The Fold

What The Fold does

The Fold (legally Welcome to the Fold LTD) is a London-based direct-to-consumer luxury womenswear brand founded in 2012 by CEO Polly McMaster, targeting ambitious professional women seeking modern workwear and occasionwear. The company sells through its own e-commerce platform (thefoldlondon.com) and two London retail locations in Chelsea and Royal Exchange, with global shipping to 212 countries and free worldwide returns.

The Fold's product strategy centres on proprietary fabric innovation, particularly its Clever Crepe technology (a machine-washable, crease-resistant Japanese satin back crepe) and Sculpt Knit (structured stretch knit), which combine luxury drape with practical care requirements that differentiate the offering from dry-clean-only traditional tailoring. The assortment spans tailored jackets, trousers, dresses, tops, knitwear, denim, leather pieces, shoes, and accessories at mid-luxury price points (approximately £165-£949), with core suiting, occasionwear, and workwear foundations forming the editorial backbone. Products are designed in the London atelier with patterns cut by specialist pattern cutters and fitted on real women. The brand complements its product line with high-touch services: in-store and virtual personal styling, alterations (from £5), and Try Before You Buy (Harper Concierge).

The business model is direct-to-consumer only, with no wholesale channel disclosed. Revenue is generated through one-time unit-priced apparel and accessory sales, supplemented by styling and alterations services. Promotional mechanics include seasonal sales (up to 60-70% off), Black Friday markdowns, and a Mix & Match Offer (up to 20% off capsule building). Marketing relies on Instagram, content (lookbooks, blog, Fold Woman Awards), email, and in-store events. To date, the company has raised £1.7 million via a March 2023 equity crowdfund led by Active Partners, and maintains charitable partnerships with Smart Works and the Malaika Foundation, plus a co-branded collaboration with Manchester City Women FC and a curated jewellery edit with Georg Jensen.

Name

The Fold

Legal name

Welcome to the Fold LTD

Website

https://thefoldlondon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Fold is a London-based direct-to-consumer luxury womenswear brand founded in 2012, selling machine-washable, modern tailoring and occasionwear through its e-commerce platform and two London stores to professional women globally across 212 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Women's Workwear

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)

SIC

Women's, Misses', And Juniors Outerwear (2330), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sleepwear & Loungewear Cut & Sew (IMAOAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Outerwear & Leather Alterations (Coats, Jackets, Leather) (HSAJAFAL)

Keywords

• Luxury womenswear
• Women's workwear
• Tailored clothing
• Occasion dresses
• Personal styling

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Retail Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through owned e-commerce platform and two London retail stores. Products include luxury workwear, occasionwear, suiting, dresses, tops, knitwear, jackets, coats, trousers, skirts, shoes, and accessories.
2. Styling Services: Personal styling appointments, virtual styling sessions, and alterations services offered to customers to enhance the purchase experience and ensure perfect fit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fold designs, sources, and sells modern luxury women's workwear and occasionwear direct-to-consumer. Core product lines include tailored jackets, trousers, dresses, tops, knitwear, and accessories built around proprietary fabrics such as Clever Crepe (machine-washable, crease-resistant Japanese satin back crepe) and Sculpt Knit. The brand also offers personal styling appointments, virtual styling, alterations, and a Try Before You Buy (Harper Concierge) service, complemented by two London retail stores and global e-commerce shipping to 212 countries.

Product overview

The Fold is a luxury women's workwear brand launched in 2012, offering modern, premium womenswear for ambitious women. The core product offering centers on exceptional tailoring and contemporary essentials, organized into several key collections: The Clever Crepe Shop (seasonless, crease-resistant, machine-washable tailored pieces in Japanese crepe), the Sculpt Knit Collection (structured knitwear with stretch), individual tailored jackets (Knighton, Clifton, Hamilton, Mira, Merida), dresses, tops, and accessories. The brand also offers complementary services including personal and virtual styling appointments, an alterations service, Try Before You Buy (Harper Concierge), and regular events/workshops. Community initiatives include The Network programme, Fold Woman Awards, and charitable partnerships with Smart Works and the Malaika Foundation. The company operates physical stores in London's Chelsea and Royal Exchange areas, along with a global e-commerce platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Clever Crepe Shop A signature collection of workwear tailoring (jackets, trousers, skirts) crafted from The Fold's proprietary seasonless, crease-resistant, machine-washable Japanese satin back crepe fabric for professional women.
• Sculpt Knit Collection A range of smart, structured knitwear with stretch properties designed as foundation workwear pieces that combine tailoring polish with knit comfort.
• Clever Crepe Tailored Jackets Signature Clever Crepe tailored jackets (Knighton, Clifton, Hamilton, Mira, Merida) offered in multiple colourways as core workwear pieces for professional women.
• Dresses and Occasionwear Dresses and occasionwear including signature sculpt stretch crepe styles (e.g., Alina) designed for both professional wear and special occasions.
• Tops, Blouses, and Knitwear Foundation workwear tops, silk blouses, and summer knitwear designed to coordinate with The Fold's tailoring.
• Personal Styling Appointments In-store personal styling sessions at the Chelsea and Royal Exchange London locations, offering wardrobe overhauls, collection previews, and outfit selection for special events.
• Virtual Styling Video-call styling appointments with expert stylists, enabling personalized consultation for customers worldwide.
• Alterations Service Expert in-house alterations service at both London stores; garments are assessed and pinned by stylists then sent to a trusted family-run tailor, with prices starting from £5.
• Try Before You Buy (Harper Concierge) A white-glove service in which an expert brings an in-store shopping experience directly to the customer's door, allowing customers to try garments before purchasing.
• Events and Workshops Regular in-store events including inspirational talks, networking, collection launches, sample sales, colour analysis, and personal styling workshops at the London stores.
• London Retail Stores Two physical retail stores in London (Chelsea at 28 Cadogan Place, and City at 2 Royal Exchange Buildings) offering the full product range along with personal styling and alterations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 69% of Smart Works clients find employment within first month of visit
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Smart WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partnership supporting unemployed women into employment since 2017. The Fold donates luxury clothing and has raised over £30,000 in funds. Smart Works has supported 32,000+ women with 69% success rate in first month. Customers can donate pre-loved clothes to Smart Works at The Fold stores and receive a £30 voucher.
• Malaika FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Malaika foundation featuring a 23-piece style edit curated by Noëlla Coursaris Musunka. The collaboration raised £5,000 for the Malaika foundation, supporting girls' education and empowerment initiatives.
• Manchester City Women FCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fold X Manchester City collaboration featuring co-branded collections designed for professional women who value both style and performance.
• One of a StyleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for colour analysis and styling event at Royal Exchange store on November 6th, 2025. Expert Stefania Bartolomei conducted colour analysis and style workshop with complimentary bubbles and 15% discount on purchases.
• Louize YafaiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLife coach partnership for Inside Out life and style workshop event. Evening of emotional resilience and personal style combining confidence talk with style workshop, 15% discount on purchases.
• Stefania BartolomeiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStylist partnership for colour analysis and style workshops at The Fold events. Expert styling consultation services for customers.
• Georg JensenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCurated jewellery collection featuring Georg Jensen pieces as accessories complement to The Fold clothing. Offered as The Fold's jewellery edit.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Me+Em: British luxury womenswear DTC brand built around flattering, easy-care workwear and occasionwear for women. Closest direct competitor to The Fold by category, customer profile, price band, and DTC-plus-flagships model.
• Reiss: British contemporary fashion house known for sharp suiting, workwear and occasionwear at a similar premium-but-accessible price band. Competes head-to-head with The Fold for professional women shopping British heritage-led suiting.
• Whistles: British contemporary womenswear label offering elevated everyday and occasion pieces at similar premium price points. Direct overlap in dresses, tailoring and modern workwear staples.
• LK Bennett: British heritage luxury womenswear brand with a strong tailoring and occasionwear assortment, recently restructured under new ownership. Comparable customer demographic and product overlap, especially in dresses and suiting.
• Theory: US-based luxury workwear brand built around performance fabrics and modern tailoring. Directly comparable on the "luxury + easy-care + workwear" value proposition that The Fold's Clever Crepe is built to deliver.
• Hobbs: British heritage womenswear brand with strong workwear and occasionwear assortment at overlapping price points. Targets a similar professional female customer and operates comparable multi-channel distribution.
• Karen Millen: British womenswear brand with a tailored-workwear and occasionwear focus and similar mid-premium price points. Comparable in category, target customer and product breadth to The Fold's collection.

Emerging players

• Sandro: French contemporary luxury womenswear brand with strong tailored and occasionwear assortments at similar price points to The Fold. Comparable on the "elevated European contemporary luxury" positioning for style-conscious professional women.

Broad incumbents

• Ted Baker: Established British contemporary fashion brand with a broad womenswear and menswear assortment. Overlaps with The Fold in suiting, workwear and occasionwear but operates at much larger scale and across multiple categories.
• Hugo Boss (womenswear): Global luxury fashion house with a significant womenswear workwear and tailoring business. Competes for the same professional female customer as The Fold, particularly in suiting and formal workwear, at premium price points.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thefoldlondon
• Xx.com/TheFoldLondon
• Facebookfacebook.com/thefoldlondon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Fold