is expected to grow due to increase demand for quality clothing items around the world.
It's important that you first determine your niche in the clothing manufacturing world, whether that be streetwear clothing, fitness and athletic, or leisure.
In this list, you'll find real-world clothes business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a clothes business that makes money.
1. Bombas ($300M/year)
David Heath and Randy Goldberg didn't plan to start a sock company. Instead, they stumbled upon the idea in 2011 when David saw a Facebook post mentioning that socks were the most requested item in homeless shelters. This surprising fact struck a chord and stayed with him.
Seeing the success of companies like TOMS and Warby Parker, which coupled product sales with charitable giving, inspired them. They wondered if a similar model could solve the sock shortage in homeless shelters by donating a pair for every pair sold.
They started by deeply researching the sock market and testing various designs. With initial skepticism from some quarters, they used feedback to refine their product, focusing on high-quality features like seamless toes and arch support. The combination of a strong social mission and a superior product won them early adopters and set the stage for success.
How much money it makes: $300M/year
How many people on the team: 312
Bombas co-founders David Heath and Randy Goldberg turned a $140,000 Indiegogo campaign into a $300M/year business by blending mission-driven marketing with high-quality, innovative socks, leveraging Shark Tank exposure, effective use of Facebook ads, and strategic wholesale partnerships.
2. NG Apparels ($16M/year)
Arpit Aryan Gupta, the founder of NG Apparels, came up with the idea for his garment export business after his father lost a significant amount of money in the 2008 US market crash. Seeing the potential in Ludhiana's clothing manufacturing ecosystem, Gupta decided to establish a clothing manufacturing unit in 2012. With a turnover of 12cr ($1,581,547), NG Apparels has experienced exponential growth and serves clients in the US, UK, Australia, and other countries.
How much money it makes: $16M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 42
NG Apparels is a garment export unit based in Ludhiana that caters to the clothing segments worldwide, boasting a turnover of $1,581,547 without loans or credit card limits.
3. STOCK ($3.6M/year)
Jim Snediker, CEO of Stock Manufacturing Company, pivoted from high-end menswear to B2B uniforms after being approached by a Michelin-star restaurant in 2013. This strategic shift propelled their business to $3.4 million in revenue by 2023.
How much money it makes: $3.6M/year
How many people on the team: 11
Case study on the transformation of a D2C menswear brand into a successful B2B uniform provider for hospitality industry giants, achieving revenue growth from $700k in 2019 to $3.4M in 2023, through strategic collaborations, product expansion, and community-driven initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. FUSH Ltd ($3.41M/year)
Andrija Šajkaš, the founder and CEO of FUSH ltd, came up with the idea for his clothing manufacturing business after working in the wholesale textile industry and owning a clothing store. He saw a lack of quality products at affordable prices, leading him to establish FUSH as a platform connecting international clients with trusted local manufacturers in Serbia. Through guerilla marketing and a focus on communication and SEO, FUSH has grown into a successful business with a diverse product range and plans for expansion in the future.
How much money it makes: $3.41M/year
How much did it cost to start: $3.8K
How many people on the team: 170
FUSH, a clothing manufacturer from Serbia, shares how they grew from a one-man show to a two-factory business with 170 employees, expanding from producing only promotional t-shirts to various streetwear products and garnering international clients through effective communication and marketing efforts.
5. Manufacturefy ($3M/year)
Michael G. Lizanich II came up with the idea for Manufacturefy while in college, when he struggled to find a manufacturer for his own product. He saw a need for a platform that could connect products directly with manufacturers across industries and scales, and thus, Manufacturefy was born. Despite facing challenges in web development and marketing, the company has achieved significant growth and recognition in the industry, positioning itself as a disruptor in the trillion-dollar manufacturing industry.
How much money it makes: $3M/year
How many people on the team: 20
Manufacturefy is an AI-driven platform connecting products directly with worldwide manufacturers across all industries and scales, with free posting of products and $100 per month subscriptions for manufacturers.
6. Lucasgift ($1.2M/year)
After moving to the U.S., Taha's father started sewing leather items to make ends meet. In 2017, they opened an Etsy shop selling personalized leather keychains, which quickly grew to a $100k/mo business.
How much money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $70K
How many people on the team: 7
Discover how a mechanical engineering major and his dad scaled a personalized gift business to $100k/mo revenue mainly through selling personalized leather keychains with over 10,000 reviews and a 4.9-star rating, proving the power of differentiation and pricing strategies in a competitive market.
7. Bryden Apparel ($888K/year)
Donovan, the founder of Bryden, had always been intrigued by e-commerce, starting his own t-shirt brand in 2009. After gaining experience in the fashion industry and learning the intricacies of sourcing and manufacturing, he decided to start Bryden in 2015, offering a one-stop service for fashion brands to create and manufacture their products with low minimum order quantities. With an average monthly revenue of $74,000 and customers in over 20 countries, Bryden is helping small to medium-sized fashion businesses compete with larger brands.
How much money it makes: $888K/year
How many people on the team: 3
Bryden is a clothing manufacturing agency that offers an end-to-end service to fashion brands all over the world, serving customers in over 20 countries and bringing in an average monthly revenue of $74,000 within just a few years of launching.
8. 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
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.
9. Yoke Apparel Manufacturing ($276K/year)
Jesse James, the founder of Yoke Apparel Manufacturing, came up with the idea after noticing a lack of action among people with strong opinions on social issues. He and his wife decided to make a tangible difference by moving to Vietnam and starting a clothing manufacturing business that directly hires at-risk locals in vulnerable situations. Despite initial challenges, they have achieved automation and stability after just 2 years of operation, and they are now focused on driving growth and revolutionizing the clothing industry.
How much money it makes: $276K/year
How much did it cost to start: $20K
How many people on the team: 30
Yoke Apparel Manufacturing is a comprehensive clothing manufacturing service specializing in low minimum order quantities, with an international customer base generating an average monthly revenue of $23,000 and managing to reach a 24% operating profit.
10. Snappy Socks by Shoespender ($120K/year)
After losing an UGG boot and numerous socks to the notorious "laundry monster," professional clown-turned-mom Danielle Ferrantello invented Shoespender and Snappy Socks—products designed to keep kids' shoes and socks from going missing. Now tackling 3,000 parties a year with her entertainment business, she aims to ease the lives of thousands of parents.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 3
Snappy Socks and Shoespender founder, Danielle Ferrantello, created patented baby products to solve the problem of lost socks and shoes, with 80% of sales from online sources and a 52% gross margin.
11. 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
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.
12. The Foodnited States ($60K/year)
Chris's eight year old suggested him the idea of "food named states". A photo series based on this idea went viral on Instagram, and a couple years later, Chris started developing a Shopify store for t-shirts based on the same concept.
How much money it makes: $60K/year
How many people on the team: 0
The Foodnited States, an online shop selling illustrated state-themed merchandise, started generating an extra $3-5k monthly with only 11 states available, having relied heavily on organic social media and an email list to attract customers, with user-generated content and collaborations with photographers and brands being its most effective marketing tools.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
