Shein Xcelerator is the latest evolution of the highly successful Shein X programme. Shein X began in 2021 as a designer incubator programme for up-and-coming artists and designers looking to launch their first few collections and make a name for themselves on the global stage.
The programme will offer mentorship and services to support fashion brands and founders to overcome critical industry challenges and enable global scalability
Shein Xcelerator is able to provide a suite of direct-to-consumer (DTC) services, including product fulfilment, on-demand production services, and Shein's established global sales platform, thereby supporting each brand’s efforts to elevate business strategy and unlock market access, so they can focus on making their creativity available to the world.
Shein executive chairman Donald Tang said: “With Shein Xcelerator, we aim to empower brands of every size to achieve their global ambitions. This is a win–win, with systemic impact delivered across the industry: supporting creativity, strengthening ecosystems, and enabling more brands to thrive worldwide.”
The pilot phase of Shein Xcelerator kicked off in August 2023, and since then, nearly 20 brands from around the world have onboarded to the programme, achieving close to £300m ($409.25m) in combined revenue. Many experienced exponential growth in their first year, with brands on average experiencing 190% sales growth in the first year.
Shein says the standout success of the first Shein Xcelerator cohort has been the relaunch of the Missguided brand. Under the programme, the brand is on track to generate £200m in revenue within just two years.
In 2023, Missguided's founder Nitin Passi partnered with Shein to launch Sumwon Studios, a next-generation fashion group. The partnership combines Sumwon Studios’ creativity, brand-building expertise, and executional strength with a tailored suite of direct-to-consumer (DTC) services from Shein, including product fulfilment, on-demand production services, and Shein’s established global sales platform, to support its efforts to scale with speed and efficiency.
Today, Sumwon Studios oversees a growing portfolio of brands with Missguided and its flagship label Sumwon as its most mature and scaled brands. Sumwon alone is set to generate more than £100m in revenue in 2025, helping drive the group towards a projected £750m in revenue in its third year.
Passi said: “With Sumwon Studios, we’ve built a digital-first group, with an insights-driven approach to better meet customer demand. The partnership with Shein, particularly its global reach and on-demand production service, has given us the platform to scale quickly and efficiently. The success of the relaunch of Missguided showcases what is possible when a strong brand identity meets Shein’s scale and operational excellence.”
