Gymshark

The activewear brand, which has seen sales spike online, is opening its first physical location, in London.

Fashion entrepreneurs need a new playbook to launch, scale and differentiate their companies, as regulations and rising costs mean performance marketing can no longer serve the critical role it once did for DTC brands. Finding the right positioning and capturing market share can mean going back to the brand-building basics, as BoF profiles of Gymshark, Hodinkee and Mejuri show.

Breaking into the $384 billion sports apparel market is no easy task, but fast-growing start-ups are stealing market share by creating specialised, fashion-forward products around underserved interests.

Brands like Adidas and Gymshark are spending time, money and resources to update their sports bras, a product they see as crucial to winning over female customers.

Workout clothes have been a bright spot in the struggling apparel sector this year, but independent brands need to play smart to turn the current bump into long-term success.