How to Start a Clothing Brand in 2025 (Full guide) | Sikandar Ali | SS005

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In this episode, we sit down with Sikandar Ali, the founder of Wear Duds, a homegrown streetwear brand that has carved its space in India’s fashion scene. From starting with white-labelled products to building a culturally rooted label worn by creators and celebrities, Sikandar shares the gritty, real journey of building a fashion business in India without owning a factory.

Before Wear Duds became a known name, Sikandar faced multiple failures, deadstock issues, team struggles, and the tough decision of going offline to online. He breaks down how he found product-market fit, grew a high-ROAS D2C brand, cracked marketplaces like Myntra, and why OTP verification and a video content system changed their game.

We also talk about the behind-the-scenes hustle of the Namas’cray festival, government schemes for funding, avoiding common fashion startup mistakes, and the true size and potential of India’s streetwear market. Whether you're a fashion enthusiast, D2C founder, or just exploring business ideas — this episode is full of practical insights, relatable stories, and startup gold.

Tune in to learn how Sikandar built a lean, creative team (with his brothers!), got celebrities to wear his brand, and managed to scale without burning out. If you’re thinking of launching a product brand in 2025 — this one’s a must-watch.

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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
1:40 – The reality of white labelling no one tells you
6:35 – How he found the product-market fit for Wear Duds
11:30 – Why is the brand called Wear Duds?
13:50 – How they proved the idea actually works (proof of concept)
17:32 – How they finally got online after so many struggles
23:20 – 1-day roadmap to start learning digital marketing
29:20 – Why Wear Duds gets such high returns on ad spend (ROAS)
31:11 – Crazy story behind the Namas’cray streetwear festival
34:50 – When should you launch on Amazon, Myntra, etc.?
39:35 – Don't make this mistake with your video content
45:22 – Why OTP verification is super important for your store
48:45 – How Wear Duds grew on online marketplaces step by step
49:38 – How big is the streetwear industry & how much can you earn?
53:28 – Government schemes that can help fund your business
54:35 – Smart trick they use to prevent deadstock losses
57:27 – The biggest mistake new fashion brands make
58:53 – Can you start a fashion business without owning a factory?
1:00:38 – New business ideas in the streetwear industry
1:04:20 – Real sacrifices and problems he faced building the brand
1:06:49 – How he built a strong team with his own brothers
1:11:18 – Celebs and influencers who wore Wear Duds
1:16:09 – Does luck matter in business success?
1:17:47 – The best advice he’s ever received (and what he’d tell his younger self)
1:20:44 – Final message to anyone building something big

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