Something Navy
Something Navy was a direct-to-consumer fashion brand founded by influencer Arielle Charnas in 2009, selling women's and children's apparel through e-commerce, five physical stores, and retail partnerships, with all revenue dependent on Charnas' social media following; the brand is now operationally closed following a 2023 distress sale.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Something Navy does
Something Navy was an influencer-founded direct-to-consumer fashion brand launched by Arielle Charnas in 2009 as a personal style blog and evolved into a standalone apparel company by 2020. The brand sold women's and children's clothing, loungewear, shoes, sleepwear, and home goods through its own e-commerce site, a Nordstrom retail partnership, five owned brick-and-mortar stores in New York, Los Angeles, and Newport Beach, and third-party marketplaces (Amazon, Shopbop). Revenue was generated through one-time product purchases, with demand driven almost entirely by Charnas' 1.3 million Instagram followers and community engagement tactics such as polls, direct messages, and affiliate click-throughs used to inform design and pricing decisions.
The brand achieved rapid early traction — $1 million in online sales within 30 minutes of its e-commerce launch, over 80,000 visitors in the same window, $4 million on the Nordstrom launch day in September 2018, and $32 million in revenue in its first full year of standalone operations (2020). It raised $17.5 million in 2020 at a $45 million post-money valuation and expanded to five physical stores by 2022. However, the business was structurally dependent on a single individual's social media presence and lacked proprietary technology, deep product IP, or switching costs. A COVID-19 controversy involving the founder (2020), a $364,000 unpaid-supplier scandal (2022), an employee exodus, and the CEO's departure in June 2023 culminated in the brand being sold for $1 to IHL Group and Amirian Group in 2023, who assumed $7.5 million in debt. All retail stores closed, production halted, and the brand's website became inactive.
As of the latest data, Something Navy is operationally closed with 1-10 remaining employees, dormant social channels, no active retail, and the website under refresh. The new owners have signaled an intent to pivot toward beauty products, activewear, and ready-to-wear, but no active revenue operations have been confirmed.
Something Navy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Something Navy
- Legal name
- Something Navy
- Website
- https://somethingnavy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Something Navy was a direct-to-consumer fashion brand founded by influencer Arielle Charnas in 2009, selling women's and children's apparel through e-commerce, five physical stores, and retail partnerships, with all revenue dependent on Charnas' social media following; the brand is now operationally closed following a 2023 distress sale.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Something Navy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Women's Fashion Apparel
- NAICS
- Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811)
- SIC
- Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Women's, Misses', And Juniors Outerwear (2330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Intimates, Lingerie, Swimwear & Sleepwear Brands (CRAAAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers (CRAAAAAI), Sleepwear & Nightwear (Pajamas, Nightgowns) (CRAAAIAE)
Keywords
Where Something Navy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Something Navy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Sales: Something Navy sold women's clothing, sleepwear, children's apparel, and home goods through its e-commerce website and physical retail stores. Revenue was generated through one-time product purchases at various price points.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Something Navy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Something Navy was an influencer-founded fashion brand that sold women's clothing, children's apparel, loungewear, sleepwear, shoes, and home goods through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce website, owned brick-and-mortar retail stores, and wholesale partnerships (notably Nordstrom). The brand began as a personal style blog launched by Arielle Charnas in 2009 and evolved into a standalone clothing line in 2020, leveraging Charnas' social media following to drive demand. Operations were largely wound down by 2023 following financial distress and an acquisition for $1.
Product overview
Something Navy was an influencer-founded fashion brand that began as a personal style blog in 2009 by Arielle Charnas. The brand transitioned through several phases: starting as a blog with Nordstrom capsule collaborations (Something Navy X Treasure & Bond in 2017, generating $1M in first week; Something Navy X Nordstrom in 2018, generating $4M on launch day), then launching as a standalone fashion brand in 2020 offering women's and children's clothing including dresses, blouses, shoes, loungewear, jackets, and sleepwear. The brand expanded to five physical retail locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Newport Beach. Following financial difficulties and a 2023 acquisition by IHL Group and Amirian Group (who purchased the brand for $1 while assuming $7.5M in debt), the new owners pivoted the brand toward beauty products, activewear, and ready-to-wear. An American Girl doll collaboration was announced in 2021.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Something Navy Women's Apparel Collection Core women's clothing line offering elevated basics, dresses, blouses, shoes, loungewear, jackets, and sleepwear for style-conscious women aged 25-45 in the U.S. who followed founder Arielle Charnas.
- Something Navy Children's Apparel Children's clothing line including Mommy & Me matching outfits designed for mothers in the Something Navy audience who wanted coordinated family looks.
- Something Navy X Treasure & Bond Collection Initial capsule collection collaboration with Nordstrom's in-house Treasure & Bond label, marking the brand's first retail partnership and signaling the move from blog content to branded merchandise.
- Something Navy X Nordstrom Collection
Quantifiable outcome
- Sold $1 million in merchandise within 30 minutes of launch with over 80,000 website visitors in the same period
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Something Navy
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Something Navy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Something Navy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Amazon and ShopbopminorAmazon and Shopbop previously sold Something Navy products but exited their partnerships in 2023 following the brand's scandals, including unpaid supplier payments and customer dissatisfaction.
- American GirlminorSomething Navy collaborated with American Girl to create a doll line featuring accessories, frilly skirts, and minidresses, expanding the brand into children's lifestyle products.
- NordstromcoreNordstrom was Something Navy's first major retail partner, carrying capsule collections starting in 2017 with the Something Navy X Treasure & Bond line. The partnership generated $1 million in its first week and $4 million on the launch day of the full collection in September 2018. Nordstrom eventually distanced itself from the brand in 2020 following Charnas' COVID-19 controversy.
- SupergaminorSomething Navy partnered with Italian shoe brand Superga for a capsule collection of sneakers, representing one of the brand's notable fashion collaborations.
- NaadamminorMatt Scanlan was co-founder and CEO of cashmere brand Naadam. While not a formal partnership, Scanlan's dual role linked the two brands through shared leadership.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Something Navy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SKIMS: Kim Kardashian's apparel and shapewear brand, founded and scaled via her personal social media following using a direct-to-consumer model — directly comparable to Something Navy's influencer-to-brand playbook.
- Good American: Khloé Kardashian's inclusive denim and apparel brand, founded on a celebrity/influencer-led DTC model with size-inclusive positioning similar to Something Navy's body-positive community ethos.
- Outdoor Voices: Founder-influencer-built athletic apparel brand targeting women through community-led marketing and elevated basics — directly comparable model to Something Navy's elevated, community-driven women's apparel approach.
- Djerf Avenue: Matilda Djerf's influencer-founded women's fashion and lifestyle brand built around a personal aesthetic — mirrors Something Navy's reliance on a single founder's style identity as the core product driver.
- Glossier: Emily Weiss's community-led beauty brand built from a beauty blog — analogous 'blog-to-brand' origin and community-led growth model, with the new ownership's beauty pivot explicitly targeting this comparable category.
- Anine Bing: Influencer-turned-designer brand offering elevated everyday women's apparel with a premium DTC-plus-flagship retail model — comparable channel mix and target customer to Something Navy.
- Parade: Gen-Z-focused, social-media-driven intimates and apparel brand with a community-led GTM and emphasis on inclusivity — closely comparable to Something Navy's digitally native, community-shaped women's apparel positioning.
- Fabletics: Co-founded by Kate Hudson, Fabletics is an influencer-led DTC activewear and women's apparel brand with a subscription/loyalty model — comparable in founder-driven community-led growth and category adjacency.
Broad incumbents
- Aritzia: Established Canadian specialty retailer offering elevated women's fashion across its own labels and physical stores — overlapping with Something Navy's premium everyday women's apparel and physical-retail channel mix.
- Steve Madden: Large, established footwear and apparel house with a multi-brand wholesale and DTC model — comparable in women's fashion and footwear categories (Something Navy included shoes in its assortment).
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Something Navy social profiles
Digital presenceSomething Navy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Something Navy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Something Navy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Something Navy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Something Navy
What does Something Navy do?
Something Navy was an influencer-founded fashion brand that sold women's clothing, children's apparel, loungewear, sleepwear, shoes, and home goods through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce website, owned brick-and-mortar retail stores, and wholesale partnerships (notably Nordstrom). The brand began as a personal style blog launched by Arielle Charnas in 2009 and evolved into a standalone clothing line in 2020, leveraging Charnas' social media following to drive demand. Operations were largely wound down by 2023 following financial distress and an acquisition for $1.
Is Something Navy a public or private company?
Something Navy is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently closed.
When was Something Navy founded?
Something Navy was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Something Navy based?
Something Navy is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Something Navy make money?
One revenue line is on record: direct-to-Consumer Fashion Sales.
Who are Something Navy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SKIMS, Good American, Outdoor Voices, Djerf Avenue, Glossier, Anine Bing, Parade and Fabletics. Broad incumbents are Aritzia and Steve Madden.
Does Something Navy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Something Navy.
What industry is Something Navy in?
Something Navy's product category is Women's Fashion Apparel. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAAAF, Intimates, Lingerie, Swimwear & Sleepwear Brands, with a secondary code of CRAAAAAI, Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers. Its NAICS code is 458110 and its SIC code is 5621.