Elena Bonvicini had begun building her fashion business by reworking vintage jeans. She then sold them to her friends and classmates in high school locker room. What had started as a personal interest in denim eventually grew into EB Denim, a brand that generated multimillion-dollar revenue.
How Elena Bonvicini Turned Her Love of Vintage Clothes Into a Business
Her interest in vintage clothing came after her trips to thrift stores with her grandmother in Wisconsin. She started by reworking vintage Levi’s. She turned them into shorts and created custom pieces for friends who wanted something different.
Bonvicini told Entrepreneur in an interview in September 2024, "My grandmother and I would take day-long road trips to all the local thrift stores, and I was so inspired by the uniqueness and history of all the clothes." She added, "No two pieces were the same, and I could redesign how to style them."
EB Denim founder Elena Bonvicini (Photo: EB Denim)
How a High School Locker Room Became Her First Store
Bonvicini began selling reworked denim to friends and classmates while she was still in high school. When she wore jeans she had cut into shorts, other students asked where they could get similar pieces.
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She began making custom denim for them and selling the clothes from her school locker room. Bonvicini said, "It was exciting to see something I did for fun turn into a real business so quickly," as quoted by Entrepreneur.
As sales grew, Bonvicini put her early earnings back into the business, she said, "I kept reinvesting everything I made into the business — instead of spending the money on myself, I used it to buy more denim and eventually hire PR experts."
How Celebrities Helped EB Denim Gain Attention
Public relations experts helped her pieces to get into the hands of influencers and celebrities. Danielle Bernstein of WeWoreWhat and Chiara Ferragni were among the early names to wear EB Denim. Hailey Bieber and members of the Kardashian family also wore the brand’s designs as it gained visibility.
Then even retailers like Revolve and Selfridges began carrying its pieces. But demand created a problem for her because vintage denim was difficult to source consistently. Differences in size, color and availability made it harder to produce unique items. She told Entrepreneur, "It just wasn’t possible to meet the growing demand with one-off pieces."
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Bonvicini gradually shifted toward original designs inspired by vintage clothing, allowing the brand to expand beyond reworked garments.
Taylor Swift’s Dress Sold Out in a Day
One moment brought a significant surge in sales. Bonvicini recalled seeing paparazzi photographs of Taylor Swift wearing EB Denim’s Polka dress at a New York Fashion Week after-party.
The dress sold out within a day, both online and through the brand’s retail partners. Bonvicini shared that the moment quadrupled EB Denim’s sales for the entire month and made her realise how powerful celebrity placements could be.
The brand’s popular styles also evolved over time, from its original jeans to Chain pants, cargo designs, the Frederic jean and the Low Rise Baggy.
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Expansion Beyond Vintage Jeans
By the time of the 2024 interview, Bonvicini said about 95% of the brand’s products were new, original designs rather than reworked vintage pieces. Its collection had expanded to include denim dresses and jackets.
The company had also moved production to Pakistan, working with Artistic Milliners, which is a LEED-certified, fair-trade factory that uses renewable energy and recycled water.
EB Denim business story (Photo: EB Denim Website)