So, you’re a self-confessed fashionista. If you’re thinking about turning your passion for fashion into a profitable business, especially considering fashion business ideas, you’re certainly not alone. For instance, a staggering 8510 searches are made per month related to starting a clothing line!
Here is a word from Jensen Tung about how he started a clothing brand with $0 in one week!
Fashion Business Ideas
So, how do you turn your love affair with fashion into a successful business? Here are 50 small business ideas to inspire fashionistas.
1. Start a Shoe Line
If there’s one thing we can’t get enough of, it’s shopping for shoes! As the world can’t get enough of shoe shopping, you could certainly do a lot worse than starting your own shoe-manufacturing business.
2. Write a Fashion-Related Book
Take a leaf out of Sophia Amoruso’s book #GirlBoss about her inspirational story of her achievements as the CEO of a thriving online fashion retailer from humble beginnings selling on eBay by writing your own fashion-related book.
3. Start Selling Clothes On eBay
Or, like Amoruso, why not initiate a fashion venture by selling clothes and other fashion items on eBay? Second-hand vintage clothes can go down well on eBay. Start by sorting out your own wardrobe and selling what you don’t want on eBay. Or choose one of the best apps to sell clothes online.
4. Make Fabulous Belts
Being a unisex item, belts will always be in high demand. Get your foot into the fashion industry by manufacturing and marketing belts.
5. Create Unique T-Shirts
Got an idea for a fabulously unique t-shirt? Get your t-short motives and logos professionally designed and start selling them by using t-shirt creator tools like RedBubble.
6. Start Making Handbags!
Like shoes, women (and a growing number of men, for that matter) can’t get too many handbags. Capitalize on the huge handbag market by making and marketing ultra-trendy and unique handbags.
7. Deal in Watches
Watches are a fashion accessory we’ll always need. Another great idea to get your foot into the world of fashion is to start dealing in watches. Trawl the second-hand shops for cheap unwanted watches, get them restored and sell them for a tidy profit!
8. Be a Personal Stylist
Being a personal stylist and offering fashion and style advice would be a rewarding career and would certainly satisfy any ambition to work in fashion.
9. Start Your Own Clothing Line
If you love fashion, why not take the plunge by starting your own clothing line? It might be competitive, but if you’ve got a creative designer side, why not showcase your talent by making your own quirky fashion line?
10. Become a Fashion Columnist
Got something to say about the latest trends and news emerging from the world of fashion? Put it into writing by becoming a fashion columnist.
11. Scout for the Next Supermodel
The next supermodel is out there somewhere, and why shouldn’t you be the person to find her (or him!)? Starting your own model scouting business can be a great way to get into fashion.
12. Start Your Own Fashion Blog
Why not write about the latest trends, tips and news in the constantly evolving world of fashion by starting your own blog?
13. Launch a Fashion Magazine
Fancy yourself as the next editor of Vogue? Become a competitor of the likes of Vogue and Elle by launching your own fashion magazine.
14. Focus on Maternity Wear
It could be argued that, when it comes to maternity wear, it simply isn’t trendy enough! Plug this hole in the market by starting your own highly fashionable line of maternity wear.
15. Make Your Own Perfume
Perfume-making workshops are becoming increasingly popular. Once you’ve mastered the art of perfume making, why not start your own perfume-selling business?
16. Be a Fashion Designer
Fancy yourself as the next Stella McCartney? Designing your own clothes and rubbing shoulders with the fashion elite has to be one of the most glamorous jobs in existence!
17. Begin Your Own Wedding Gown Rental Business
Renting wedding gowns is in hot demand. Start a rewarding and lucrative business renting wedding gowns to brides.
18. Organize Fashion Events
If you’ve got great organizational skills, why not put them to good use by running your own rewarding fashion event business?
19. Start a Lingerie Production Business
Love lingerie? Enjoy a thriving business by making and selling your own lingerie!
20. Rent Designer Clothes
Take a leaf out of Rent the Runway, a New York start-up that rents expensive designer clothes to fashionistas, and start your own designer attire rental business.
21. Design Sunglasses
No celebrity would be seen without wearing a pair of designer shades. If you’ve got a penchant for high-fashion sunglasses, why not start to make your own?
22. Become a Fashion Marketer
Follow in the footsteps of the online fashion community Polyvore and start your own business venture specializing in marketing for fashion retailers.
23. Make Badges
From rebellious teenagers to corporate memorabilia, badges will always have their place in society. Capitalize on the demand for badges by opening your own badge-making business.
24. Become a Fashion YouTuber
YouTube provides a host of opportunities for people to make a profitable income. Showcase your fashion-related talents by posting videos on YouTube, from makeup tutorials to making dresses.
25. Make Your Own Wristbands
From entrances to festivals to corporate events, customized wristbands are always going to be needed. Take advantage of the demand by starting your own wristband customization business.
26. Start a Shoe Repair Business
There’s nothing quite as infuriating as breaking the heel on your favorite pair of shoes! Starting a shoe repair business might be the perfect way to get your foot into fashion (no pun intended!).
27. Make and Sell Your Own Jewellery
The world can’t get enough jewelry makers! Making jewelry is not as difficult as you may think and offers a rewarding and potentially successful business venture.
28. Upcycle Fashion Items
Upcycling is hugely fashionable. Whet your creative appetite by upcycling fashion items into wonderful new creations.
29. Open a Fashion Flea Market Stall
Many successful entrepreneurs began their businesses from flea market stalls. Enjoy the benefits of a low-cost selling platform by opening your own fashion stall at the local flea market.
30. Run Fashion Expos
Another fashion-related business would be to organize and run fashion expos, perfect for fashionistas with great organizational skills.
31. Start a Casual Wear Line
We all crave to wear casuals from time to time. Hence there’s a huge market for casual wear. Why not tap into it by starting your own jeans, t-shirts, shorts and other casuals line?
32. Make Baby Clothes
Baby clothes make us coo with adoration. Again, this constantly in-demand strand of the fashion market is crying out for creative designers to bring us more adorable baby clothes.
33. Start a Fashion Podcast
Launching a podcast can be both profitable and rewarding. Why not utilize your love for fashion by running your own fashion-focused podcast?
34. Host Fashion Talks on the Radio and Television
There’s nothing quite like a natter about the latest fashion fads. Get your name known as an organizer of compelling fashion talks on radio and television.
35. Start an Online Boutique
E-commerce websites aren’t difficult to set up and are much cheaper to run than bricks and mortar stores. If you have an eye for fashion, sell some goods on your own online store.
36. Sell Suits
People are always going to need suits, so why not specialize in selling corporate suits and shirts?
37. Become a Fashion Consultant
Fashion consultants who give advice to models, executives, politicians and celebrities are in hot demand, offering a fulfilling and lucrative way into the world of fashion.
38. Embark on a Clothing Franchise Opportunity
There’s a whole host of retail clothing business franchise opportunities to explore, offering business openings fashionistas can walk into and start earning money from straight away.
39. Open a Fashion PR Business
Models, designers, manufacturers and retailers… what do they all have in common? They need quality and effective public relations. Make your mark on the world of fashion by opening your own PR for fashion firm.
40. Design Innovative Fashion Tech
It might be a fashion app or some kind of state-of-art technology for fashion shows. If you’re a whiz at tech, concentrate on creating some fashion tech that fashionistas can’t ignore.
41. Start Your Own Sports Clothes Brand
Sports clothes are always going to be in hot demand. If you love fashion and sports, combine the two by designing and manufacturing your own line of sports clothes.
42. Sell Costumes
Costumes and dressing up are great fun! Start a thriving business by making and selling costumes.
43. Mend Clothes
We’ve all been there and torn a designer dress or jammed the zipper on our favorite pair of jeans. Be a ‘fashion life saver’ by opening your own mending clothes business.
44. Make Soccer Shirts!
A relatively low-cost fashion business venture would be to become involved in making customized soccer shirts for local, national or even international soccer teams.
45. Set Up an Accessories Store
If designing the likes of scarves and belts is your thing, jump on the sought-after accessory bandwagon and set up your own accessories store.
46. Open a Fashion Design School
Fashion schools are in all the major cities around the world. Students are wanting to enroll in fashion courses, so why not meet the demand by starting your own fashion school?
47. Launch Fashion Awards
There’s nothing the world of fashion loves more than an ultra-glamorous fashion show! Be the name behind the most exciting fashion shows by organizing your own.
48. Become a Milliner
Hats will never go out of fashion. Get your creative juices flowing by designing and selling hats.
49. Start Your Own Web Design Company for Retailers
E-commerce sites are highly competitive. If you have web design skills, why not hone your talents in a specific niche by offering web design services to retailers?
50. Set Up Your Own Boutique
Rent out a physical store and fill it with all kinds of weird and wonderful accessories and fashion items and enjoy selling your creations and having fashion banter with your customers.
Here’s a snapshot of the 50 with their keypoints in a concise table:
| No. | Fashion Business Idea | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start a Shoe Line | As the world loves shoe shopping, starting your own shoe-manufacturing business is a solid idea. |
| 2 | Write a Fashion-Related Book | Draw inspiration from successful fashion narratives like #GirlBoss and pen your own fashion journey. |
| 3 | Start Selling Clothes On eBay | Begin by selling second-hand vintage clothes or decluttering your wardrobe on eBay or other clothes-selling apps. |
| 4 | Make Fabulous Belts | Belts, being unisex, are always in demand. Starting with belt manufacturing is a sturdy step into the fashion world. |
| 5 | Create Unique T-Shirts | Use t-shirt creator tools like RedBubble to bring your unique t-shirt designs to life and sell them. |
| 6 | Start Making Handbags! | Dive into the evergreen market of handbags by manufacturing and selling your unique designs. |
| 7 | Deal in Watches | Restore and sell second-hand watches for profit. |
| 8 | Be a Personal Stylist | Offer personalized fashion and style advice as a career. |
| 9 | Start Your Own Clothing Line | Delve into the competitive world of fashion by launching your own clothing line. |
| 10 | Become a Fashion Columnist | Share your views on the latest fashion trends and news through written columns. |
| 11 | Scout for the Next Supermodel | Launch a model scouting business. |
| 12 | Start Your Own Fashion Blog | Chronicle the latest in fashion on a personal platform. |
| 13 | Launch a Fashion Magazine | Compete with giants like Vogue with a fresh perspective. |
| 14 | Focus on Maternity Wear | Address the need for more trendy maternity options. |
| 15 | Make Your Own Perfume | After mastering the art, launch a perfume-selling venture. |
| 16 | Be a Fashion Designer | Explore the world of design and mingle with the fashion elite. |
| 17 | Wedding Gown Rental Business | Cater to the demand for wedding gown rentals. |
| 18 | Organize Fashion Events | Utilize organizational skills to create notable fashion events. |
| 19 | Start a Lingerie Production Business | Delight in designing and selling your own lingerie. |
| 20 | Rent Designer Clothes | Inspired by ventures like Rent the Runway, start your rental service. |
| 21 | Design Sunglasses | Introduce innovative designs in the high-fashion sunglasses market. |
| 22 | Become a Fashion Marketer | Specialize in marketing strategies tailored for fashion retailers. |
| 23 | Make Badges | Address the ever-present demand for badges with a badge-making business. |
| 24 | Become a Fashion YouTuber | Showcase fashion skills, from makeup tutorials to outfit ideas. |
| 25 | Make Your Own Wristbands | Customize wristbands for events or style statements. |
| 26 | Start a Shoe Repair Business | Address the evergreen demand for shoe repairs. |
| 27 | Make and Sell Your Own Jewellery | Enter the vast market of jewelry making. |
| 28 | Upcycle Fashion Items | Transform existing items into renewed masterpieces. |
| 29 | Open a Fashion Flea Market Stall | Initiate a business from a flea market platform. |
| 30 | Run Fashion Expos | Organize expos to showcase the latest in fashion. |
| 31 | Start a Casual Wear Line | Cater to the undying demand for casual attire. |
| 32 | Make Baby Clothes | Design and introduce adorable outfits for babies. |
| 33 | Start a Fashion Podcast | Launch a podcast focusing on fashion trends and advice. |
| 34 | Host Fashion Talks on Radio and TV | Discuss the latest in fashion over popular media. |
| 35 | Start an Online Boutique | Use e-commerce to sell fashion goods. |
| 36 | Sell Suits | Specialize in corporate suits and shirts. |
| 37 | Become a Fashion Consultant | Offer expert fashion advice to professionals. |
| 38 | Clothing Franchise Opportunity | Leverage established brands with franchise opportunities. |
| 39 | Open a Fashion PR Business | Manage public relations for models, designers, and retailers. |
| 40 | Manage public relations for models, designers, and retailers. | Merge technology with fashion to create groundbreaking products. |
| 41 | Start Your Own Sports Clothes Brand | Combine fashion and sports with a unique clothing line. |
| 42 | Sell Costumes | Design and market costumes for various events. |
| 43 | Mend Clothes | Offer repair services for various clothing items. |
| 44 | Make Soccer Shirts | Customize soccer shirts for various teams. |
| 45 | Set Up an Accessories Store | Dive into the accessory market with a dedicated store. |
| 46 | Open a Fashion Design School | Cater to the increasing demand for fashion education. |
| 47 | Launch Fashion Awards | Organize award ceremonies to recognize fashion talent. |
| 48 | Become a Milliner | Design hats for various occasions and styles. |
| 49 | Web Design for Retailers | Offer specialized web design services for fashion retailers. |
| 50 | Set Up Your Own Boutique | Launch a brick-and-mortar store for fashion enthusiasts. |
6 Fashion Side Hustles for the Cautious
In the dynamic world of fashion, not everyone wants to plunge head-first into starting a full-blown business. Many fashion enthusiasts instead opt for side hustles — smaller ventures they can manage on the side, allowing them to earn money and still nurture their passion. These side gigs often require less initial investment and offer flexible schedules, making them ideal for budding entrepreneurs or those looking to supplement their income.
These side hustles cater to various skills and interests within the fashion industry, and with the right marketing and dedication, they can prove to be quite profitable:
- Fashion Photography: If you have a knack for photography, offer your services for fashion shoots, lookbooks, or portfolio-building sessions for models.
- Closet Organizing: Help clients declutter and organize their wardrobes, offering them style advice along the way.
- Subscription Box Curating: Create themed fashion subscription boxes that deliver trendy items to subscribers on a regular basis.
- Custom Footwear Design: If you have a flair for shoe design, customize sneakers, sandals, or heels with unique art, embellishments, or materials. As personalized fashion becomes more popular, there’s an increasing demand for one-of-a-kind footwear. Psst! This one will fit in really well if you’ve already started a shoe line like in # 1.
- Fashion Illustration: If you’re artistically inclined, offer services as a fashion illustrator. Designers, brands, and magazines often seek illustrators to bring concepts to life in a visually appealing manner. Your artwork could also be sold as prints or on products like T-shirts, bags, and stationery.
- Pop-Up Boutique Owner: Secure temporary spaces in popular areas or events to showcase and sell curated fashion items. This approach requires minimal overhead compared to a traditional store and creates buzz due to its limited-time availability. Collaborating with local designers or exclusive product launches can make your pop-up stand out.
Can you think of any more fabulous fashion business ideas we’ve not covered? If so, we’d love to hear about them!
Related reading: 51 Business Ideas for 2020
Colorful Fashion, Bags, Fashion YouTuber, Suits Photos via Shutterstock
This article, "50 Fashion Business Ideas for Aspiring Small Business Owners" was first published on Small Business Trends