Are you an entrepreneur but you lack ideas on what fashion business to start? If YES, here are 100+ best business ideas in the fashion & style industry.
The fashion industry refers to all the individuals and businesses that design, produce, and market the things that we wear, including belts, shoes, dresses, formal suits, hats, jackets, jeans, necklaces, swimsuits, T-shirts, and all other types of clothing and/or accessories.
This industry encompasses the design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, retailing, advertising, and promotion of the various types of apparel mentioned above.
The fashion and style industry is a huge profit earner and estimates have put the industry as a multi-billion dollar cash cow. With the tendency for businesses in this industry to earn high profits no matter where they are situated, people from different generations, and all walks of life, have yearned to make a mark here.
If you are one of such people that are enamored with all things fashion and style and you want to start a business in the niche, we have provided you a few profitable business ideas that you should look through.
100+ Best Business ideas in the Fashion & Style Industry
A clothing line is a collection of garments on a theme, or for a particular season. The truth is that clothing brands become successful in part because they’re created by people who are passionate about clothing. But, for you to start a clothing brand, you need more than just an exquisite apparel design to create a lasting business.
Clothing line businesses need to master marketing, manufacturing, and retailing, among other things. Starting a clothing line can be a very rewarding experience for a creative entrepreneur with a vision.
T-shirts aren’t just a staple of casual wear, but articles of clothing that often reflect our personalities, interests, and identities. Because of this, designing and selling t-shirts has become a popular business choice, especially for entrepreneurs and artists looking for a relatively inexpensive way to enter the fashion and style industry.
Building and launching a new t-shirt brand is relatively inexpensive and quick. If you already have designs you want to sell, you can be up and running in as little as a few hours.
Today, with the Internet and digital printing resources, starting a t-shirt business is easier and more affordable than ever. In fact, resources exist that allow you to design a shirt using print-on-demand and drop shipping, so you don’t have to invest a lot of money or space for inventory.
If you feel that you have a passion for fashion and want to show it to the world, you might be suited to owning a clothing store. Just like starting any other business, the road can be rough at the start, but with the right help you could soon be running a your own successful fashion empire. Clothing boutique owners estimate the cost of starting a clothing store to be anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000.
Of course, the actual amount may vary by location, products and individual facility. To truly have a leg up, stay keenly aware of the trends in your local market, be aware of what’s happening in your nearby mall, understand how pop culture (including movies, books, and games) influences fashion choices, and know what the demographics in your area demand.
Creating, packaging and distributing your own perfume line could lead to real profits. Developing your product will take careful planning and research, but the hard work you put in can pay off if you can secure national accounts with specialty retailers.
In terms of the type of perfume your business develops, consider an all-natural approach to the ingredients, as many customers today prefer transparent ingredients. The perfume can be sold to retailers on a wholesale basis, directly to consumers via the internet or by establishing a perfume sales kiosk in high-traffic community gathering places.
A wide variety of shoe stores are available to consumers, from those made just for babies to shoe stores for brides and grooms. If you are into fashion and looking to start a retail operation, starting a shoe store may be the ideal business for you.
A shoe store is versatile, in that it can be operated physically within your local community or online, where you can service customers worldwide. Learning what is involved in opening this type of store is the first step, and this includes everything from licensing to startup costs that can reach tens of thousands of dollars.
If you love weddings and have a sense of style, opening a bridal salon can be a rewarding and lucrative endeavor. Brides to be and their wedding parties spend a lot of money on bridal gowns and wedding accessories for the special day.
Brides will also travel to certain shops for the perfect gown, and the perfect shopping experience. Your bridal shop will need to cater to your clients’ needs optimally and provide excellent customer service so as to start on the right foot.
One way to combine your love for fashion with your love for weddings is to open a bridal shop business. Your passion for these two industries can be a foundation for building a successful business, but there is some planning involved to ensure your bridal shop is prosperous and profitable.
Starting your own jewelry shop business is a great way to tap into the $70 billion U.S. jewelry industry. Jewelry stores cater to customers who enjoy shopping for a ring or necklace in person instead of purchasing the item from a website. Local jewelry shops frequently build a loyal customer base, as customers appreciate the personal service not offered by online or mass-market retailers. As a startup, you have plenty to consider when opening a jewelry shop.
Embroidery is defined as conducting a graphic design to goods and fabrics using a single, multi, or dual embroidery machine. Embroidery works are made fabulously and done in very attractive ways. Many different value added articles are used and thus it makes the clothing or fabric look awesome.
The embroidery business is quite profitable but it depends on how you look at it. An embroidery business is easy to start with an embroidery machine and basic business skills. While it can be a little tricky to choose equipment and find the right customers to target, it’s possible to start small in your spare time and build a full time embroidery business.
9. Baby Clothing Retail Store Business
As long as people continue to have babies, there will be need for baby clothes. There are many things to consider before starting a business and it’s important to take your time to address every aspect as you go. With motivation and some hard work, you can start a baby clothing store where parents will enjoy shopping.
Starting and running a business is hard work. To keep yourself on track, you must have passion for the type of business you start. When you start a baby wear fashion business, you must not only have a love for baby fashion, but have a fashion sense about the types of items and styles your customers will purchase.
Whether you’re a longtime shoe collector, are enthusiastic about footwear or are just looking for a unique business idea, starting your own shoe or sneaker store might be an ideal marriage of your interests. As is the case when launching any business, there’s much to consider, including tax, whether you should own or lease your space, how to find and pay for your merchandise and hiring concerns. Fortunately, with a thorough plan and adherence to relevant laws, you can get your business up and running successfully.
Looking for a business to start without much stress? The lingerie trade would be just perfect for you. If you know you have a flair for women’s stuff, then you should consider starting a lingerie business. Starting a lingerie business is not capital intensive, and it is highly profitable especially if your outlet is located in a commercial area and you know how to get cheaper supply.
The fact that the women can’t do without underwear makes lingerie a compulsory component of women’s fashion. So, if you are already running a fashion house or boutique, then it will be very much easier for you to add lingerie to what you sell.
A modeling agency is a fast moving and highly competitive business where normal business hours are not adhered to. Business in a modeling agency is conducted 24 hours a day so as to deal with the pressures of rush jobs and cancellations.
Generally, a modeling agency is a business entity that represents fashion models who work in the fashion industry. The agency makes a deal with the head agency and or the model and it is from this they earn their own income through commissions. Having a career in the modeling agency can be rewarding, both for you and for the models involved.
13. Handbag Manufacturing Business
A handbag making business is one that is creatively fulfilling and can be lucrative when done right. This business will give you the chance to leverage on modern arts and also showcase your passion for fashion and designing. But first you will have to decide on your short-term goals so you can keep the business going in the right direction. Start by creating a design that is uniquely yours.
It’s advisable you don’t use someone else’s pattern unless you have entered into an arrangement with them. Take your time to design and create a handbag that you personally like, that has a specific style and that you will feel comfortable talking about and selling. Remember to make a small initial stock of handbags. You don’t want to make too many as early customer feedback may lead you to make changes to your design.
It is a known fact that sunglasses and similar eyewear are used in all parts of the world and of course those that produce these products, are known to generate regular sales if the business is properly managed. As a matter of fact, economic downturn hardly affects the usage of sunglasses because the commodity plays a major role in protecting the eyes from excessive sunlight and it is also quite fashionable.
If you are thinking of starting your own sunglasses production business, then you must be ready to learn the ropes and scale through the necessary hurdles en route launching the business.
Just about everyone in the world wears shoes and the consumer demand for variety and style is endless. This means that your shoe line must be well-defined and strategic to achieve profitable success. Your shoe line’s business plan is the first step towards realizing your goals. If you’ve got an eye for fashion and a passion for shoes, turn your love into a business by starting your own shoe line.
The jewelry line business has many small and big entrepreneurs in every niche of the market. This means that your marketing strategy needs to be strong and should perfectly target your potential customers. You need to aggressively protect your business to draw the attention of customers.
As a jewelry designer, you can either make your pieces from scratch. If you’ve got the tools and the training, you can do things like lampwork and bead design, or you can buy your beads and other materials from a supplier. Any good jewelry design book will include lists of suppliers, many of which can also be found online. You can also choose the type of jewelry design you want to specialize in, such as earrings, rings, necklaces, handbags or a combination of specialties.
Starting a sneaker line business is of course one of the many businesses that can be started from any part of the world. The owner of the business can penetrate the world market once the design is good and it meets a need in the fashion market.
Entrepreneurs who intend to start a sneaker line business can start their own sneaker manufacturing company from their homes on a small scale and service a customized market, or open a sneaker manufacturing factory and dominate both the U.S. market and the international market.
18. Buying and Selling Gold Business
If you have some spare cash, rather than leave it to lie fallow in your bank account, you can invest it into buying and selling of gold coins. This is a very lucrative business, especially since gold coins have better liquidity than bars. Just like any other kind of investment, trading in gold coins requires research and education.
Although you may think you’ll need a lot of money to start this business, but you don’t. It can be started with just a few simple tools. Reinvest your profits back into your new business and make your profit work for you. That way, if someone brings you a piece that you know is a bargain, you’ll have the cash to buy it.
Linens are something that everyone needs in some way. Many people think of linens as curtains, which a linen rental business can definitely use to its advantage. Linens might also include napkins, tablecloths, towels, and even floor rugs. When you know how to start a linen rental business, you’ll be able to provide businesses with the linens they need while making a nice profit for yourself.
If working with gorgeous organza fabrics and table runners is your dream job, a linen rental business may be perfect for you. This business enables you to work with designers to ensure an event is visually stunning. The ability to work with a variety of clients is imperative, as each may desire a different look and feel for a big event.
Wedding days are big days especially for brides. It is a day everything has to be perfect, from the wedding venue to the cake and of course the dress. But what happens when this big day is approaching, but there are no finances to sponsor the thousand and one little details? Well, it’s either the couple take a loan, or they decide to go the way of renting.
A wedding rental business can be relatively easy to start. You can start very small and grow it from there, or you can launch-in as a large-scale provider. A wedding rental business can give you the flexibility of being your own boss and including your family in your operations, or branching out and hiring employees when you are able.
21. Perfume Production Business
If you intend to start a business where you can get a faster return on investment (ROI), then you should narrow your scope to businesses whose products are needed in our daily existence. One of such businesses is a perfume manufacturing company. Perfumes are widely used in all parts of the world; this makes those in the perfume making business to generate steady sales year in year out once the business is well managed.
22. Leather Belt Manufacturing Business
Leather belt manufacturing process is simple. The manufacturing operation doesn’t demand a lot of space. Leather belts are made in different widths and lengths to suit customers of all age groups and build. The leather used is plain or chrome tanned cowhides of even substance in different colours and shades of mainly black and brown.
The buckles used are in different attractive designs and plated. They are detachable and fitted as per customer’s choice. A leather belt manufacturing unit with single shift operation and taking 25 working days in a month is a financially viable project for entrepreneurs.
23. Maternity Wear Production Business
As long as women exist, have started getting their monthly period and have become sexually active, there will always be the possibility of getting pregnant and therefore having pregnant women.
Pregnant women usually wear maternity clothes from certain periods of their pregnancy till the end of it, and while some prefer simple maternity wear for everyday use, there are some that want something luxurious to put on during the period that they are expecting.
In the end, what a pregnant woman wears boils down to what she can afford and how much quality she wants, especially for those that are looking to give birth again so as to be able to reuse the same wears.
There are businesses that are worth going for. If you are starting your very first business, it is better to go for a business that you are certain people would need its services or products regularly. A tuxedo rental business falls into this category.
You can be certain that there would be corporate dinner parties and wedding ceremonies at least once in a week in your city or town, and grooms and groomsmen would usually source for tuxedos to rent. So, if you are looking for a business to start as an aspiring entrepreneur who has interest in a simple and straightforward business, then one of your options is to open a tuxedo rental business in your city.
25. Baby Clothing Line Business
Every day babies are born, which means that parents will always be looking to buy baby clothing amongst other baby products no matter the state of the economy. A baby clothing line therefore has the potential of being lucrative and can be started in a number of ways; however it is vital that you carefully plan out how you intend to run the business and what you are looking to achieve before starting your business.
You should realize that there are already huge brands that have made a name in the industry and so if you are not careful, your business will not likely last long. But that notwithstanding, you can make a name for yourself in the industry if you follow the rules.
26. Denim Line (Jeans Brand) Business
Denim is a versatile and in-demand fabric. A denim company can be equally in demand and versatile, considering all the options denim presents to designers and consumers. The market for custom jeans, jackets and denim accessories such as handbags is only limited by the designer’s imagination.
If your denim company’s focus is selling bulk fabric, your success may hinge on your ability to connect with designers and retailers whose products are most in demand. From the outset, know your market segment and use the washes, textures and colors of denim at your disposal to satisfy that segment’s needs and wants while building a profitable company for yourself.
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend – they’re also a $41 billion global business. Though there are a lot of people involved in the diamond trade, from miners to distributors, but diamond traders are the ones responsible for putting these gorgeous gems in the hands of customers.
Whether you enjoy surrounding yourself with fine jewelry or are fascinated by how the Earth forms a substance so brilliant with only one single element, a career as a diamond trader may be for you.
So, how do you get started? If you intend starting your own diamond trading business, then you must make out time to learn the trade because the truth is that it only takes someone who can differentiate between various grades and quality of diamond to be able to make it really big in this line of business.
28. Watch Manufacturing Business
A watch manufacturing business is one of the many businesses that can be started in any part of the world and the owner of the business can still penetrate the world market once the design is good and it meets a need in the fashion market. Entrepreneurs who intend starting a watch manufacturing business can start on a small scale and service a customized market, or on a large scale and dominate both the U.S. and international market.
The bottom line is that there is always a ready market for the manufacturers of different types and grades of wristwatches. All a designer needs to do is to carve a niche for his or her business and then build the brand name to be accepted beyond the physical location of his or her factory.