How to Grow a Fashion Brand Fast Without Losing Control

An Interview with UNFEIGNED

Most brands start with an idea. Some start with marketing. Very few start with product obsession.

When I sat down with Maria and Rafa, founders of UNFEIGNED, what became clear very quickly is that their growth wasn’t accidental, even if it looked aggressive from the outside.

Launched in March 2020, in the middle of COVID, UNFEIGNED grew through technical precision, disciplined pricing decisions, and a long-term mindset.

This is our conversation.

Esteban: For someone discovering UNFEIGNED for the first time, what is the brand about'

Rafa: We are siblings. Maria and I founded the brand in 2019. Today there are five siblings involved in the company, but we launched it together. We officially entered the market in March 2020. From the beginning, we focused on quality, clean lines, and sustainability. Everything started with a white T-shirt. I couldn’t find the perfect one in the market, so we decided to build it ourselves. From that T-shirt, we built the entire collection.

Esteban: You launched in the middle of COVID. Most brands were struggling. How did you manage to grow?

Maria: The product. From the beginning, there was an obsession with quality and refinement. We wanted pieces that felt essential, garments you can wear over and over without getting tired of them. But what really differentiated us was the technical side. We introduced performance fabrics, nylon, thermo-sealed seams, water-repellent materials, into classic silhouettes. At that time, very few brands were doing that.

Esteban: So it wasn’t about reinventing fashion, it was about improving the fundamentals.

Maria: Exactly. Classic garments, engineered for real life.

Esteban: During COVID, comfort became everything. Did you pivot?

Maria: We adapted, but we didn’t change who we were. At the beginning, customers wanted smart working pieces, jersey, lounge pants, comfort. But our technical identity was always there. As the world reopened, we refined the cuts and elevated the designs. We evolved with the customer, without abandoning our DNA.

Esteban: So the brand didn’t reset. It adjusted.

Maria: Yes. And that consistency helped us.

Esteban: What was the hardest obstacle at the beginning?

Rafa: Factories. Technical garments require technical factories. Thermo-sealing, nylon, waterproof construction, not every factory can do that. And those factories are less flexible. Higher minimums. Higher costs. For a new brand, that’s a big barrier.

Esteban: Did you ever consider simplifying the product to make production easier?

Rafa: No. The product was the identity. We knew if we compromised there, we would lose what made us different.

Today, outerwear, which was once our weakest category, is one of our strongest. Esteban: Was there a turning point in the business?

Rafa: Yes. Pricing. The product was well received, but sell-through wasn’t strong. We realized we were positioned between segments, premium, but priced in a confusing way. Two years ago, we made a difficult decision: we reduced prices significantly. In some cases, around 30%. Esteban: That must have felt risky. Rafa: Very. We were afraid customers would question the quality. But the opposite happened. Sales doubled. Wholesale expanded. Performance improved. Esteban: So the issue wasn’t the product, it was alignment. Rafa: Exactly. Pricing is strategy. Not ego.

Esteban: Many brands today start direct-to-consumer. You started with wholesale. Why?

Maria: From the beginning, we wanted international presence. But if you don’t build your pricing structure correctly for wholesale, you can’t enter it later. 

Today we are in around 70 multibrand stores across Japan, Korea, Germany, France, UK, Netherlands, Australia, US, Canada, and Spain.

Wholesale built awareness. Retail partners gave credibility. Now DTC is growing on top of that foundation.

Esteban: So the order mattered.

Maria: A lot.

Esteban: You also opened your own stores. That’s a big move.

Rafa: Yes. Madrid three years ago. Paris this year. We funded it with family capital and reinvested profits.

Today, our own stores are our strongest sales channel.

But we move carefully. Every expansion has to make sense financially.

Esteban: You once said growth is like chess.

Rafa: Exactly. Every move affects the next one.

Esteban: What do you think many young brands misunderstand?

Rafa: They focus too much on the idea, and not enough on the structure behind it. If you don’t build systems early, growth becomes chaos. We invested early in product development, pricing discipline, wholesale relationships, and defining clear roles inside the team. That allowed us to grow without losing control.

Esteban: What’s next?

Maria: Womenswear. Interestingly, in our Paris store, around 70% of customers are already women buying menswear. The opportunity is there. The challenge is translating our DNA into a new category without losing clarity. Growth has to feel natural.

Esteban: If you could give one piece of advice to someone launching a brand today, what would it be?

Rafa: Stick to your product idea. Fashion is crowded. Trends are loud. Doubt is constant. If you change direction every season, you never build something solid.

Maria: And understand your customer deeply. Communication becomes clearer when you know exactly who you’re speaking to.

Final Reflection

From the outside, UNFEIGNED looks like fast growth.

From the inside, it was disciplined growth.

They didn’t chase trends. They didn’t rely on hype. They didn’t expand before they were ready.

They focused on the product. They corrected their pricing. They chose the right partners. They built slowly, and then scaled.

If you’re building a fashion brand, this is the real lesson:

Grow, but understand your numbers. Design, but learn the business. Move fast, but build structure first. Growing quickly is possible, but only if you are disciplined.