– Because they did it
Like On Running, success stories from the textile industry are there to remind new entrepreneurs that there is always a place to take.
Published: 04/24/2024, 06:00
How many clothes on a human body? From head to toe, a dozen to ruin everything. A space largely dominated by the giants of the sector. Among Adidas, Levi’s and others, it’s hard to imagine finding a place. So why get started? Quite simply because they did it.
They are the latest textile success stories. These brands which were nothing ten, twenty or thirty years ago and which have since established themselves. In such a saturated and competitive market, they are proof by the numbers that there is always a place. In Switzerland, just fourteen years ago, On Running did not exist. The Zurich company today announced a turnover of 1.79 billion francs. Nike itself was born only sixty years ago and has, to date, some 79,000 employees.
“The industry’s success stories are a reminder that fashion, by its very nature, always needs change.”
These examples are striking for their size and the speed with which they developed. Above all, they concern all product ranges, whether we are talking about haute couture, urban fashion, technical clothing or fast fashion. Has outdoor sport become a trend? Hoka – created near Annecy in 2009 – has stepped into the breach to become one of the fastest growing running brands in the world. Just that.
So of course, not all textile entrepreneurs have the vocation to become giants. Not everyone wants it anyway. A question of margins, positioning, products, values which make up the very identity of a brand.
On the other hand, whatever their goals, everyone dreams of finding a place in the minds and wardrobes of consumers. In this game, the industry’s success stories help to open up the field of possibilities and above all remind the world that fashion, by its very nature, always needs change.
Frédéric Thomasset is deputy editor-in-chief of Bilan magazine and responsible for Bilan.ch. A teacher at the CFJM specializing in long forms and digital formats, Frédéric is a graduate of the Grenoble Institute of Political Studies and holds a master’s degree from UNIGE in economic and social sciences.More informations
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