How Missguided’s Nitin Passi is building ‘the most innovative fashion group of this generation’

Nitin Passi

The founder of fast fashion womenswear sensation Missguided, Nitin Passi, is back doing what he does best: creating products and building brands that Gen Z love to shop. His new brand house, Sumwon Studios, has partnered with Shein’s Xcelerator programme, and is projected to reach £750m of revenue in its third year.

Passi launched Missguided in 2009 with a small family loan. It went on to help set the template of trend-led, celebrity-driven, influencer-promoted fast fashion brands that shifted the industry and dominated a generation’s shopping habits for more than a decade.

Revenue peaked at £287m by 2021 but the bubble burst in 2022. Supply chain setbacks and Covid-19 lockdowns sent the business into administration. It was bought by Frasers Group that year, and acquired by online giant Shein in 2023. Passi, now based in Dubai, teamed up with Shein to create brand house Sumwon Studios in 2023 as a joint venture under its Xcelerator programme.

Plugging into Shein’s suite of direct-to-consumer (DTC) services, this gives brands access to its product fulfilment systems, on-demand production services and established global sales platform, aiming to remove operational roadblocks and drive global growth.

The Shein Xcelerator programme launched in the UK in September and is open to applications from new brands and existing businesses.

Passi now sells men’s, women’s and children’s wear collections under the Sumwon label, as well as creating brands Kizn and Aiirz and relaunching Missguided. Sumwon Studios recently acquired Dutch brand Balr and will relaunch it through the Xcelerator programme.

The Sumwon brand alone is set to generate more than £100m in revenue in 2025, helping drive the Sumwon Studios group towards a projected £750m of revenue in its third year.

Sumwon

Drapers meets Passi to find out how he is leveraging Shein’s infrastructure to power his success, why he thinks an on-demand approach to production is the future and why sport is having the biggest impact on fashion today.

Tell us about Sumwon Studios.

Sumwon Studios creates, acquires and scales brands designed for the digital age – brands that are culturally relevant, insights-driven and supply-chain agile. Our ambition is to be the largest DTC fashion group in the world, and our Shein Xcelerator partnership gives us the unique ability to scale globally and more efficiently than others.

Missguided is on track to hit £200m in revenue within 24 months. Why has the Shein Xcelerator programme been so effective?

Relaunching Missguided on the Shein Xcelerator programme has shown how powerful the model can be. We can test fast, scale what works instantly and connect supply with actual demand in real time. That’s why Missguided has been able to rebuild so quickly and with such scale.

And it is not just for new brands. You recently acquired Balr and are relaunching it through the programme. Why?

Balr taps into one of the biggest cultural shifts we’re seeing: footballers are the new influencers. The “tunnel fits” (when they arrive at stadiums showing off outfits), the lifestyle, the crossover with music and culture – it’s become a global fashion moment.

Balr already has that credibility, and with the Xcelerator programme we can bring it back with speed and scale.

Importantly, it also shows that the Shein Xcelerator model gives brands real flexibility. We can work across a range of price points, product categories and materials, all while moving with the same speed and responsiveness.

Aiirz

What do you see as the toughest challenges facing brands looking for growth today?

The biggest challenge is that supply is disconnected from demand. Traditional models are too slow and too rigid. By the time product hits the shop floor or website, the customer has often moved on, and it is increasingly difficult for brands to forecast with precision.

Brands are left with markdowns and wasted inventory, while consumers are looking for constant newness.

Bridging that gap is the single biggest roadblock and the biggest opportunity.

Which of the DTC services that Shein offers has the biggest impact on a brand’s success today?

The on-demand production service is the game-changer. Being able to test in small volumes, react in real time and scale instantly when something hits is where I see the most value.

It connects supply directly with demand, reduces risk and creates a much more profitable, responsive model.

The on-demand approach represents a shift I think the whole industry should make. Rather than overproducing and heavily discounting, the idea is to test small, listen to real demand and only scale what works. It’s faster, more efficient and less wasteful and I believe the fashion industry should move in this direction if it wants to stay relevant and commercially viable.

What advice do you have for brands considering partnering with the Shein Xcelerator programme?

Go in with an open mind. Selling on the platform is different: you have to think about global demand, different customer behaviours and how to stand out in that ecosystem. The basics of online retail are still as important as ever: product, presentation and value to customers.

Insights are fundamental, but it’s about using the right insights at the right time. Too much information can be overwhelming and stop you seeing the bigger picture.

Sumwon

You have to be creative, tell stories and build a brand people connect with. Our model is creativity first, validated by insights. That allows us to move fast, take risks and keep our brands culturally relevant.

There is a lot of industry talk about Gen Z shoppers. What do they want from fashion brands today?

Gen Z want relevance, authenticity and speed. They are socially driven, shop through influencers and value inclusivity and creativity. They expect brands to reflect their identity and deliver newness faster than ever.

What trends are having the biggest impact on fashion today?

Sport is having a huge influence right now. Athletes are becoming style leaders in the same way musicians and actors have been. The crossover between sport, fashion and culture is only going to grow.

What is next for Sumwon Studios?

The next chapter is all about expansion. We have new licensing partnerships launching over the coming months, two new brands arriving early next year and continued investment into our DTC channels. We’re also strengthening our teams globally to support this next phase of growth. Our ambition is clear: to build the most innovative fashion group of this generation.