The influencer-to-founder pipeline is experiencing a resurgence as creator-founded fashion and beauty brands introduce modified business models that prioritize sustainability over quick growth.

As the Business of Fashion (BOF) reports, the latest wave of creator-founded fashion and beauty brands taking off—including TikToker Morgan Stewart’s basics line Renggli, Aimee Song’s Amiya, Cass DiMicco’s Aureum Collective, Mary Orton’s Chord, and Lindsay Silberman’s Hotel Lobby Candle—largely avoids big-name investors and retail partnerships in favor of self-funding. 

Unlike earlier influencer brands such as Arielle Charnas’s Something Navy and Julia Berolzheimer’s Gal Meets Glam, which secured nationwide distribution deals across the U.S. before quickly fading, these brands opt for less splashy launches and slower, more deliberate growth strategies.

“We don’t want to be an influencer brand that only peaks because there’s this massive hype in the beginning,” Cecilie Moosgaard, who co-founded jewelry brand Lié Studio with her twin sister Amalie, said in a statement. “It’s difficult to maintain momentum in the long run.”

DiMicco noted that maintaining independence provides authenticity advantages: “It’s so much more powerful to have a human connection [to a brand], and you’re much more likely to support something when you know someone’s intentions and who they are.”

Market Recognition Drives Investment Return

The success of this new approach reignites investor attention. In February, Slow Ventures announced a $60 million fund specifically focused on creator-led brands, while beauty TikTok Mikayla Nogueira’s Point of View skin prep label received pre-launch investment from Imaginary Ventures.

Industry research confirms the marketing potential of creator partnerships. According to WeArisma’s latest report, creator content generates up to 19 times higher Earned Media Value than brand-owned accounts and reaches up to 26 times more consumers through impressions.

Brand Identity Beyond Personal Platforms

According to BOF, most new creator brands avoid using the founder’s name, aiming to appeal beyond their existing follower base.

“No one wants a founder to be constantly selling to them all day,” stated Silberman, who incorporates her brand organically into content.

Madison Orlando, founder and CEO of fashion brand Artless Forever, added: “There’s a balance there because people do love to see you, but you can also fall into the trap of the brand being attached to you. You don’t ever want to be limited to just you. You want it to exist outside of you.”

This measured approach aligns with changing market dynamics, as WeArisma notes successful brands now focus on building authentic connections rather than splashy, high-cost partnerships that risk diluting brand identity.