It has been 25 years since Elin Alemdar founded the Swedish fashion brand Stylein. The journey began during her studies at a design school in New York in 2001, where she sewed the very first collection by hand. Today, the brand has established itself on the international fashion market and is now celebrating its quarter-century with one of its most ambitious expansion phases ever.
The latest milestone is an entry into the Australian market, where Stylein recently took a place at the department store chain David Jones, both in physical stores and online. The investment in Australia is part of a broader strategy for sales through foreign retailers, which has become the company's primary growth engine.
It is with humility that I dare say we have cemented our position as a brand. But success is about a good team," says Elin Alemdar, founder and head designer, in an interview with Habit.
International retailers drive growth
Over the past year, Stylein has rolled out its range to several international retailers. In the European market, the brand has taken a place in department stores such as Selfridges, Harrods and Liberty in London, and opened its own store area at Høyer Paleet in Oslo. The company has also launched clothing in Germany, Finland, Dubai and Japan.
The international demand is visible in the order books, which, according to the company, doubled for spring and summer. After a turnover of SEK 53.9 million during the financial year 2025, sales are expected to increase by almost 30 percent in 2026, with a target of around SEK 70 million. The long-term ambition is to reach SEK 100 million in turnover within three years, Elin Alemdar said earlier this year to Breakit.
Investment on home turf
The expansion abroad is happening in parallel with Stylein strengthening its presence in the Swedish market. In spring 2025 the company opened its first flagship store in Bibliotekstan on Mäster Samuelsgatan in Stockholm, which was described as the company's largest single store establishment since its inception.
The establishment was part of combining its own e-commerce with a physical meeting place in central Stockholm and strengthening the relationship with customers.
Investments dampen profit
The investments in stores, personnel and international retailers have also affected costs. According to the recently registered annual report for 2025, net sales increased from SEK 52.7 million to SEK 53.9 million, while operating profit fell from SEK 2.5 million to approximately SEK 700,000. The year's result landed on SEK 281,000, compared to SEK 2.1 million the previous year.
The change in results is largely explained by increased external costs for the establishments, as well as the workforce being expanded from 19 to 20 employees during the year.
Despite increased costs, Elin Alemdar has previously emphasized the importance of financial restraint. As Ehandel.se previously reported, the founder has emphasized that the company's strategy is based on growing in an orderly manner without taking unnecessary risks or losing control of the bottom line.