Chic Sketch
Chic Sketch is a New York–based fashion illustration brand that converts customer photos into hand-drawn digital sketches by professional artists, sells them via a Shopify storefront and mobile apps, and offers live on-site illustration activations at fashion weeks and brand events for clients including Dior, Fendi, and Cartier.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Chic Sketch does
Chic Sketch is a New York–based fashion illustration brand, founded in 2014 by husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Jordan Edelson (CEO, also founder of parent Appetizer Mobile LLC) and Emily Brickel Edelson (lead fashion illustrator). The company converts customer-submitted photographs into hand-drawn digital fashion illustrations produced by a team of US-based professional artists, then distributes those illustrations through three channels: a self-serve Shopify storefront at chicsketch.com, native iOS/Android mobile applications, and live on-site sketching activations at fashion weeks, trade shows, weddings, and corporate brand events. The offering is explicitly anti-AI, positioning professional human illustration against generative tools as a premium differentiator.
The core product is the Digital Chic Sketch, priced at $20 for a single subject and $20 per additional subject up to 12 subjects, with optional add-ons for custom backgrounds, time-lapse videos of the creation process, and priority delivery (standard turnaround ~72 business hours). Around this core, Chic Sketch has built a 37+ SKU print-on-demand merchandise catalog spanning apparel (men's and women's T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops, baby one-pieces), home goods (posters in sizes 8x8 through 24x36, mugs, magnets, mouse pads), accessories (cotton tote bags), and plush toys, with items printed on imported blanks in the USA. Pricing on merchandise ranges from roughly $25 (magnets) to $129 (premium fleece sweatshirts). Free US shipping is offered; international shipping to 50+ countries is available with duties and taxes calculated at checkout.
Chic Sketch generates revenue through three streams: (1) one-time digital sketch purchases via e-commerce and mobile app; (2) print-on-demand merchandise sales attached to each sketch; and (3) B2B live event activation services for enterprise brand clients including Dior, Fendi, Cartier, Ralph Lauren, L'Oréal, Viktor & Rolf, J.Crew, and Pandora. The company has been a fixture at New York Fashion Week for 15+ consecutive seasons and has been featured in Vogue, ELLE, Harper's Bazaar, the New York Times, WWD, InStyle, Allure, and Refinery 29. It is privately held under Appetizer Mobile LLC with no disclosed external funding, and operates with a team size in the 11–50 range.
Chic Sketch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chic Sketch
- Legal name
- Appetizer Mobile LLC
- Website
- https://chicsketch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Chic Sketch is a New York–based fashion illustration brand that converts customer photos into hand-drawn digital sketches by professional artists, sells them via a Shopify storefront and mobile apps, and offers live on-site illustration activations at fashion weeks and brand events for clients including Dior, Fendi, and Cartier.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chic Sketch industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Fashion Illustration Services
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143), Commercial Screen Printing (323113)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Custom Printing & Decoration Services (Screen Print, Embroidery, Laser) (BPAFAMAL)
Keywords
Where Chic Sketch is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chic Sketch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Digital Sketches: Core product: customers upload photos and receive hand-drawn fashion illustrations created by professional artists. Base price starts at $20 for 1 subject, with $20 per additional subject. Add-ons include background ($20), time-lapse video ($20), and priority delivery.
- Print-on-Demand Merchandise: Sells customized merchandise featuring customer sketches on apparel and accessories. Products include t-shirts ($57-$87), hoodies ($93-$113), sweatshirts ($96-$116), mugs ($36-$56), tote bags ($46), posters ($45-$78), kids apparel, and plush toys. Production is print-on-demand with imported blanks printed in the USA.
- Live Event Activations: Provides live fashion illustration services at corporate events, weddings, fashion weeks, trade shows, and brand activations. sketches attendees in real-time as experiential marketing for brands. Subject to separate event agreements with deposits and custom terms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Base Digital Sketch - 1 Subject |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Background Add-on |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Time-Lapse Video Add-on |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Priority Delivery |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Women's T-Shirt |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Men's Classic T-Shirt |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Men's Hoodie |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Women's Hoodie |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chic Mug |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Poster 24x36 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Chic Sketch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chic Sketch transforms customer-submitted photos into hand-drawn fashion illustrations created by professional US-based illustrators, with base pricing starting at $20 for one subject. The company also sells print-on-demand merchandise (apparel, accessories, home decor, plush toys) featuring those custom sketches, and provides live fashion illustration activations at corporate events, fashion weeks, weddings, and brand activations.
Product overview
Chic Sketch is a fashion illustration brand operating as a single unified platform offering custom hand-drawn digital sketches paired with merchandise products. The core offering is the Digital Chic Sketch service where customers upload photos and receive hand-drawn fashion illustrations. This core product is supported by a merchandise catalog of 37+ products including apparel (T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, tank tops), accessories (totes, mugs, mouse pads, magnets), home decor (posters in various sizes), and plush toys (dog, panda bear, monkey, rabbit, teddy bear). Add-on options include additional subjects ($20 each), background additions, and time-lapse videos ($20). The company also provides live event sketching services at physical and virtual events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- One of Today's Most Interesting Fashion Apps
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Chic Sketch
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Chic Sketch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Chic Sketch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered founding, flagship and core.
- Bene Rialto (NYFW 2014)foundingFirst live event at Bene Rialto boutique off Fifth Avenue in New York City during NYFW September 2014, where co-founder Emily was sketching. This event led to the founding of Chic Sketch and flood of new client offers.
- DiorflagshipLuxury fashion brand partnership for live fashion illustration at brand events and activations.
- CartierflagshipLuxury jewelry/watch brand partnership for live fashion illustration at brand events.
- Ralph LaurenflagshipAmerican fashion/lifestyle brand partnership for live fashion illustration at brand events.
- L'OréalflagshipBeauty brand partnership for live fashion illustration at brand events and activations.
- Viktor & RolfflagshipDutch luxury fashion brand partnership for live fashion illustration at brand events.
- J.CrewflagshipAmerican fashion brand partnership for live fashion illustration at brand events.
- PandoraflagshipJewelry brand partnership for live fashion illustration at brand events and activations.
- Appetizer MobilecoreParent company and mobile digital agency that developed the Chic Sketch mobile application. Founded by Jordan Edelson, CEO. Designs, develops, and markets mobile applications for Chic Sketch and other clients.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chic Sketch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Etsy: Etsy is a major global marketplace for handmade, vintage, and custom goods including personalized art and apparel. It competes indirectly with Chic Sketch by hosting thousands of independent illustrators offering custom fashion sketches and custom-printed merchandise, but at platform scale with vastly broader catalog and buyer base.
- Shutterfly: Shutterfly is a large custom photo products platform letting customers turn personal photos into prints, gifts, cards, and home décor. It is comparable to Chic Sketch's photo-to-product merchandising flow (personal input → customized physical goods), though at much larger scale and broader product range.
- Vistaprint: Vistaprint is a large established custom printing company offering personalized marketing materials, apparel, signage, and promotional products. It overlaps with Chic Sketch's custom merchandise offering but serves a broader SMB/marketing buyer across many product categories rather than specializing in fashion illustration.
Direct peers
- Printful: Printful is a print-on-demand fulfillment and dropshipping platform that prints custom designs on apparel, accessories, and home goods. It mirrors the production backbone of Chic Sketch's merchandise business — taking customer or creator designs and applying them to blanks — but at much greater scale.
- Custom Ink: Custom Ink is a leading custom apparel and promotional products platform that lets customers design and order personalized printed merchandise online. It directly competes with Chic Sketch's print-on-demand merchandise line on product category, customization flow, and target buyer (groups, teams, individuals seeking custom apparel).
- Society6: Society6 is an artist marketplace offering prints and home décor featuring independent artist designs. Like Chic Sketch, it monetizes original artwork through a print-on-demand merchandise catalog including apparel, posters, and accessories, with a similar artist-first value proposition.
- TeePublic: TeePublic is an artist-focused marketplace for apparel and accessories featuring independent designer artwork. It parallels Chic Sketch's model of monetizing original creative designs through print-on-demand apparel and accessories, primarily targeting artist and graphic-designer communities.
- Redbubble: Redbubble is a global online marketplace where independent artists sell their designs printed on apparel, posters, and accessories on demand. It is comparable to Chic Sketch because both combine original/custom artwork with print-on-demand merchandise, though Redbubble operates at a far larger scale across thousands of artists.
- Zazzle: Zazzle is an online marketplace where users customize and purchase products featuring personalized designs, including apparel, posters, mugs, and stationery. It is comparable to Chic Sketch's merchandise catalog and self-serve customization flow, operating at significantly larger scale across a broader product range.
Emerging players
- Snapbar: Snapbar provides live event photo and creative experience activations for corporate events, weddings, and brand campaigns. It is comparable to Chic Sketch's live event activation business because both monetize in-person brand experiences through creative on-site deliverables, though Snapbar focuses on photography/photo booths rather than illustration.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Chic Sketch social profiles
Digital presenceChic Sketch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chic Sketch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Chic Sketch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chic Sketch 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 Chic Sketch
What does Chic Sketch do?
Chic Sketch transforms customer-submitted photos into hand-drawn fashion illustrations created by professional US-based illustrators, with base pricing starting at $20 for one subject. The company also sells print-on-demand merchandise (apparel, accessories, home decor, plush toys) featuring those custom sketches, and provides live fashion illustration activations at corporate events, fashion weeks, weddings, and brand activations.
Is Chic Sketch a public or private company?
Chic Sketch is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Chic Sketch founded?
Chic Sketch was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Chic Sketch based?
Chic Sketch is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chic Sketch make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Digital Sketches are the primary driver. The others are print-on-Demand Merchandise and live Event Activations.
Who are Chic Sketch's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Etsy, Shutterfly and Vistaprint. Direct peers are Printful, Custom Ink, Society6, TeePublic, Redbubble and Zazzle. Snapbar is listed as an emerging player.
Does Chic Sketch have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chic Sketch.
What industry is Chic Sketch in?
Chic Sketch's product category is Custom Fashion Illustration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAMAL, Custom Printing & Decoration Services (Screen Print, Embroidery, Laser). Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 7330.