It is as simple as playing with cut-out dolls, clothes placed on cardboard silhouettes, yet there is a digital twist. Catalan Fabbric offers a path to fashion creation through 3D designs that can become real garments. It enables people to assemble clothing collections without any pattern-making or sewing knowledge. Right now it is reserved for popular social media creators, but it will open to the public by year end. The waiting list has already surpassed 4,000, attracting brands, entrepreneurs, and designers alike.
Dreams of Alba Rocafort and Hugo Cuesta Two, two 28-year-old friends who always wanted a clothing brand, began when they were ten and shared a fascination with fashion. The startup world pulled them elsewhere, with Rocafort venturing into investments and consultancy and Cuesta into marketing work, including roles at Glovo and L’Oréal. The Covid lockdown pushed them to switch paths and pursue an adventure in fashion.
The business pivot turned a modest 1,000 euros a month into 30,000 euros, and they expect to close the year at 360,000 euros.
Fabbric did not start in its current form. Initially the focus was on helping companies sell their shares, a model that brought in about 1,000 euros per month for the Barcelona team. They pivoted, creating a platform where anyone can design an outfit through predefined modules. Launched in May this year, the platform already generated 30,000 euros in its first month and now stands at 360,000 euros, with a plan to reach two million euros in 2024.
To build a garment, Fabbric users pick details such as the collar, length, sleeves, and cuffs, and then select the fabric, color, or print. They can add labels, buttons, or embroidery. The combinations are nearly endless and require no technical skills. The platform calculates production costs from the garment’s structure and material, while Fabbric takes a margin on each production. The founders say their goal is to digitize an industry that remains largely manual, moving from idea to store with digital speed.
Fabbric customers can launch their brands and bring designs to life using nine partners across Spain and Asia. The company stores materials in a Barcelona-based warehouse and plans to open a facility in Latin America. They are also expanding into online sales and using artificial intelligence to generate models and run virtual photo shoots. The founders emphasize that a fully digital approach makes sense for the entire pipeline.
“Democratize” Creation
The core message from these young founders is to democratize branding, opening opportunities that many people previously saw as out of reach. Their model supports a minimum production of 50 units, while the industry average runs around 2,000. An initial investment of about 100,000 euros used to be required to start a brand with traditional methods, but Fabbric offers a different entry point where payment aligns with production costs. The typical cost per collection averages around 10,000 euros.
Related news
The startup’s business model stands out because marketing expenditure is not a prerequisite at the outset. There is a market of around five million creators who want to avoid being financially bound to collaborations. Each creator can connect with followers in a tangible way through their own brand, and clothing carries a strong emotional factor. Many previous efforts in this space required a large technical team and substantial capital. Fabbric aims to reach that audience with services that enable launch of solid brands while leveraging influencers to grow with little upfront cost. Creators pay for production, and Fabbric benefits from the visibility of influencers to drive expansion.
The most notable collaboration this year was with the publishing agency Youplanet, featuring Auronplay among its best-known names with millions of subscribers on YouTube. Fabbric has also secured a two-million-euro financing round, a move they hope will fuel significant growth in 2024.