Best Apparel Brands Companies in United Kingdom
The 576 best Apparel Brands companies in United Kingdom in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Gymshark.
Ranked by disclosed equity funding and recent momentum, the 576 Apparel Brands companies in the United Kingdom we track here have collectively pulled in $1.4 billion in funding, with two unicorns confirming this isn't a cottage industry anymore. Gymshark leads at $261M raised, Castore follows at $197M, and Urbanic sits at $160M. Those three alone account for the bulk of disclosed capital. The global apparel market was valued at roughly $31.8B in 2020, expanding at a 4.1% CAGR, and UK brands are clearly claiming a real slice of that. What's driving it? App-side data is telling: across 266 apparel and fashion, direct-to-consumer, and retail fashion apps, median install growth is running at roughly +17% year-over-year. That's not noise.
So if you're trying to read where the real money is moving, watch the funding concentration. ME+EM has raised $82M, which is serious for a premium womenswear label. As shown in 2015 research on consumer retail behavior, social influence and seasonal cues shape purchase intent more than most brands acknowledge, and that tracks with the celebrity-driven themes currently heating up coverage across this sector. Investors including HSBC, BGF, and Pembroke VCT are the ones writing the checks. I'd pay close attention to who they back next.
- ResearchAndMarkets.com
- Grand View Research
Ranked: Best Apparel Brands companies in United Kingdom
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founded | Founder | Tech stack | Market signals (1y) | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gymshark 🦄 Performance-focused activewear brand creating functional, stylish gym and athleisure clothing 60Patents top 24%Innovation top 27%Moat top 27%Funding top 40% All 9 signals ▾Patentstop 24% Innovationtop 27% Moattop 27% Fundingtop 40% Globaltop 40% Growthtop 41% Markettop 45% Talentbottom 49% Fin. healthbottom 37% Patents: 32 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 32 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 Innovation: 32 patents (top 30% of patent-holders) · 32 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 60/100 | $261M | 70 mo ago | 728 | 2012 | Ben Francis Founder & CEO | — | — | 2 expansions |
| 2 | Castore 🦄 Internet-first brand of sportswear for men and women 91Fin. health top 17%Tech top 18%Funding top 19%Market top 26% All 10 signals ▾Fin. healthtop 17% Techtop 18% Fundingtop 19% Markettop 26% Moattop 26% Growthtop 28% Talenttop 38% Partnerstop 41% Newstop 47% Globaltop 48% Fin. health: Revenue ~$67.1M · Revenue +187% YoY Tech: 100 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Alb, Amazon S3 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 91/100 | $197M | 1 mo ago | 174 | 2016 | Thomas Beahon Co-Founder | Cart FunctionalityShopifyApple iCloud Mail+44 | 5 signals ▼71% Acquisition · M&A · Earnings | 2 launchs · 2 partnerships |
| 3 | Pepe Jeans London Internet first brand of denim apparel wear for men and women | $178M | 190 mo ago | 172 | 1973 | Nitin Shah Co-Founder | Salesforce Commerce CloudApple iCloud MailSalesforce+31 | 3 signals ▲50% Leadership · Earnings | — |
| 4 | Urbanic Internet first brand offering multi-category fashion apparel for women 24Funding top 32%Market top 41%Global top 46%Talent bottom 49% All 6 signals ▾Fundingtop 32% Markettop 41% Globaltop 46% Talentbottom 49% Fin. healthbottom 34% Growthbottom 8% Funding: Raised $160M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 6 yrs (0.3/yr) Market: 77 employees (top 41% of Fashion Tech) · Revenue ~$14.9M rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 24/100 | $160M | 31 mo ago | 77 | 2019 | Rahul Dayama Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 5 | Ted Baker Online retailer of designer clothing, accessories, bags, and shoes | $132M | 72 mo ago | 1,276 | 1988 | Rachel Osborne CEO | Cart FunctionalityShopifyBugHerd+34 | — | — |
| 6 | ME+EM Online retailer of women's designer fashion and luxury clothing 32Moat top 31%Tech top 32%Funding top 44%Growth top 45% All 9 signals ▾Moattop 31% Techtop 32% Fundingtop 44% Growthtop 45% Newstop 49% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 38% Marketbottom 36% Fin. healthbottom 17% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · Soonicorn Tech: 46 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Akamai, Amazon S3 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 32/100 | $82M | 50 mo ago | 88 | 2009 | Clare Hornby Founder & CEO | CentraCart FunctionalityContentful+37 | — | 3 partnerships · 1 award |
| 7 | Artigiano Retailer of Italian-inspired women's clothing and accessories | $55M | 234 mo ago | 104 | 1984 | — | WordPressMySQLRedis+19 | — | — |
| 8 | Ralph & Russo Internet First Brands offering luxury wear apparels for women | $50M | 83 mo ago | 184 | 2005 | Michael Russo CEO | Cart FunctionalityShopifyAmazon ALB+20 | — | — |
| 9 | GO Outdoors Retail store for adventure sports equipments | $46M | 182 mo ago | 2,400 | 1969 | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifyNoibu+35 | 3 signals ▼25% Layoffs · New product | 1 partnership · 1 expansion · 1 award |
| 10 | Joules Internet first brand of fashion apparel wear for men and women | $35M | 44 mo ago | 1,288 | 1989 | Pam Cousins Executive Assistant To The Ceo | Cart FunctionalityNext TotalApple iCloud Mail+26 | — | — |
| 11 | Temperley London Internet first brand of fashion apparel wear for women | $25M | 100 mo ago | 66 66 → 84 (+27%) · sector median +20% | 2000 | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifyKlevu+41 | — | — |
| 12 | Seasalt Internet first brand offering shoes for women and men | $21M | 93 mo ago | 978 978 → 740 (-24%) · sector median +20% | 1981 | Paul Hayes CEO | Cart FunctionalityMagentoApple iCloud Mail+37 | — | — |
| 13 | Fiorucci Internet first brand of casual and apparel for men and women | $20M | 112 mo ago | 30 | 1965 | Elio Fiorucci Founder | Cart FunctionalitySalesforce Commerce CloudAmplience+34 | — | — |
| 14 | The Fold Online internet first brand for multi category fashion products 53Tech top 34%Growth top 35%Innovation top 39%Product top 43% All 7 signals ▾Techtop 34% Growthtop 35% Innovationtop 39% Producttop 43% Fundingbottom 46% Marketbottom 41% Globalbottom 37% Tech: 45 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare Growth: Headcount 31 → 42 (+35%) across vintages rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 53/100 | $15M | 38 mo ago | 42 42 → 77 (+83%) · sector median +20% | 2011 | — | Shogun Page BuilderCart FunctionalityBigCommerce+36 | — | — |
| 15 | Allsaints Internet first brand of casual apparel wear for men and women | $14M | 55 mo ago | 314 | 1994 | — | Cart FunctionalitySalesforce Commerce CloudSalesforce+20 | 20 signals ▲186% Leadership · Earnings · Announcements | — |
| 16 | Orlebar Brown Designer of men's swimwear and apparel | $12M | 154 mo ago | 116 116 → 237 (+104%) · sector median +20% | 2007 | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifyApple iCloud Mail+33 | — | 1 partnership · 1 expansion |
| 17 | Finisterre Designer and retailer of sustainable outdoor apparel and accessories | $11M | 48 mo ago | 135 | 2003 | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifyGlobal-e+40 | — | — |
| 18 | Baird Group Brand of apparel for men | $9M | 47 mo ago | 507 | 2008 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+21 | — | — |
| 19 | Celtic & Co Internet first brand offering multi-category fashion products for men and women | $8M | 40 mo ago | 74 | 1973 | — | Cart FunctionalityGlobal-eMicrosoft ASP.NET+31 | — | — |
| 20 | Percival Menswear Internet first brand offering multi-category fashion products for men | $7M | 49 mo ago | 27 27 → 33 (+22%) · sector median +20% | 2009 | Christopher Gove Founder | Cart FunctionalityShopifyGlobal-e+41 | — | 1 job opening |
| 21 | Morphsuits Internet first brand of retailer of fancy dress costumes | $7M | 167 mo ago | 27 27 → 39 (+44%) · sector median +20% | 2009 | — | Cart FunctionalityMagentoMySQL+30 | — | — |
| 22 | Boden Retailer of women's and children's clothing and accessories | $6M | 324 mo ago | 846 846 → 915 (+8%) · sector median +20% | 1991 | Johnnie Boden Founder | — | 7 signals ▲250% Announcements · Earnings | 2 job openings · 1 award |
| 23 | Weird Fish Offering casual clothing for men and women | $6M | 137 mo ago | 155 155 → 141 (-9%) · sector median +20% | 1993 | — | Cart FunctionalityGlobal-eMicrosoft ASP.NET+21 | — | 1 partnership |
| 24 | Perfect Moment Internet-first brand offering winter sports wear for men and women 29Funding top 30%Moat top 35%Talent top 38%Tech top 41% All 9 signals ▾Fundingtop 30% Moattop 35% Talenttop 38% Techtop 41% Newstop 41% Globalbottom 37% Marketbottom 35% Growthbottom 35% Fin. healthbottom 33% Funding: Raised $5.5M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 5 yrs (1.0/yr) Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 6/10 · 5 curated direct competitors tracked rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 29/100 | $6M | 2 mo ago | 18 | 2002 | Max Gottschalk Co-Founder | ContentfulTurbopackstyled-components+28 | 8 signals ▼33% Earnings · Capital raise · Funding | 1 partnership |
| 25 | Cefinn Internet first brand of luxury casual wear & formal wear for women | $5M | 42 mo ago | 20 | 2017 | Samantha Cameron Founder & Creative Director | Cart FunctionalityShopifyAmazon ALB+40 | — | — |
| 26 | Hiccup Internet first brand of multi category casual wear for women | $5M | 35 mo ago | — | 2023 | — | — | — | — |
| 27 | Wool and The Gang Online retailer of knitting and crochet kits, yarns, and supplies | $4M | 129 mo ago | 24 | 2008 | Aurelie Popper Co-Founder | Cart FunctionalityContentfulAlgolia+36 | — | — |
| 28 | ACAI Internet-first brand of outdoor wear for women | $4M | 41 mo ago | 16 16 → 18 (+12%) · sector median +20% | 2017 | Kasia Bromley Co-Founder | Cart FunctionalityShopifyQuill+37 | — | — |
| 29 | Sosandar Internet-first brand of casual and formal wear for women | $4M | 82 mo ago | 41 | 2005 | Julie Lavington CEO and Founder | MagentoApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+30 | 14 signals ▼56% Earnings · Leadership · Buyback | — |
| 30 | Stripe & Stare Internet first brand of inner wear for women | $3M | 52 mo ago | 21 | 2017 | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifySentry+40 | — | 1 job opening |
| 31 | Zilver Internet first brand offering apparel wear for women and men | $3M | 86 mo ago | 10 | 2018 | Pedro Lourenco Founder | — | — | — |
| 32 | Cotswold Collections Internet first brand of apparel wear for women | $2M | 80 mo ago | 41 | 1993 | Linda Shineman Owner | WordPressMagentoCart Functionality+33 | — | — |
| 33 | Hamilton and Hare Internet first brand offering luxury apparel wear for men | $2M | 50 mo ago | 6 | 2012 | — | — | — | — |
| 34 | Ernest Leoty Internet first brand offering apparel wear for women | $2M | 78 mo ago | 6 | 2016 | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifyInstafeed+24 | — | 1 job opening |
| 35 | Dai Internet first brand of casual apparel for men and women | $2M | 44 mo ago | 21 | 2017 | — | — | — | — |
| 36 | Shoreditch Ski Club Outerwear brand offering womens fashion apparel | $2M | 53 mo ago | 1 | 2018 | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifyShop Pay+19 | — | 1 job opening |
| 37 | OOSC Online fashion brand offering a wide range of eco-friendly sportswear apparel for men and women | $2M | 27 mo ago | 2 | 2015 | Aaron McLaughlin Co-Founder | Cart FunctionalityShopifySentry+38 | — | — |
| 38 | Ro&Zo Online platform offering multi-category party wear for women | $2M | 43 mo ago | 24 24 → 28 (+17%) · sector median +20% | 2020 | Rosie Bowden Co-Founder & Director | Cart FunctionalityShopifyGlobal-e+44 | — | — |
| 39 | Monreal London Multi-sports apparel brand for women | $2M | 148 mo ago | 11 | 2013 | Stefani Grosse Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 40 | Tengri Provider of noble yarns and fabrics sourced through regenerative practices | $1M | 72 mo ago | 1 | 2013 | Nancy Johnston Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 41 | Roarsome Provider of animal-themed kids wear | $1M | 35 mo ago | 3 | 2017 | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifySkolengo+34 | — | — |
| 42 | Peachaus Internet first brand offering multi-category casual wear apparel for women 29Growth top 35%Tech top 44%Funding bottom 41%Talent bottom 40% All 6 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Techtop 44% Fundingbottom 41% Talentbottom 40% Globalbottom 30% Marketbottom 28% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Tech: 31 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon S3, Amazon Web Services rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 29/100 | $937K | 7 mo ago | — | 2018 | Gillian Whittle Founder & CEO | ShopifyGlobal-eAmazon Web Services+28 | — | — |
| 43 | 3RD ROCK Clothing An internet-first activewear brand | $923K | 61 mo ago | 8 | 2010 | Jessica Mor Co-Founder & CEO & Co-Owner & Creative Director | Shogun Page BuilderCart FunctionalityShopify+35 | — | — |
| 44 | Silverback Gymwear Online retailer of mens and womens gym clothes | $821K | 27 mo ago | 7 | 2016 | Pete Tidmarsh Co-Founder | Cart FunctionalityShopifyGlopal+33 | — | — |
| 45 | Night Internet first brand offering sleep wear for women | $654K | 50 mo ago | 3 | 2019 | — | — | — | — |
| 46 | Apposta Internet first brand offering customizable shirts for men | $628K | 62 mo ago | 4 | 2016 | Gianmarco Taccaliti Co-Founder | Apple iCloud MailSite Search 360Java+31 | — | — |
| 47 | Vivida Lifestyle Internet first brand offering inner wear apparel for women and men | $605K | 30 mo ago | 15 | 2015 | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifyYouTube+45 | — | — |
| 48 | Wax London Internet first brand of casual wear for men | $575K | 40 mo ago | 13 | 2014 | — | Cart FunctionalityShopifyQuill+53 | — | 2 launchs · 2 expansions |
| 49 | Velobici Internet first brand offering sports wear for women and men | $553K | 57 mo ago | 7 | 2010 | — | SanitySwellNode.js+17 | — | — |
| 50 | CHE STUDIOS Internet first brand offering mens wear | $300K | 40 mo ago | 2 | 2019 | Toby Watkins Co-Founder & Managing Director | Cart FunctionalityShopifySentry+39 | — | — |
Top 12 Apparel Brands companies in United Kingdom
#1
Castore 🦄Series D · London, England · founded 2016 · 174 employees$197.5Mraised▾
Internet-first brand of sportswear for men and women. It provides users with a catalogue that includes jackets, tops, shirts, trousers, jackets, hoodies, and accessories. In addition, the company also offers sportswear for golf, tennis, and badminton.
- May 2026Conventional Debt$122M
- Nov 2023Series D$183.5M
- Jan 2023Conventional Debt$30.2M
- Sep 2022Conventional Debt$63M
#2
Public · London, England · founded 2002 · 18 employees$5.5Mraised▾
Internet-first brand offering winter sports wear for men and women. The product catalog includes tops, pants, leggings, shirts, sweatshirts, and other accessories. The company claims that the products are made of wool, and more.
- Mar 2026Post IPO$2M
- Aug 2025Post IPO$1.5M
- Apr 2025Post IPO$4.4M
- Nov 2022Series A$5.5M
#3
Seed · London, England · founded 2018$936.8Kraised▾
Internet first brand offering multi-category casual wear apparel for women
- Nov 2025Angel—
- May 2024Seed$936.8K
#4
Series C · London, England · founded 2019 · 77 employees$160Mraised▾
Internet first brand offering multi-category fashion apparel for women. The product catalog includes loungewear, tops, crop tops, jeans, and more. The application is available on iOS and Android platforms. Company clothing encompasses a wide range of styles, including chic tops suitable for casual, beachwear, and parties, as well as various types of dresses like A-line, shirt, wrap, bodycon, and sheath dresses.
- Nov 2023Series C$150M
- Mar 2020Series A$10M
- Series A—
#5
Series A · London, England · founded 2009 · 88 employees$81.6Mraised▾
Online retailer of women's designer fashion and luxury clothing. The company offers a variety of clothing, dresses, shoes, and accessories. It provides standard and express delivery options. The business also offers free returns and instant exchanges.
- Mar 2022Series A$72.4M
- Dec 2020Seed$668.6K
- Jun 2018Seed$1M
- May 2017Seed$1.8M
#6
Gymshark 🦄Series A · Solihull, England · founded 2012 · 728 employees$261.5Mraised▾
Performance-focused activewear brand creating functional, stylish gym and athleisure clothing. It is a sports and outdoor apparel brand for men & women. It offers base layers, bottoms, hoodies, jackets, shorts, swimwear, stringers, tanks, t-shirts, tops, underwear, socks and accessories.
- Aug 2020Series A$261.5M
#7
Acquired · London, England · founded 1988 · 1276 employees$131.8Mraised▾
Online retailer of designer clothing, accessories, bags, and shoes. The company offers a variety of apparel, including dresses, tops, shirts, suits, sweaters, pants, and jackets. It also provides accessories such as wallets, belts, hats, scarves, and jewelry. Bags available include tote bags, crossbody bags, and clutches. The company sells dress shoes, boots, loafers, and sneakers.
- Jun 2020Post IPO$131.8M
#8
Seed · London, England · founded 2011 · 42 employees$14.8Mraised▾
Online internet first brand for multi category fashion products. It designs, produces, and retails workwear clothes for women. All their clothes are designed in London and manufactured out in Europe. They also created an online and offline community called The Fold Woman which hosts regular networking events and profiles extraordinary women and their tips for success. The fold operates an omnichannel sales strategy covering the brands e-commerce website, catalogs, and a store located in London.
- Mar 2023Seed$2.1M
- Jun 2019Seed$5.7M
- Mar 2017Seed$1.2M
- Dec 2015Seed—
#9
Acquired · Market Harborough, England · founded 1989 · 1288 employees$35.2Mraised▾
Internet first brand of fashion apparel wear for men and women
#10
Acquired · London, England · founded 1973 · 172 employees$177.5Mraised▾
Pepe Jeans London, established in 1973, is a denim and casual wear jeans brand. The brand today has a presence in more than 80 countries around the world. It is currently the leading player in the jeans and casual wear segment, enjoying a market share of more than 25 percent. Pepe Jeans offers the Utilitarian collection which comprises of fashion apparel with military attire elements imbibed in it. Pepe Jeans contribute to both man and women’s wardrobe and provides T-shirts, shorts, pants, Jerseys and skirts. Pepe Jeans host art exhibitions in London where they exhibit the work of local artists as well as international ones.
#11
Acquired · London, England · founded 2005 · 184 employees$50Mraised▾
Ralph & Russo is a luxury fashion brand for women. The offering includes footwear, apparel, bags, sunglasses, scarves, and more.
- Jul 2019Series B$50M
#12
Series B · Newquay, England · founded 1973 · 74 employees$8.2Mraised▾
Internet first brand offering multi-category fashion products for men and women. The product catalog includes skirts, shirts, leggings, jeans, shorts, coats, jumpsuits, jackets, and much more. It also provides boots, slippers, socks, hats, gloves, bags, and other fashion accessories.
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Apparel Brands coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
Common questions
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.