E-Commerce

Stòffa’s made-to-measure menswear has cultivated a devoted, influential following. Now, the brand is betting that its forthcoming flagship retail store is its next step on the long path to building a legacy luxury label.

The underwear start-up was once pegged as Gen-Z’s answer to Victoria’s Secret. But investors, executives and founder Cami Téllez couldn’t agree on whether to prioritise growth or profitability. They ended up with the worst of both worlds.

Timepiece start-ups like Baltic, which went from Kickstarter campaign to producing $50K collector grade watches, and Christopher Ward, who is on track to reach $40 million in sales this year, are leveraging collector communities and innovation to take on high luxury watchmaking.

The big-box retailer is revamping its apparel offering in a bid to become a style destination, a goal it’s tried — and failed — to hit multiple times before. But between a squeezed consumer and the rise of Gen-Z, this time is different, the company says.

Warby Parker’s continued brick-and-mortar expansion has given two of its less recognisable digitally-native peers — Zenni Optical and Eyebuydirect — a chance to raise their profiles among online shoppers.

A giant investment from Softbank in 2021 turbocharged expansion plans at Vuori, which is now eyeing global expansion and a takeover of its customers’ closets. But Lululemon, Nike and a host of direct-to-consumer competitors stand in its way.

London-based DTC womenswear brand Me+Em is betting that its lego-like approach to fashion, which built it a following in its home country, will translate to the US market.

True Classic has emerged from a sea of men’s brands promising the perfect t-shirt, managing to build a big audience without bleeding cash.

While legacy players such as Trojan and Durex have dominated the male sexual wellness category for decades, new age brands are banking on expanding notions of masculinity, product innovation and approachable storytelling to capture the male-identifying consumer.

Brands struggle to adapt to wholesale partners like Ssense because of their rampant discounting, which some say threatens the entire livelihood of independent fashion. But individual brands and retailers may have their own tricks up the sleeve.

Some digitally native start-ups are buying or building factories to cut production times and control quality. But not every company is built to handle manufacturing themselves.

Fashion and beauty start-up valuations appear to have stabilised after plunging last year, though it may be months or even years before many return to their old highs — if they ever do. But there are ways for emerging and established players to ride out the downturn.