According to EU-Startups, London fashion tech startup Fit Collective just raised €3.4 million in pre-Seed funding, marking what appears to be the largest round ever raised by a solo female founder in the UK. The company was founded in 2023 by Savile Row-trained designer Phoebe Gormley and is backed by AlbionVC, SuperSeed, True Global, and January Ventures, plus an Innovate UK Smart Grant. Fit Collective tackles the fashion industry’s $230 billion annual problem of sizing inconsistencies and returns by analyzing data before garments are even produced. The platform is already being used by major brands including Rixo, Ro & Zo and Boden to reduce returns and improve profitability. This funding will support team growth and deeper integrations with global fashion brands looking to improve both their bottom line and sustainability credentials.
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The $230 Billion Problem Nobody Talks About
Here’s the thing about fashion returns – they’re not just annoying for customers and expensive for brands. They’re literally destroying profitability across the entire industry. We’re talking about a $230 billion annual problem that most companies just accept as cost of doing business. But Fit Collective’s approach is different because they’re attacking the root cause rather than just managing the symptoms.
Think about it – why do so many clothes get returned? It’s not because people are fickle. It’s because sizing is completely inconsistent across brands, and even within the same brand’s different product lines. You might be a size 8 in one dress and a 12 in another from the same company. Fit Collective acts as a co-pilot to brands, analyzing returns data, fabric behavior, and sales patterns before production even begins. Basically, they’re preventing the problem rather than cleaning up the mess afterward.
From Savile Row Tailoring to AI Scaling
What’s fascinating about Phoebe Gormley’s background is that she comes from the absolute opposite end of the fashion spectrum from fast fashion. She literally used her university tuition fees to open Gormley & Gamble, the first women’s tailoring house in Savile Row’s 200-year history. That’s about as bespoke and personalized as clothing gets.
Now she’s taking that obsession with perfect fit and scaling it through technology. It’s actually a brilliant transition – she understands what perfect fit looks and feels like at the highest level, and she’s building systems to bring that precision to mass market fashion. The platform is already working with brands like Boden and Rixo, helping them reduce returns while giving customers clothing that actually fits properly.
Part of a Bigger European FashionTech Movement
Fit Collective isn’t operating in a vacuum. According to the report, there’s a whole wave of European investment flowing into technology-driven fashion solutions right now. In France, Fairly Made secured €15 million for supply chain tracking, while Faume raised €8 million for second-hand fashion. Estonia’s Yaga collected €4 million to expand its resale platform.
But here’s what makes Fit Collective stand out – while everyone else is focused on resale or supply chain transparency, they’re tackling the fundamental issue of sizing optimization. It’s a different angle on sustainability. Instead of just extending clothing lifecycles through resale, they’re preventing waste by making sure clothes fit right the first time. And given that none of the other 2025 funding announcements covered originated from the UK, Fit Collective seems to be filling a unique gap in the domestic FashionTech scene.
Why This Actually Matters Beyond the Headlines
Look, another startup raising funding isn’t usually that exciting. But this one feels different because it’s addressing a problem that affects literally everyone who buys clothes. How many times have you ordered multiple sizes of the same item, knowing you’ll return what doesn’t fit? It’s wasteful, it’s frustrating, and it’s expensive for everyone involved.
The real test will be whether Fit Collective can scale their solution across the chaotic, fragmented world of fashion manufacturing. Every brand uses different patterns, different fabrics, different sizing standards. Building an AI system that can account for all that variability is incredibly challenging. But if they can crack it? They could fundamentally change how clothes are made and sold. And honestly, that’s a future where everyone wins – brands save money, customers get clothes that fit, and we all generate less waste.
