affordable-fashion
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Justo Fuentes and the art of getting customers to come back
After decades at Bata, Justo Fuentes took on Payless in Latin America. His next chapter puts a familiar retail promise to a fresh test: affordable shoes, with more reasons to walk through the door.
America's Thrift Stores
America's Thrift Stores built a regional retail machine out of the things people no longer want. Its real product is not merely secondhand goods - it is a fast, organized loop connecting closets, store floors, bargain hunters, charities and the waste stream.
Cupshe
Cupshe is a California-inspired, direct-to-consumer beachwear brand for women that sells trendy, affordable swimwear, bikinis, cover-ups, activewear and loungewear. Founded in 2015 by former Alibaba CEO David Wei, the internet-first label pairs a Shopify-powered DTC website and app with a strong Amazon presence, reaching millions of customers across more than 100 countries. Known for vibrant prints, size-inclusive fits and $15-$30 price points, Cupshe grew into a roughly $150M-plus swimwear business and has expanded into recycled, GRS-certified sustainable collections.
Edikted
Edikted is a Los Angeles-based, Gen Z-focused online fashion brand founded in 2020 by former Adika executives Dedy Shwartzenberg and Zvika Alon. It sells trend-led, affordable women's apparel and accessories - dresses, denim, tops, swimwear and more - and rose to prominence through viral TikTok marketing. After starting online-only, Edikted has expanded into physical retail, opening flagship stores in major U.S. malls and moving into Europe, positioning itself as a curated, community-driven alternative to ultra-fast-fashion players like Shein and Temu.
Hello Molly
Hello Molly is an Australian online women's fashion retailer founded in Sydney in 2012 by university graduate Echo Liu. It sells trend-led, affordable dresses, occasionwear, swimwear, tops, bottoms, rompers, shoes and accessories directly to a global, mostly Gen-Z and millennial audience, releasing over 100 new styles a week. Built on data-driven trend-spotting, in-house design and heavy use of social media and influencer marketing, the company grew from a A$50,000 loan into a business exceeding A$100 million in annual revenue, with roughly half of sales coming from the United States.
Kohl's
Kohl's is one of the largest department store chains in the United States, operating roughly 1,100 off-mall stores across 49 states plus Kohls.com. Founded in Wisconsin, it sells moderately priced apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, and home goods to value-conscious families, anchored by its Kohl's Cash and Kohl's Rewards loyalty programs. In recent years it has leaned on partnerships - hosting Sephora shops inside its stores and accepting Amazon returns - to drive traffic while working to reverse a multi-year sales decline.
Steve Madden
Steve Madden (Steven Madden, Ltd.) is a New York-based, publicly traded fashion company that designs, markets and sells trend-driven footwear, handbags and accessories at accessible price points. Founded in 1990 by designer Steve Madden with roughly $1,100, the company built its reputation on translating runway trends into affordable, fast-moving styles for young women. Today it operates a portfolio of owned and licensed brands - including Steve Madden, Dolce Vita, Betsey Johnson, Madden Girl and, following its 2025 acquisition, Kurt Geiger - across wholesale, retail and direct-to-consumer channels, generating over $2.5 billion in annual net sales.
Birdy Grey
Birdy Grey is a direct-to-consumer bridal brand that reinvented bridesmaid-dress shopping by moving it entirely online with a simple promise: stylish, coordinated wedding-party attire at a fixed, affordable price. Launched in 2017 from a West Hollywood living room by Grace Lee Chen and later joined by Monica Ashauer, the brand sells bridesmaid dresses starting at $89, ships free color swatches so brides can match their palette, and has since expanded into groomsmen suits, accessories, and everyday event wear. It crossed $100 million in revenue in 2024 and has served over one million customers.
Monica Ashauer
Monica Ashauer is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Birdy Grey, the direct-to-consumer bridal brand that put stylish bridesmaid dresses on the map for under $100. A Wharton-trained, ex-McKinsey strategist, she paired with best friend Grace Lee Chen in 2017 to fix a broken category - the six-month wait, the non-returnable polyester, the $300 dress worn once. The result: a hybrid made-to-order model that built reverse working capital, crossed $100 million in revenue by 2024, and made Birdy Grey a wedding-season staple. In 2025 she stepped from President into the Chief Strategy Officer seat and joined the board as Executive Chairman.
Cider
Cider is a Los Angeles-headquartered, social-first fashion brand built for Gen Z. Launched in 2020, it uses a data-driven 'smart fashion' supply chain to read trends off TikTok and Instagram, produce in small batches, and ship trendy, affordable women's apparel to customers in more than 130 countries. Backed by Andreessen Horowitz and DST Global, Cider became a unicorn roughly a year after launch and is widely framed as a leaner, more curated challenger to Shein.
francesca's®
francesca's® was an American women's fashion and lifestyle retailer known for its eclectic mix of clothing, jewelry, accessories and giftable items sold across hundreds of small boutiques and online at francescas.com. Founded in Houston in 1999, it grew from a single store into a national chain of more than 700 boutiques, went public on the Nasdaq in 2011, and built a loyal following of women shopping for affordable, trend-driven, occasion-ready style. After two Chapter 11 bankruptcies, the company wound down and closed its remaining locations in early 2026.