Top 10 Influencer-Founded Fashion Brands

From Fashion Bloggers to Award-Winning Designers

Before there were dancing TikTok stars, there were style-savvy bloggers and lifestyle creators. Fashion bloggers worldwide shared their favorite fashion finds, runway reviews, and styled collections from their personal closets. The new age of Instagram in the early 2010s introduced an innovative approach to curating and sharing fashion-related content for bloggers. Storytelling and unique creative looks were brought to life through vibrant photography and soon video content. Fast forward to the TikTok era of the 2020s, and now relatable “Get Ready With Me” videos and authentic clothing reviews from influencers take center stage. As these trendsetting creators continue to shape the fashion world, their expertise and experience with top brands have enabled them to develop unique labels tailored to their niche audience.

Let’s explore The Influencer Marketing Factory’s Top 10 Influencer-Founded Fashion Brands innovating the world of style and design. For more insights, check out our existing blog posts on the Top 10 Influencer-Founded Fitness Brands, Top 10 Influencer-Founded Beauty Brands, and Top 10 Influencer-Founded Food Brands.

Top 10 Influencer-Founded Fashion Brands

1. Skims by Kim Kardashian

Skims by Kim Kardashian is one of the world’s most renowned influencer-led fashion brands pioneering inclusive shapewear. The iconic brand is the brainchild of Kardashian and leading entrepreneur Jens Grede. According to an article from Times, Kardashian always found herself dying shapewear with teabags to create a flattering shade that matched her complexion while Grede was on the hunt for better undergarments. Emma Grede, co-founder of Khloe Kardashian’s Good American denim brand and wife of Jens Grede, soon jumped onto the Skims project and assisted with her business expertise. Skims launched in September 2019 with a neutral 36-piece collection modeled by Kardashians childhood friends, family members, close colleagues, and even Alice Marie Johnson, a former inmate Kardashian worked to release from prison. TMZ reported shortly after Skims’s debut that the collection sold out in a matter of minutes and garnered approximately $2 million in sales with each piece retailing for less than $100. In February 2022, business was booming and Skims announced it would launch in stores and online with Nordrom as its first retail partner. Skims later announced a funding round of $270 million in July 2023, bringing the company’s value to approximately $4 billion, according to the New York Times.

Besides the trendiest intimates, Skims is known for its iconic swimwear, activewear, and men’s line. Skims announced the heated launch of Skims Men in October 2023 with an “All-Star” campaign featuring global athletes such as Neymar Jr., Nick Bosa, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This jaw-dropping campaign kickstarted a wave of athletes-turned-influencers featured by Kardashian’s shapewear brand. Skims became the official underwear partner of the NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball that same month. “SKIMS has quickly become one of our most culturally influential brands,” shared NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.  “We look forward to bringing NBA fans and SKIMS users unique experiences, new offerings, and premium products through our partnership.” This March, Skims announced its official roster of March All Stars partnering on NIL including young basketball legends like Caleb Love, Donovan Clingan, Hunter Dickinson, Jared McCain, Robert Dillingham, and Paxson Wojcik. McCain, a social media superstar with more than 3.6 million TikTok followers, shared with SLAM Magazine, “It was really cool to be on set with people who share the same dreams and are as excited about doing a campaign for SKIMS as I am.” Skims also released a special ad campaign featuring WNBA legends Candace Parker, Kelsey Plum, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and DiJonai Carrington ahead of the women’s basketball season.

Skims continues to make headlines for its sensational celebrity partnerships and collections. TikToker and socialite Addison Rae was one of the first influencers to partner with Skims back in 2020. Steven Kelley, a rising fitness influencer on Instagram, modeled in his first Skims campaign this February line for the brand’s swimwear collection and returned in May for a men’s underwear shoot. Call Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper starred in Skims’s bridal campaign ahead of her spring wedding. Other iconic celebrity collaborations include those with Nicola Coughlan of Netflix’s Bridgerton series, popstar Sabrina Carpenter, and music icon Lana Del Rey. Now, Skims has narrowed in on its partnership with Team USA for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Skims first partnered with Team USA back in the Summer of 2021 as the official underwear for their women’s teams. As Skims continues to shape pop culture and redefine the world of inclusive shapewear and loungewear, make sure to follow along with their Instagram and other socials for more amazing collaborations.

2. Frankies Bikinis by Francesca Aiello

Francesca Aiello spent her childhood on the sandy shores of Malibu in California. Her uniform: adorable bikinis for swimming, surfing, and lounging on the beach. One day, a young Francesca encountered a woman wearing a cheeky bikini, radiating confidence. Aiello shared in her Forbes 30 Under 30 interview how she struggled to find a similar style bathing suit at the time, which led her to design her own pieces. “My mom encouraged me to bring my design ideas to a seamstress, and eventually all my friends were asking for my custom bikinis, too,” Aiello explained. “I was having so much fun with creating my own styles, that in the early days of Instagram, I started a page called @frankiesbikinis to show my friends and me wearing the designs. Aiello officially launched her bikini brand in 2012 with the support of her mother, Mimi Aiello, then skyrocketed to Instagram fame after garnering attention from supermodels.

2018 was a significant year for California native Ailello’s brand. According to an interview with Forbes, Frankies Bikinis pulled out of Miami Swim Week to host its first-ever runway show in Los Angeles. Frankies Bikinis also celebrated an exclusive collaboration with streetwear brand KITH in 2019 which included 7 figure-hugging pieces. Aiello introduced her first activewear line with Frankies Bikinis in 2021 as an effort to step into the realm of lifestyle brands. In 2022, Frankies Bikinis opened its first brick-and-mortar store, a pop-up in SoHo open through fall 2023. “Not only are a lot of our Frankies Bikinis customers based in New York City, but this is a city that is at the heart of the fashion industry,” Aiello told Women’s Wear Daily. “I pull so much inspiration from New York and I love that people are willing to take risks with their fashion choices and use the fun fabrics, prints, and silhouettes I release to create their own personal looks.” The pop-up encapsulated Frankies Bikinis’s West Coast aesthetic including a live feed from Little Dune Beach and fun branded skateboards on display. Frankies Bikinis returned to SoHo for another bubbly pop-up shop this May, Aiello’s immersive swimwear Sweet Shop.

Like other influencer-founded brands, Frankies Bikinis has collaborated with several fashion-forward creators and celebrities. One of Frankies Bikinis’s first celebrity collabs was her 2022 swimwear collection with model Gigi Hadid, a friend of Aelillo since the eighth grade. Hadid and Aiello grew up together in Malibu, frequently visiting the beach in true SoCal fashion. “Creating this collection was so special because there are so many details that we incorporated into each piece that are personal to both my friendship with Frank and my personal life,” Hadid told Vogue. The Love Letters collection in partnership with Emmy-nominated actress Sydney Sweeney launched in March 2023. 90’s pop culture princess Pamela Anderson collaborated with Frankies Bikinis to release a Baywatch-inspired red one-piece and flirty floral designs later that spring. In July 2023, Frankies Bikinis teamed up with fashion influencer and designer Daniello Guizo to release the ultimate soft-feminine swimwear collab, a match made in social media heaven as reported by Women’s Wear Daily. This summer, Frankies Bikinis celebrated a retro-inspired line in collaboration with Djerf Avenue, one of the internet’s hottest fashion brands founded by fashion influencer Matilda Djerf.

Today, Frankies Bikinis is focused on supporting its positive online community, incorporating more authentic branding initiatives, and making the brand’s adorable bikinis accessible to more in-person consumers. Frankies Bikinis broke down its community-driven and anticipation-building marketing strategy with Forbes Magazine. With Frankies Bikini’s official partnership with Victoria’s Secret, Aiello’s inclusive swimwear is available to her diverse consumer base and fandom at VS Pink locations across the United States. Make sure to keep up with Frankies Bikinis on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with the brand’s phenomenal collaborations and designs.

3. Djerf Avenue by Matilda Djerf

What started as a casual travel blog turned into a career more than Matilda Djerf could ever dream of. In 2016, Djerf created a quaint blog to share with her family and friends while traveling in the Caribbean. Djerf quickly accumulated over 100K followers after only six months of posting to social media throughout her travels. It wasn’t until 2018 that Djerf decided to commit to content creation full-time and embracing paid collaborations with global brands. “​​After collaborating on collections with other brands, I quickly realized I was giving a lot of myself to them: my time, my ideas, my creative concepts, and my exposure,” Djerf told Luxe Gen. “While I loved what we created, I didn’t get to decide the things that mattered to me – for example, which factories to work with or what countries to produce in.” Djerf finally kickstarted her brand, Djerf Avenue, alongside her boyfriend Rasmus Johansson as an online-only brand in 2019. Djerf and Johansson bootstrapped their brand with their own funding, meaning Djerf took as many modeling gigs as possible to fund the brand’s debut.

Djerf Avenue’s first launch took place in December 2019 and included pieces “missing” from Djerf’s closet. The debut collection immediately sold out, according to Djerf’s interview with Forbes, and the tiny but mighty team got together to rent warehouses for weekends at a time to store merchandise outside of their overflowing home. Eventually, the Djerf Avenue team rented an office in Stockholm and welcomed Agnes Dalberg, Djerf’s brother’s girlfriend, as their first official employee. With Dalberg on board as Head of Production, Djerf Avenue was ready to take things to the next level. According to Business Insider, Djerf Avenue earned approximately $8 million in sales during 2021 and $34 million in 2022. Although Djerf Avenue caters to those with trendy Scandinavian style, Johansson shared with Business Insider that more than 50% of their consumer base in 2023 was based in the United States.

Besides Djerf Avenue’s Pinterest-worthy collab with the iconic Frankies Bikinis, Djerf’s brand has partnered with several big names in the fashion industry, particularly those dominating social media. In 2022, Djerf Avenue collaborated with Emi Jay for a Midsummer-themed hair accessory collection and pop-up in Los Angeles. Djerf and Emi Jay Founder Julianne Goldmark sat down with Sweety High to discuss their nostalgic collab that arose from their friendship. “All of our customers would style our pieces together… and we’d always see the amazing photos they’d take,” Goldmark added. “It just felt like it was really natural.” Another noteworthy friendship-turned-collaboration included none other than Djerf Avenue’s holiday collection with Sofia Richie Grainge. The trendsetting fashion duo shared with Women’s Wear Daily that they met and built their friendship through Goldmark of Emi Jay. Djerf shared that she was inspired by Grainge’s love for pajamas and the holidays to reach out to collaborate on a “holiday-minded” yet timeless loungewear collection. “A lot of the times when you do these collaborations, you’re working with companies and people you don’t actually know, which is also a cool experience, but I think what was really fun about this was working with a friend,” Grainge told WWD. “I think coming together as a team, based off of a friendship, was really fun and gave me and her the space to be creative and honest.“

From pop-ups to fashion shows, Djerf Avenue is committed to engaging with its heartfelt fashion community. Djerf Avenue hosted its first New York Fashion Week event in September 2023 with 250 seats filled by Djerf Avenue community members and fans randomly selected via a lottery. More than 6,000 fans of Djerf Avenue applied to attend the community-based gala. Each fan was asked to share their favorite affirmation as a part of their application which would later be displayed at the Guggenheim event. Djerf has also built a safe, welcoming platform for her community to join together online and share their fashion content known as Angel’s Avenue. On Instagram, Djerf Avenue highlights its “Angel of the Week” who has been earnestly engaging with its content and Pinterest-inspired platform.

Johansson shared with Forbes that although Djerf Avenue saw revenue growth from zero to $35 million in under four years, the brand had no initial growth plan and, rather, prioritized maintaining profitability. Djerf Avenue’s marketing costs in 2023 were less than 5% of its revenue and less than 2% in 2022. The core of Djerf Avenue’s cost-effective marketing strategy is organic promotion on top social media platforms including TikTok and Instagram. Djerf and Johansson also shared with Vogue Business that they strongly believe, “that a laser focus on building a community through TikTok will maintain their legions of fans in the years to come and give them an edge over fast fashion competitors.” With influencers contributing to Djerf Avenue’s earned media and a tight-knit community of fashion lovers, Djerf Avenue continues to revolutionize the industry of influencer-founded fashion brands.

4. Wildflower Cases by Michelle, Devon, and Sydney Carlson

At the intersection of fashion and tech lies one of the hottest influencer-founded brands: Wildflower Cases. Sisters and social media stars Devon and Sydney Carlson began to create homemade phone cases with their mother Michelle in the early 2010s during the era of Tumblr and a young Instagram. It wasn’t until a chance encounter with popstar Miley Cyrus at a restaurant that the family considered officially kickstarting a phone case business. In 2012, the Carlson sisters approached Cyrus for a selfie to which Cyrus complimented their custom cases and advised their mother that they should start selling them. Devon and Sydney gifted Cyrus with a custom case inspired by studded denim shorts that the pop star later posted to Twitter and immediately went viral. “I remember all of us asking, should we create a business because Miley said we should, or should we just pass?” Dave Carlson shared with CNET. That same evening, the entire Carlson family stayed up until 5 A.M. to launch the Wildflower site. By the next morning, hundreds of orders came rolling into the site, and the Carlson family enlisted the help of extended family to handmake their first orders. Devon and Sydney were only 16 and 14, respectively, at the time of Wildflower’s launch in 2012. Today, the duo leads a fashion empire with a cult following on social media with success beyond their wildest dreams.

Dave Carlson noted to CNET that a secondary “critical event” for the family’s brand was an uptick in website traffic from organic YouTube content by beauty blogger Maddi Bragg. The Carlson sisters quickly developed a close friendship with Bragg, and in 2015, Wildflower Cases debuted its first-ever influencer collaboration with the YouTube sensation. As Wildflower blossomed as a brand, the influencer community and the sisters’ social media following also grew. The Carlson began to attend YouTube conventions and influencer events in Los Angeles, which led them to befriend and collaborate with top influencers like Salem Mitchell, Emma Chamberlain, and Ming Lee. Other noteworthy creator collaborations include Rickey Thompson, Amanda Steele, Hannah Meloche, and Tana Mongeau. Wildflower Cases made its first appearance on the runway in partnership with Sandy Liang. The Carlson sisters attended Liang’s New York show in the spring of 2023, where models showcased their phone case collaboration with Liang.

Wildflower Cases are always a step ahead when it comes to trends in fashion and pop culture. Musician Charli xcx’s record-breaking release of her album “BRAT” ushered in a new era of social media and creative expression. Xcx’s edgy and immersive marketing strategy from the BRAT wall to creating a BRAT text generator for fans sparked trends that reached users all around the world. Wildflower Cases partnered up with the Essex-native musician to launch a phone case just in time for Brat Summer. “I’ve done a collab with Wildflower and it’s so julia ♡” xcx wrote on the Wildflower site. “Honestly, my phone is nearly always smashed up but at least now it will look super cute in the official brat case.” Xcx’s rise in popularity aligns with recent callbacks to Tumblr content and early internet culture, both of which Wildflower Cases has embraced with recent releases. The Carlson re-released their OG American Flag case this June paired with iconic grungy photos from Wildflower Cases’s 2014 archives. Wildflower Cases has also recently teased bringing back popular early releases like the beloved Angels case favored by Lana Del Rey, the Checkers case, and the Pink Cherries case. Make sure to follow Wildflower Cases on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to keep up with all the latest collections and collaborations by the Carlson sisters.

5. Rouje Paris by Jeanna Damas

Are you a fan of Parisian-inspired chic fashion? Look no further than Rouje Paris, one of the best French girl fashion brands founded by influencer Jeanna Damas. Damas’s inspiration behind starting her independent fashion brand stemmed from various encounters online, people-watching on the streets of France, and even her mother. In an interview with Vogue, Damas explained how she mindfully curated her four-piece debut collection in 2016. “[It’s a] small collection because it’s important for me that I like every piece and can wear it in my everyday life,” Damas told Vogue. “I wanted to create clothes that my friends and I can wear throughout the seasons. We wear Rouje in Paris, on holiday, or at work.” Rouje Paris shot its first campaign capturing Damas’s everyday life and timeless style. “I think this [sense of] authenticity is what the people who follow me really like,” Damas noted, tying back to her roots as a fashion blogger and Instagram creator.

In 2019, Rouje Paris opened its first-ever in-person retail location in Paris alongside her new restaurant Chez Jeanne. The grand opening of Rouje Paris and Chez Jeanne took place during the first weekend of Paris Fashion Week and featured countless A-listers, publicists, and influencers from the industry. Before launching her first Paris location, Damas hosted several pop-up shops for her Parisian fashion brand in Los Angeles, Tokyo, and other cultural hubs. The 200-meter space in Paris’ Montorgueil quarter included the official Rouje Paris Boutique and Damas’s chic restaurant. Inside the Rouje Paris storefront were all the latest tasteful pieces from Damas’s fashion collection and her highly acclaimed beauty line. The creator-turned-designer shared a Parisian-inspired invitation with friends and colleagues for the grand opening, featuring herself wearing a striped top and beret with a baguette in hand and the Eiffel Tower in the background. Damas explained the financial growth and retail expansion of Rouje Paris in a detailed interview with Women’s Wear Daily. “We took on investors to help us develop the retail and beauty side of things, and that’s really accelerated the process,” Damas told WWD. “The brand is doing well, it’s growing fast, we’re tripling our sales each year, and with the stores, it’s going to be even bigger, just mathematically.”

2023 marked a year for global brick-and-mortar expansion for Rouje Paris. Damas shared with Women’s Wear Daily that the COVID-19 pandemic had stunted her brand’s plans for expansion but after more than two years of strategizing and development, Rouje Paris opened the doors of its flagship store in Mayfair, London in April 2023. In August 2023, Rouje Paris opened another storefront in the SoHo district of New York City, the brand’s first location in the United States. “To me, Soho is the Holy Grail,” Damas shared with Fashionista. “To have a boutique next to the stores I used to go to when I was younger is a dream come true.” Rouje Paris also introduced a secondary Paris storefront for her brand in the summer of 2023 in the Tony 16th arrondissement. International retail expansion was the most logical step in the business growth and development of Rouje Paris. Damas shared with WWD that, “Right from the beginning, 70 percent of sales were export.” She added, “That’s quite unique for a young French brand, because in general French brands establish themselves at home then look at export. I’ve done the opposite.”

Damas is passionate about her journey of evolving Rouje Paris into a chic lifestyle brand. “In the long term, I see Rouje as a lifestyle brand, so it’s important for me to make Rouje a physical experience so that the clients can feel our fabrics and try our designs to encounter the Rouje universe,” Damas shared with L’Officiel. Although Rouje Paris doesn’t intend to open hundreds of stores across several cities, Damas continues to mindfully engage with her global community and open in-person retail experiences throughout the U.S. and Europe. On Instagram, Rouje Paris shares artistic campaigns and collaborations with fashion creators and visionaries. Rather than posting posed photos with new clothing, Rouje Paris models and influencers share lifestyle content and candid photography that encapsulate the brand’s every day, comforting French look. You can also check out the official Rouje Paris site for all the latest collections and releases from Damas’s beauty line.

6. CRAFTD London by Alex Cannon

Source: Alex Cannon

You may know Alex Cannon for his entertaining presence on Big Brother and Judge Geordie, but did you know that this TV personality and social media influencer is the mastermind behind CRAFTD London? Cannon’s influencer journey began during the rise of Instagram when he began sharing photography of his modeling work online. As Cannon built his following on social media, his mindset pivoted to new revenue streams and establishing his own business. According to an interview with Forbes, Cannon was inspired to develop his jewelry brand in 2018 due to the lack of high-quality, cutting-edge men’s jewelry when modeling. Cannon reached out to entrepreneur Danny Buck to discuss a possible business partnership to bring his vision of forward-thinking jewelry for men to life. After meeting with Buck, the duo agreed to a deal and invested a few thousand pounds into jumpstarting CRAFTD.

The first of many successful CRAFTD launches was that of the stunning Compass Pendant. Available in both silver and gold, the design of the Compass Pendant serves as an early testament to Cannon’s design expertise and dedication to crafting high-quality experiences for his audience. Buck and Cannon shared with Forbes that their debut jewelry piece symbolized their shared experience, “following your inner compass in both life and business.” Besides creating fashionable and luxurious jewelry catered to men, Cannon was determined to develop products that could withstand frequent water exposure, be non-irritating to the skin, and last a lifetime. The jewelry partners came together following the successful launch of CRAFTD, which saw thousands of orders on its first day, to reinvest their profits into their next collection. Thanks to their synergy and tight-knit team, CRAFTD saw more than 400% growth between 2020 and 2021 alone. CRAFTD has expanded beyond its adoring British audience to Europe, the U.S., and beyond. A report by The Times details how CRAFTD earned £18.4 million in sales during 2022 with more than two-thirds of its sales deriving from overseas customers. CRAFTD’s London and U.S. distribution centers have made such expansion more fluid, increasing consumer access to Cannon’s essential men’s jewelry.

Taking a look at CRAFTD London’s Instagram page, it’s no secret that Cannon’s brand is one of the best quality jewelry brands for men on the market today. CRAFTD’s feed showcases how the jewelry line is embraced by men from all walks of life from creatives and musicians to models and business owners. Influencers such as Noah Beck and Jay Alvarez have been spotted sporting CRAFTD’s signature gold chains. Renowned athletes including MMA fighter Conor McGregor and former NFL player DeSean Jackson proudly sport their CRAFTD jewelry pieces online as well. One of CRAFTD’s most noteworthy celebrity collaborations was the brand’s event “A Night with CRAFTD,” co-hosted with R&B musician Chris Brown. According to an interview between Cannon and Just Entrepreneurs, social media plays a significant role in CRAFTD’s marketing strategy. “Facebook and Instagram have been big for us and helped us scale via targeted ads,” Cannon shared. “There’s been a shift lately, other platforms are now becoming more prominent so the focus is moving there.” CRAFTD has since adopted a more active TikTok strategy which involves sharing behind-the-scenes content and lifestyle videos showcasing the brand’s unique jewelry. Tune into CRAFTD’s TikTok and Instagram channels for all the latest in men’s jewelry and influencer marketing!

7. Song of Style by Aimee Song

Source: Song of Style

Aimee Song’s Song of Style has evolved from a lifestyle blog to a YouTube series and now her signature clothing line. Song began blogging in the early 2000s as a freshman in college while juggling the workload of classes and two jobs. What started as a passion project became a community of millions who shared her same interests in home decor, nutrition, fashion, and more. “Instagram, photos, and blog posts are just so instant and quick, but if you’re really invested in somebody, you’ll watch 20 minutes of something that they produced,” Song shared with Fashionista. “Video has enabled me to share my personality and my views in a different way, so I’ve been really enjoying doing that.” After more than a decade of building her reputation in the fashion world, attending shows, and collaborating with brands, Song took her creative style expertise to the next level and founded the Song of Style clothing line with Revolve in 2019. Revolve Co-founder Michael Mente shared in an interview with Forbes that the partnership was the fruit of seven years of meaningful collaboration between Song and Revolve. “Aimee has such a cool, sophisticated, elevated style that has inspired our customers for years and continues to… I’ve loved watching Aimee grow into the powerhouse she is today,” Mente said. “Influencers are entrepreneurs at their core, and we’ll see them continue to find ways to evolve their businesses.”

With every collection from Song of Style comes countless hours of design and preparation. Song shared with Forbes that her first collection with Revolve took over a year of development and involved thorough teamwork with their in-house design team. “There’s an actual sketch designer, a pattern maker, a fit model, and then we always go through two or three rounds of sampling, and a lot of pieces get cut as you move along in the design process,” Song explained. Song of Style debuted with a 50-piece collection in May 2019 after a series of teasers on Song’s Instagram page. The debut ready-to-wear line featured conscious pricing and sizing through XXL to include more of Song’s diverse audience. Most pieces were designed to serve as wardrobe staples that reflected luxury styles favored by Song’s audience, at a lower price point of course. Song’s aspirations to expand her fashion line beyond ready-to-wear products came to life in 2020. After designs and production delays due to COVID-19, Song of Style released its first collection of shoes in May 2020. Song of Style has since introduced loungewear and a one-time-only denim capsule collection.

Song’s five years of experience designing collections for Song of Style led her to explore creating an independent fashion brand. Rather than prioritizing rapid growth, Song’s new brand Amiya embraces intentional design curation especially for her audience. According to an article from The Business of Fashion, “The plan is to manufacture limited quantities of each item, which for the first year, will be released in themed drops. It’ll start with four drops per year but may add two more for collaborations or special launches, and they won’t be tied to seasons.” Song of Style continues as one of Revolves best-selling influencer-founded fashion brands. Keep up with mega-influencer Song on Instagram and tune into Song of Style and Amiya’s channels for all their latest releases.

8. iGirl by Bella McFadden aka Internet Girl

Source: iGirl

Bella McFadden, aka Internet Girl, is the princess of mall rat, gothic, Y2K-inspired fashion. McFadden’s business journey in the world of fashion began when she was only 17. High schooler McFadden began purchasing and reselling deadstock vintage clothing on Depop, sharing her grungy Tumblr look on social media. Although McFadden felt like an outcast for her style, she shared with Vogue that her Depop shop sold between 25 and 30 pieces daily to her online community of dark fashionistas. McFadden met her stylish boyfriend Matt Spencer during her brief time studying in Montreal, and the duo collaborated on several successful Depop collections featuring vintage pieces in their signature style. The success of McFadden’s Depop resulted in revamping her parents’ basement into an office for her business and ultimately dropping out of university after only a semester. Reselling wasn’t the peak of McFadden’s Depop domination as her next goal was to launch an in-house brand, now known as iGirl.

The brand iGirl derives from the social media famous iGirl bundles curated by McFadden on Depop. During the golden age of YouTube, content creators such as Stephany Andrea shared try-on hauls and unboxing videos of McFadden’s themed fashion bundles. McFadden simultaneously rose in fame on YouTube for her style bundle vlogs and iGirl lookbooks. iGirl introduced 40 unique styles after moving to an LA office in 2018 with the help of her four-person team. Of all the pieces released by McFadden, her iGirl Heart Pendant, first released in 2017, has been a staple product and the symbol of her bold brand. Other noteworthy jewelry pieces include the iGirl Mini She Devil Earrings and iGirl Rosary. In 2020, McFadden celebrated being the first Depop seller to earn over $1.26 million in sales.

Although iGirl was born through the internet, taking fashion IRL to her fans was the next big step for McFadden. This May, McFadden opened the doors to her first brick-and-mortar store for iGirl in New York City. McFadden expressed to Gothamist that transitioning to a physical space brought some anxiety, noting that her online-only business already incurs significant overhead costs like email newsletter fees, online shipping fulfillment costs, and its Instagram sales add-on. “Adding rent, three employees, insurance, utilities, the point-of-sale platform… figuring out the whole retail aspect of things is gonna be a lot different,” McFadden said. McFadden moved to New York back in September 2023 with dreams of opening her own store for iGirl. “It’s been a lot of people saying ‘I followed you in the early Depop days; I grew up on your YouTube,” McFadden told The New York Post. “I’ve gotten a lot of love online but in person is a whole other ballgame.” Today, McFadden loves to share styling videos in her New York storefront on Instagram and TikTok. McFadden also continues to embrace her niche fashion community with her iGirl Community Program and collaborates with top influencers like Tara Yummy. Looking to introduce a new edge to your personal style? Check out iGirl today!

9. WeWoreWhat by Danielle Bernstein

Source: Anna Webber / Getty Images

Danielle Bernstein’s fashion blogging journey began as a college sophomore at New York’s FIT in 2010. Bernstein’s transition from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to FIT was a culture shock fashion-wise, and she became inspired to share her fashion findings and style evolution with friends via a blog. “About a year in, my blog evolved into a personal style site and I started making money,” Bernstein told Forbes. “That’s when I realized it could become a business.” Bernstein added that she had earned seven figures in her sixth year of blogging and content creation and that her agent Jennifer Powell was a driving factor in turning the WeWoreWhat blog into a “legitimate” business. The October 2016 launch of WeWoreWhat was inspired by Bernstein’s love for overalls and her identification of a gap in the market for “a modern overall that fit well but maintained the original DNA of vintage styles.” With just over $70,000 in sales in only three hours, Bernstein’s debut of WeWoreWhat was a hit. WeWoreWhat’s first four drops also reported 100% sell-through, and Bernstein credits her brand’s flexibility and innovation to its self-funding.

In 2019, Bernstein launched her official e-commerce site to house WeWoreWhat Overalls and her new line of WeWoreWhat Swim. That same year, Bernstein was invited to share her experience as a fashion founder and influencer at the #BlogHer19 Creators Summit, where she discussed how WeWoreWhat evolved into a multi-million dollar business. In addition to designing and releasing new collections for WeWoreWhat, Bernstein has prioritized long-term relationships with brands she’s passionate about. In an interview with Glossy, Bernstein explained, “I always say that one-off posting is a thing of the past, and now we really look to marry brands and create these longer-term partnerships — be it three-month, six-month, one-year partnerships — where I’m exclusive to that brand in a certain category, like skin care, water, cars, whatever it may be.” She added, “These exclusive and bigger partnerships where you really are investing in a brand and a brand is investing in you is how we’ve changed our relationships over time.” According to The Business of Fashion, Bernstein now dedicates 90% of her time to WeWoreWhat and 10% to traditional influencer marketing partnerships.

One of the highlights of WeWoreWhat’s brand history is its collaboration with Macy’s. In March 2020, Bernstein introduced a new chic collection for spring at Macy’s. “For her over 2 million followers, Danielle Bernstein is the ultimate style influencer, giving fashion devotees a daily dose of wardrobe inspiration,” shared Macy’s Fashion Office VP Durand Guion. “We are thrilled to bring Danielle’s exceptional taste level and must-have seasonal looks to the Macy’s fashion consumer.” As the spring collection quickly began to sell out, WeWoreWhat’s Macy’s summer collection was already in the works. Bernstein’s second collection at Macy’s was released in June 2020 featuring effortless feminine pieces for the warm weather. WeWoreWhat retired its partnership with Macy’s in 2021 to focus on the brand’s consumers. As of 2023, 70% of WeWoreWhat’s business is centered on DTC sales while 30% of sales are wholesale. To learn more about WeWoreWhat’s past collaborations, growth, and success, check out Bernstein’s feature on The Speed of Culture Podcast.

10. Are You Am I by Rumi Neely

Source: Fashion Week Daily

Rumi Neely is one of the fashion community’s earliest blogging stars with her iconic blog,  FashionToast, which launched in 2008. After six years of blogging and reaching more than 5.5 million monthly readers, Rumi Neely launched her minimalist brand Are You Am I in December 2014. “Blogging gave me access to the fashion world that I had only dreamed about having, and has done so much for training my eye,” Neely shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “The things I look out for when looking at clothes are so crazily specific now that it really was a very natural thing to start conceptualizing my own line.” Are You Am I’s debut collection consisted of luxurious basics reflecting Neely’s trendsetting minimalist style. As an ode to Neely’s LA-inspired collection, Are You Am I celebrated its debut at The Grove with a Revolve pop-up event. Neely also launched the monochromatic collection on a new website for Are You Am I.

Developing Are You Am I as a brand has been a steady and rewarding process for Neely. Like with Are You Am I’s debut collection, Neely took a mindful approach to designing clothing pieces that reflected trendy LA styles, her dream wardrobe, and the social lifestyles of her audience. In 2015, Neely spoke with Fashionista about her design process and early business experience. Neely was working on a triangle bra perfect for the Coachella season due to the high demand from her fashion fans. Maintaining such an engaging relationship with her audience and being open to consumer feedback has been crucial in purposefully developing new collections. “At a certain point, you need to take that next step and make yourself uncomfortable again,” Neely told Fashionista. “It’s good to throw yourself into something new and be really intimidated by it.”

In a span of two and a half years, Neely released several new pieces and collections including chic lingerie and accessories. Neely’s cult-like social media following reached new heights with the support of Hollywood stars like Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Hailey Baldwin. Are You Am I released its first collection of timeless swimwear in 2016, perfect for the West Coast. Neely shared her inspiration for her first swimwear collection with Women’s Wear Daily, aligning with her original mission of Are You Am I. “[The pieces] just overstep that boundary of what’s safe, what people expect to see, and they couldn’t be more reflective of the spirit of Los Angeles,” Neely explained. “The combination of how undiluted and uncompromised I’ve made sure A.Y.A.I. is — and the intensity of the positive response to it — gives me goosebumps to think about.” Are You Am I remains a staple brand in the wardrobes of the LA it-girls. Follow Neely and Are You Am I on Instagram to keep up with the latest from this OG influencer-founded fashion brand.