This is the latest installment of the Brands Briefing, a weekly Modern Retail+ column about the growth strategies of modern brands. More from the series →Fashion companies are slowly shrugging off the IPO slump that has plagued the consumer-goods industry over the last several years. Women’s wear brand Reformation went public on the New York Stock Exchange on July 30, raising $210.9 million at a valuation of $886.1 million. Tailored Brands, which owns Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank, filed a registration statement to go public on July 13. And e-commerce juggernaut Shein, which has explored going public in multiple markets, is now targeting an IPO in Hong Kong as early as late August.
It’s a welcome change for fashion, a highly discretionary industry that spent 2025 dealing with tariffs whiplash and strained consumer confidence. The dust has settled somewhat since then; apparel brands are seeing some tariff refunds, their consumers are still spending, and they’re becoming more efficient with AI. At the same time, fashion players are still feeling the effects of geopolitical tensions and an unstable oil supply. That means that — while some companies have managed to make their public-market debuts — the outlook for IPOs is still a bit uncertain depending on how market conditions and other macroeconomic factors continue to shake out, sources say.
