This is an episode of the Glossy Fashion Podcast, which features candid conversations about how today’s trends are shaping the future of the fashion industry. More from the series →
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When Shirin, Shida and Shideh Kaviani, sisters-turned-co-founders, created Naked Wardrobe in 2012, it was meant to fill a gap in the basics market. According to the sisters, up until Naked Wardrobe’s inception, many of the brands releasing basics were either fast fashion brands or luxury brands with an out-of-reach price point for everyday consumers. With Naked Wardrobe, the Kaviani sisters provided an option in the contemporary market that prioritized high-quality materials at a reasonable price.
In the first year of business, Naked Wardrobe drove $1 million in sales, which led the brand on a track to experience 40% year-over-year growth for several years thereafter. Eventually, Naked Wardrobe expanded beyond direct-to-consumer, securing an exclusive domestic retail partnership with Nordstrom. Currently, Naked Wardrobe is 70% direct-to-consumer and 30% wholesale.
Since launching with body-conscious basics 13 years ago, the L.A.-based brand, beloved by A-listers such as the Kardashians, has since expanded to also sell suiting, outerwear and special occasion dresses. And in 2024, Naked Wardrobe underwent a relaunch, introducing a new logo, a new custom-built platform and updated assortments, which resulted in sales growth of 30% year-over-year.
This year, Naked Wardrobe is on track for 50% year-over-year growth. The sisters are kicking Naked Wardrobe’s growth up a notch as they plan to open the brand’s first flagship store and expand internationally, all while staying true to Naked Wardrobe’s DNA. Below are additional highlights from the conversation, which have been lightly edited for clarity.
Knowing when it’s time to rebrand
Shideh Kaviani: ” This rebrand … was very much triggered because — coming out of Covid and being an elevated basics brand for so long, and being one of the pioneers and using social as our driving tool — we realized that there was an influx of lounge and basics [brands]. Even brands that had never dabbled in these categories were now introducing them during Covid. … There was definitely a spike in competition, when it came to elevated basics, or just basics in general. For us, taking a look at the landscape and ourselves — we launched the brand 13 years ago — so much has changed and so much had evolved for us. We also [realized] that the customer had grown with us, so giving her a new, grown-and-sexy version of Naked Wardrobe was really what triggered us to go down this rebrand. … Being in the business for 10 years and having a solid foundation for the business gave us the resources to go out there and represent ourselves in a new light.”
Strategically scaling and growing
Shideh Kaviani: “Our whole brand DNA has been built off of our product line and essentially zero marketing and not paying celebrities and not even going into the influencer program realm. We really are about letting our product speak for itself and, instead, [relying on] word of mouth and people just truly having an appreciation for what we do. We put a lot of love into every element of [the brand], and that’s really a testament to us three sisters, and our mom [who is also part of the business]. We put everything into it and our family values really are the core of the company. For us, [Naked Wardrobe] is just a reflection [of who we are]. Once the consumer is able to have the product in their hands — to touch, feel and try on — [they] fall in love with it.”
Narrowing in on a target consumer
Shideh Kaviani: “We always say internally that we are designing for all women, but our goal is to bring the sexy out of every woman. … Our tech design director comes from an incredible background, and she puts our clothes on and she’s like, ‘I didn’t know I was this sexy. I didn’t know I had this in me.’ I love to hear that type of feedback. It’s why we do what we do. It’s making women feel something. We’ve said that from day one, because that’s really what it’s always been about. For us, it’s making women feel empowered, making them feel like they have the confidence to go out and do whatever it is they want to do that day. For us, that’s always front and center.”
