By Far built a buzzy bag brand. Can it do the same with clothes?

To receive the Vogue Business newsletter, sign up here. By Far has spent the last seven years building a cult following among celebrities and industry insiders for its covetable shoes and bags. Soon, it will aim to translate that success into ready-to-wear. Will it work? The Bulgarian brand found swift global success with its prominent 1990s aesthetic, inspired by the style of Rachel Green’s character from the popular TV show Friends. Since it was launched by sisters Valentina Ignatova and Sabina Gyosheva and their sister-in-law Denitsa Bumbarova in 2016, it has steadily amassed a celebrity following that includes the likes of models Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Bella and Gigi Hadid, Kaia Gerber and Hailey Bieber. Ready-to-wear will be sold at By Far’s flagship store in Los Angeles and e-commerce site, as well as at retailers including Le Bon Marché, Wow Concept, Ssense and Revolve, with cruise arriving at retail in December and Spring/Summer 2024 from April. The collections will be seasonal, with multiple drops taking place within each season. From today, consumers can subscribe for updates. As By Far extends into apparel, it appears to be keeping the irresistible cool-girl persona of its current customers in mind. The debut collection features a mix of styles, including rugby tops, zip neck hoodies and satin shirts that can be paired with low slung denim, hotpants or viscose shorts. There are lace tops and bralettes, matching boucle and knit sets, and some flirty dresses. The clothing doesn’t represent one particular vision, but rather embodies a range of personalities and moods that the modern-day It-girl might have: chic, unpretentious, mischievous. The plan is to market to a high-fashion audience while keeping prices accessible, says Gyosheva, who is also CEO. The collection will range from €90-€230 for swimwear, €95-€230 for T-shirts, €190-€630 for dresses and €290-€930 for outerwear — on par with the prices of some of its most popular accessories, such as the semi-patent leather Miranda bag (€590) or the low-heeled leather Este boots (€465). “It’s still very designer because of the attention to details and feels luxurious, but it’s affordable,” Gyosheva explains. By Far is among a handful of contemporary brands that found fame on Instagram as the platform evolved to embrace online shopping. Accessories labels such as Wandler, Miista and Staud, which gained traction online because of their fresh designs and relative affordability, have also recently expanded into ready-to-wear, but have had to navigate getting production and fit right. Getting to the final product hasn’t been easy, admits By Far’s Gyosheva. The development of ready-to-wear has taken two years, as it required building out a team with specific skills under Bumbarova, who leads the brand’s creative direction. (Ten out of its 60 employees work on the ready-to-wear.) There was also the challenge of finding factories that could manufacture high-quality clothing. The founders eventually settled on factories in Bulgaria — the same country where its shoes are made, which “now has really good production in clothing as well”, says brand director Tanya Ilieva — and Portugal. As of 2022, By Far’s accessories brought in over €30 million in annual sales, and the brand’s expansion into fragrance last year was expected to add another €10 million. By Far is aiming for ready-to-wear to contribute 12 per cent of sales within the first year of launch, and increase to 20 per cent within the next three years. However, at a time when luxury shoppers are gravitating towards investment pieces, By Far will need to convince consumers that its clothing is worth its salt. Taking a more elevated approach sets By Far apart from its peers, Gyosheva believes. For its lookbooks, it has teamed up with casting director Julia Lange, who has worked with Phoebe Philo (for her A1 lookbook), Stella McCartney and Mugler, among others, and Jane How, fashion director of Self Service magazine and a stylist for brands including Victoria Beckham and Isabel Marant. By Far is also focused on fostering relationships with other industry professionals who can use their influence, both online and offline, to help raise awareness through word of mouth. “We will keep connecting with people that inspire us,” says Ilieva. Still, convincing buyers was a hurdle. Despite the credibility and recognition By Far has built thanks to the success of its accessories, retailers weren’t necessarily quick to commit to its ready-to-wear. “This is like a completely new venture,” says Gyosheva. “We needed to work double-time and even harder to prove that our vision makes sense in this category; that it’s new and innovative. Something [that buyers] like to see from the first collection is a straightforward and clear vision.” However, some of its existing stockists were keen to see if the brand’s ready-to-wear would have the same strong sell-through as its accessories. “We couldn’t miss out on this opportunity,” says a spokesperson for Wow Concept, which has carried By Far accessories since its opening in March 2022, and has now picked up ready-to-wear. “The collection is very innovative and uses beautiful materials, especially the denim and knitwear.” Gyosheva wants to take things slow. It’s why the brand isn’t launching ready-to-wear with a runway show at one of the main fashion weeks. “The plan is to reveal our story, and once we feel there is enough content out there and people are interpreting our vision in the way we want, it might be time for that kind of celebration,” she reflects. “If we had done a runway now, it might feel a little bit forced.” For now, the focus is on the product. “We want to be as true to our vision as possible and not be scared about the consequences.” By Far is determined to make a name for itself in ready-to-wear without “leaning on the past too much”, adds Ilieva. “We use the past as inspiration, but we don’t get stuck in it because it worked.” She continues: “I dream that By Far can be a brand that is going to last many, many years, and that requires building our image and relationships slowly and meaningfully.” Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com. 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