According to the ‘Digital 100 list’ published by similarweb, this [DTC list], focusing on the fashion apparel industry, will introduce a few niche apparel brands with high traffic on independent stations, whose product styles are different, but all of them perform well in their niche areas and are widely loved by young people.
In the increasingly involutional apparel industry, why have they been able to get rapid growth, and how did they become popular overseas by the DTC model?
Hoooyi
Hoooyi is a fashionable menswear brand that specialises in men’s coats, jackets, sweatshirts, t-shirts, shorts, shirts, swimwear and other products.
According to similarweb data, in 2023, the data of Hoooyi’s independent website is as follows: annual growth rate is 195.0%; total traffic is 2.5M; average monthly visitors is 87.7K, ranking third in the growth rate of apparel websites.
It is understood that Hoooyi’s product pricing is very cost-effective, most of the products are priced between 15-50 euros. At the same time, its clothing has a strong sense of design, with bright colours, and fashion, very consistent with the aesthetics of young people. Currently, Hoooyi mainly lays out e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and eBay, combined with independent stations and other channels for online sales. On social media platforms, Hoooyi has accounts on mainstream platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Currently, its Facebook account has reached 60,000 fans.
On overseas mainstream social media platforms, you can see a lot of content about Hoooyi clothing reviews, and on some overseas websites, Hoooyi has received a lot of five-star reviews.
Edikted
Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Edikted is a fast fashion brand for Generation Z. The brand was founded by Dedy Schwartzberg. Its founder, Dedy Schwartzberg, hails from Israel, having founded the brand Adika a decade ago with Adi Ronen, one of Israel’s most successful fashion brands, so the founder’s experience in the apparel industry is extensive.
According to similarweb, in 2023, Edikted’s standalone site will have the following statistics: annual growth rate of 183.3%; total traffic of 4M; average monthly visitors of 149.3K, the fourth fastest growth rate among apparel sites.
Although Edikted has the characteristics of general fast fashion brands such as being affordable fast up-to-date, its founder believes that Edikted is not a fast fashion brand in the traditional sense, because it realises “zero waste”, and Edikted’s production method is also different from that of traditional brands, adopting the mode of a small number of test models, producing a small number of products first, and then producing the products after the user confirms the demand. Edikted’s production method is different from that of traditional brands, as it adopts the model of small quantity testing, producing a small amount of products first, and then expanding the scale of production only after users have confirmed the demand. This approach not only solves the common problem of inventory redundancy for fast-fashion brands but also reduces waste by responding quickly to user feedback.
As a young brand targeting Generation Z, Edikted focuses on Generation Z in terms of product style and promotional channels. Edikted’s apparel styles refer to fashion shows, online celebrities, celebrities, and social media trends, such as the previously popular Y2K style. In terms of brand promotion, Edikted also chooses the gathering places of Generation Z, such as TikTok (590,000 followers), Instagram (593,000 followers), Facebook and other mainstream social media platforms. In 2022, under the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, which had been a big hit on TikTok, the Edikted pink packaging was an instant hit, and the brand immediately became popular. A hit, the brand then sent its products to major netizens and users, inviting them to upload unboxing videos, and within a few weeks, Edikted’s products swept across TikTok and further drove spontaneous promotion of the brand by users. In terms of KOL cooperation, Edikted also chooses netroots that is closer to the preferences of Generation Z, including head creators as well as small netroots with only tens of thousands of followers.
At present, Edikted’s main layout of e-commerce channels includes Amazon, eBay, and independent sites.
Underoutfit
Underoutfit is a shapewear brand founded in the US in 2021 and experienced explosive growth in the year after its inception: 300% growth in 5 months, $5.8M in revenue in May 2023 alone, and a leap from 0 to millions of dollars in revenue in 11 months, before quickly surpassing $100M.
According to similarweb data, in 2023, Underoutfit’s standalone site has the following data: annual growth rate of 177%; total traffic of 6.4M; average monthly visitors of 363.2K, ranked fifth among apparel sites in terms of growth rate.
Underoutfit is mainly engaged in underwear, shapewear, panties, sportswear, suspenders and other products, which are currently available on Amazon, Walmart, Shopify, and independent stations. A number of its shapewear currently make it to the top of Amazon’s BS list with impressive sales.
In terms of product strategy, Underoutfit’s primary focus is on the comfort and practicality of its products. It is learnt that the brand has many eco-friendly factories around the world, and through the use of high-quality materials and innovative yarn technology, Underoutfit achieves maximum comfort in wearing its products, which are loved by many users and repurchased. Meanwhile, most of Underoutfit’s products are priced in the $20-50 range, which is a good value for money. Due to the specificity of the category and the way of online sales, many users can’t pick the right size, for this reason, Underoutfit also provides a 180-day free return service, encourages users to try on underwear, and can be washed. This humane care also invariably pulls a wave of fans for the brand.
On social media platforms, Underoutfit has mainly laid out platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, mainly in the form of graphics, and daily releases wear sharing and product pictures to create a scene for the use of the shapewear category.
Sandy Liang
Sandy Liang is a New York-based fast fashion brand, founded in 2014, the founder shares the same name with the brand, its design is inspired by the nostalgia of Chinatown, the teenage era and other elements, mainly produces avant-garde women’s clothing full of nostalgia.
According to similarweb data, in 2023, Sandy Liang’s independent website has the following data: annual growth rate of 162.4%; total traffic of 2.9M; and average monthly visitors of 129.8K, which is ranked sixth in growth rate among apparel websites.
In 2014, Sandy Liang founded the brand inspired by her grandmother’s style in Chinatown, hiring her grandmother to model a line of oversized jackets.In 2018, Sandy was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Art & Design category. In 2019, the brand released a line of leopard-print fleece jackets inspired by Liang’s old childhood clothes, which The New York Times described as “the hottest jackets of New York Fashion Week”.In 2020, the brand opened a flagship retail store on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
In addition to womenswear, Sandy Liang has also developed other lines, such as footwear, and in 2022 launched its first footwear collection, a combination of Mary Janes and pointe shoes inspired by the aesthetics of ballet. Sandy Liang is also keen on cross-border co-branding collaborations, working with or co-branding with various types of well-known DTC brands to launch innovative products. For example, she has collaborated with DTC originator Warby Parker in 2019, DTC luggage brand Away in 2021, Vans in 2022, Salomon in 2023 to create a range of trainers, and dog apparel brand Little Beast to launch a line of fleece and knitted jumpers for dogs.
Since its inception, Sandy Liang has gained a lot of fans in the fashion world, often selling out even with garments priced up to $2,000 and creating a vintage trend of nostalgic clothing on social media.
Paka Apparel
Paka Apparel is a sportswear brand that uses alpaca wool as its main production ingredient, founded in 2017. The idea for an apparel company came to its founder in 2015 after he tried an alpaca wool jumper on a trip. Two years later, he managed to replicate this product and created a brand of high-performance sportswear made from alpaca wool, which he began selling on the internet.
At its inception, Paka Apparel first went live with its startup on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter and officially entered the U.S. market after raising $127,000 in just one week, exceeding its projected goal by a factor of six.
According to similarweb data, in 2023, Paka Apparel’s standalone site will have the following numbers: an annual growth rate of 138%; total traffic of 2.7M; and an average of 129K monthly visitors, the 10th fastest growth rate among apparel sites.
Currently, Paka Apparel’s main categories are sweatshirts, baselayers, socks, hats, hoodies jumpers, etc. Paka Apparel’s brand philosophy is to advocate an active and sustainable lifestyle, and its biggest products are characterised by their sustainable, handmade, lightweight, and warm features.
