Gen Z creators are co-building fashion labels with their followers — brands are watching

In 2025, creators are launching apparel labels directly from rented flats, sourcing fabric from local markets, and letting their Instagram followers shape the final product.

Take Pehrin, for instance. The Gen Z-founded brand, run by Vidushi and Nehal, has clocked Rs 5 lakh in organic sales in just two months—all without paid marketing. Every part of their process is out in the open. They take followers along on fabric runs, production challenges, and design tweaks. Their audience doesn’t just like or comment—they co-create. If a sleeve looks too tight or a colour combo feels off, it gets called out in the comments. “We’re not designing for them,” Vidushi says, “we’re designing with them.”

This collaborative model is becoming the blueprint for Instagram-led apparel brands in India. Creators like Nishorama, Khawaish, Kajrakh and Gulnaari are building full-scale labels with zero agency support, instead using Canva, YouTube tutorials and even WhatsApp groups to build businesses in public view. They’re selling clothes, yes—but what’s really working is that they’re selling trust. And brands have taken note.

Creator Commerce Is Reshaping Brand Budgets

Mainstream brands have taken note and are reacting with budget shifts. Enamor and Libas now dedicate nearly 25–27% of their marketing spends to influencer campaigns. UNIQLO India, which doesn’t even sell on Amazon or Flipkart, invests 50–60% on its total digital media budget and within that, influencer marketing is a key lever. According to brand experts, these creators are no longer just amplifiers. They’re the starting point of product discovery and trust.

The Indian fashion industry is a rapidly growing sector, with a market value estimated at Rs 8.53 lakh crore in 2022 and projected to reach Rs 12.14 lakh crore by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 4%. This growth is fuelled by factors like a rising middle class, increased disposable income, and changing lifestyle preferences. The apparel market alone is expected to reach Rs 14.24 lakh crore by 2034, with a CAGR of 4% from 2025 to 2034.

Kusha Kapila’s UnderNeat is a textbook case of turning influence into enterprise. Her 100-day celebration post didn’t just mark a milestone—it doubled up as a product reveal. Wearing her own maxi dress with in-built shapewear and bra, Kusha turned a reel into both campaign and conversation. Her formula? Ask the audience what they want, and build backwards.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kusha Kapila (@kushakapila)

For a category as personal as lingerie, Sandra Daniels, CMO at Enamor said, trust is everything. “Whether it’s unboxing a bralette or sharing what a bra feels like after 10 hours, it’s the peer-led storytelling that gets through. In lingerie, the conversation is intimate, literally and emotionally. Influencers help us move away from polished perfection to imperfect, real beauty.”

Enamor doesn’t limit its influencer pool to just fashion names. From wellness voices to postpartum creators, their approach is multi-contextual. Lingerie is shown not as a product, but as a part of someone’s lived experience— whether that’s a wedding trousseau or a fitness journey. Their briefs are simple: don’t sell, show. Show how the product fits, supports, adapts.

Libas Goes From Scroll to Speed—With Zepto

Libas, meanwhile, is betting on speed. The brand recently tied up with Zepto to deliver fashion in 10 minutes. But the real shift is emotional. “Today’s consumer doesn’t just want convenience—they want honesty,” said Sidhant Keshwani, Founder & CEO of Libas. That honesty is being delivered by creators who show everything—from pricing and supply chains to sizing dilemmas. “We’re now investing 90% of our marketing budget into digital, with 27% going to creators,” he added.

Interestingly, Keshwani doesn’t view creator-led brands as competition. “They’ve built emotional equity. We bring structure. It’s not a race. It’s a realignment,” he said. Libas has also leaned into regional relevance and community content to deepen its brand relationship. From app navigation to collection previews, creators are increasingly driving product visibility and customer trust.

UNIQLO Full Funnel Strategy

Unlike most apparel brands, UNIQLO India does not sell on marketplaces like Amazon or Flipkart. The brand follows a direct-to-consumer model, driving all traffic to its own app, website, and physical stores. Influencers play a key role in this funnel. Nidhi Rastogi, Marketing Director at UNIQLO India, said, “Creators explain features like ‘click and collect’, create haul videos, and do styling tutorials. They guide the customer from discovery to conversion.”

Digital accounts for 50–60% of UNIQLO India’s total media spend, with influencer marketing being a “key lever” in that allocation. Rastogi said, “Influencer marketing isn’t a side tactic for us—it’s central to long-term brand building.”

The company works with creators beyond fashion. Rastogi said, “We collaborate with chefs, runners, entrepreneurs—people who reflect real India, not just fashion-forward influencers. Our Mumbai LifeWear campaign and AIRism tutorials were led by such voices. This is no longer about top-down advertising. It’s peer-led discovery, built on relevance and real-time engagement.”

For national campaigns, UNIQLO continues to work with celebrities like Kareena Kapoor Khan and Sidharth Malhotra. But regional campaigns are activated through local creators. Rastogi said, “In Mumbai, we worked with Rohan Joshi, Lillete Dubey, and Ayush Ailawadi to tap into subcultures. In Delhi and Gurugram, we focus on city specific voices who reflect everyday style.”

Micro and mid-tier creators are especially critical in non-metro markets. Rastogi said, “These creators understand their followers closely. They explain product use, comfort, and styling without sounding like a brand. That kind of relatability is difficult to replicate in traditional ads.”