Unveiling the Secrets to Building a Thriving Streetwear Brand

hen Chad Montgomery was studying abroad in London for graduate school, he launched his streetwear line, Gold & Gems Clothing (@goldandgems). Besides selling clothing to fellow students, he also participated in “Dragons’ Den” – the U.K.’s version of “Shark Tank,” where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to investors (aka dragons) who decide whether or not to invest. “Because of pitching my new line on the show, I received opportunities to sell in six countries,” he says.

As a new streetwear designer, you don’t always know when or where your big break like Montgomery’s will happen. Plus, with so many competitors coming on the scene, there’s a rushing race to capture buyers’ attention – not an easy feat.

“Consumers are increasingly wary about purchasing premium streetwear from brands that aren’t the ones they’re already aware of. You need to forge a greater sense of trust and community to establish that connection, proving your brand’s legitimacy and earning your target consumers’ long-term trust.”
- Josh Herbert, stylist and founder of sneaker publication Captain Creps.

Check out three key grassroots ways to grow your streetwear community via social media, product drops and more – with advice from some OG fashion designers who’ve played the long game.

Use Social Media to Make Your Brand ‘Go Viral’

Gen Z loves using social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to find up-and-coming streetwear brands like Unknown London and Broken Planet. Unlike traditional fashion industry outlets, social gives fans the opportunity to share their new favorite brands and style.

“Be a positive force, stay authentic, and understand your marketplace to bond with customers,” says Don Martin, founder of luxury textile and tailored menswear business Don Martin International and author of “Black Man, White Industry: My Journey Through the Fashion World.” “Before the internet, people picked up the phone to connect with customers. It’s still the same, where people buy from who they like. But the challenge now is to get on social media and build an audience.”

Here are five traits of compelling, share-worthy social content:

1. Authenticity:

“The best grassroots way to grow your audience or community via any social platform is to stay true to your brand,” Montgomery says, “rather than being salesy.” For example, streetwear brand Represent (@representclo) has grown significantly by incorporating the “face” aspect of the brand via YouTube. "This has led to new audiences resonating with the ethos of the brands’ founders,” Herbert says, “and essentially ensuring they ‘buy in’ to the story the brand tells behind drops they release.”

2. Relevance and Timing:

‍Your content should make sense within the current landscape of news and trends. “If you have a surfing brand, why would you start making reels about food?” Montgomery says. “Unless it’s a good shack on the shore and everyone’s in your brand, what’s the point? Where is your audience looking? What are they into that you can tap into?”

3. Creativity:

Instead of posting promotional content, apparel brand Gymshark often leads with sharing funny gym videos that their fans share. By doing that, Gymshark has attracted millions of followers. To stand out, you need to really stand out with your content ideas.

4. Interactivity:

‍Videos perform well on social for engagement and sharing, so try shooting behind-the-scenes clips or collection reels to get attention. You can also post polls, quizzes or a fun interactive to engage buyers. Shoe brand Crocs launched the #ThousandDollarCrocs challenge where they invited people to design their version of $1,000 Crocs, boosting engagement and sales.

“A brand is like a person. That’s why you should treat each member of your community like they’re a brand ambassador when you see them and the love will grow. That’s how word of mouth grows the fastest.”
- Chad Montgomery, owner of Gold & Gems Clothing

5. Connecting With Peers:

‍Not only do streetwear brands showcase their styles on social, they also connect with other designers. “Social media is a wonderful tool for expanding your brand and vision,” says Shon, who founded DSMTG Worldwide (@dsmtgworldwide) in 2019, “but it also connects you with other inspirational designers and creators internationally.”

Work With Your Community-at-Large

While connecting on social media, it’s also important to work with your community to grow your brand – and that can take many forms. “For example, a skateboard brand could run skate days or a streetwear brand can collaborate with local artists and brand representatives,” Herbert says. “It’s crucial for brands to have a ‘face’ and representatives that audiences can relate to or resonate with to succeed.”

Put yourself front and center in all interactions.

‍When Martin became profitable, he made a habit of entertaining his contacts at the best eateries off the runways in Paris and New York. “Upstarts can’t do that, but right now you have yourself – the most important ingredient,” says Martin, who’s worked with designers like Tommy Hilfiger, Christian Dior and Ralph Lauren, and major retailers from Nordstrom to Macy’s.

“Your brand’s identity is the owner or designer. Consumers and retailers buy from people they know will deliver and the quality will be right. You have to be at the forefront to command that winning combo of respect and reliability so customers and retailers come back and buy from you. Are you prepared to get in front of them?”

Focus on profitable customers.

“A lot of new designers want to go to a trade show and just get an order from a retailer,” Martin says. “But you need to start from a business perspective, by focusing on working with people who can pay their bills, so one order doesn’t put you out of business. It’s a better idea to grow slowly and securely, than to come banging on the scene.”

Keep an open mind to any and all strategic partnerships.

“If someone can help launch your line with financing or manufacturing, that keeps your nuts and bolts intact and alleviates problems,” Martin says. Also, look for retailers to carry your streetwear brand. “You can make sales via retail recognition,” he says. “But that’s where it’s key to stay on top of production and shipping. One hiccup can erode your profit margin and reputation.”

Connect with the right influencers.

‍Fashion brand Boohoo (@boohoo) knows how to partner with influencers to share products with a larger audience who’s part of its target markets – and now has more than 12 million of its own followers. The brand hosts contests so that new followers get a chance to win free clothes just by tagging friends.

Get your clothing on celebrities.

‍“It’s always a good idea to share your apparel with stylists, rappers or athletes to get ‘seen’ by your target audience,” Martin says. Streetwear labels Unknown London (@unknownuk) and Corteiz (@crtz.rtw) outfitted celebs like Jorja Smith and Stormzy to increase their reach. Montgomery reached fans on Instagram by letting them know when Gold & Gems garb was spotted on the set of “Insecure.”

Schedule and Hype Product Drops

Special product drops or limited edition collections are either deliberately low in quantity or only available for a limited time. These create FOMO for customers, since they must be available to buy the minute your product is available. Smaller product drops often work for smaller or startup brands since they have smaller budgets.

When streetwear brands use product drops, they tap into the power or scarcity marketing and anticipation psychology to build hype, create a memorable experience and leave fans wanting more. An apparel industry survey says that 66% of brands consider the product drop model important or very important to their business (for footwear brands, that statistic rises to 78%).

Consumer surveys show that 45% of buyers love product drops because they value getting access to hard-to-score products they compete to purchase. That’s why upcoming product drops become news fodder and go viral on social media.

Unique Drops

One-time drops also helped expand a DSMTG’s value, since this “provides an array of demand for designs, which makes it more exclusive for our customers,” Shon says. Newer brands, like Unknown London and Corteiz, splashed onto the streetwear scene thanks to limited runs and one-off events. BooHoo created FOMO in its Instagram bio for a restocked collection for the “Barbie” movie: “Set your alarms for July 24 to get your hands on the viral collection, designed to break boundaries!” To create hype for new products, Kanye West’s not-yet-released apparel or footwear often get snapped in celeb paparazzi shots, sparking chatter among the press and on social media about new styles.

Drop Tactics

A streetwear brand can try the product drop tactic by: releasing teaser photos on social media, creating an official announcement with a release date, setting up a presale list, running social media giveaways, hosting live streams or posting videos to show the products, and even using a virtual waiting room right before the product drops. Some brands, like adidas, set up loyalty programs to formalize a relationship with their buyers, who then enjoy discounts or benefits like early access to new products. By drawing out the pre-purchase time period, your brand stays in customers’ minds for longer as their anticipation builds until they receive and enjoy the new product.

Stay Connected to Your Core and Community

Ultimately, staying authentic is at the core of building your brand and connecting with your community. “Avoid people just ‘doing it for the money,’” Montgomery says. “There’s a lot of money to be made, but if that’s your only focus, it can be very soul sucking.” Herbert also recommends not trying to be everywhere and appeal to everyone. “Find a channel that resonates with your core audience based on what they want to see,” he says, “and supercharge that channel growth accordingly.”

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