How Coachella helped Demi Marchese build 12th Tribe into a $250 million fashion brand

Demi Marchese began selling vintage clothing in 2015 with $800 and a willingness to do the work herself. She packed orders at night after working in sales for her mother and turned her interest in styling into 12th Tribe. It is a fashion brand that generated more than $250 million in lifetime revenue by September 2025.

The Los Angeles-based company now sells more than festival outfits, Marchese had built it without outside funding, starting with distinctive vintage pieces and an audience that grew through social media and word of mouth.

Coachella Helped 12th Tribe Find Its Audience

Marchese’s interest in fashion took shape while she was studying abroad and travelling to 11 countries. She began curating vintage clothing that helped people express their personalities, including a pair of Levi’s shorts she marketed as "the short you pack when you don't know where you're going next," according to a report.


After moving to Los Angeles, she started styling women for Coachella, sourcing clothing and putting together complete outfits. Marchese told Entrepreneur, "I began dressing girls for Coachella with globally inspired pieces I sourced myself. The festival was a cultural moment, and I leaned in — styling every detail from jewelry to boots."

Festival season brought early attention through Instagram and sorority group chats. She also hand-delivered vintage Thrasher shorts to customers around the city.

As interest grew, Marchese moved beyond styling and created an online store where customers could shop for entire looks.

Demi Marchese's Side Hustle to $35 Million in Annual Revenue

Marchese pursued sales through pop-ups, apartment shopping events and direct customer outreach. She shared that, "In the beginning, it was just me — a one-woman show — with a few friends and family who'd step in to support. That was my first "tribe." Because I kept the business lean and scrappy, I pushed myself hard and was fortunate to see consistent monthly revenue within just a few months."

Within a few months, the business began bringing in consistent monthly revenue, starting at a few hundred dollars and growing to a couple of thousand.

Living at home kept her expenses low, while her work for her mother’s sales company provided additional income.

Marchese told Entrepreneur that by September last year, 12th Tribe was generating $35 million in annual revenue. She also said that it reported double-digit year-over-year growth and a digital community of 600,000.

The company expanded into global shipping which Marchese said doubled international orders and opened flagship stores in SoHo and on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, California. Its collections have also broadened into a lifestyle offering for women at different stages of life.

Challenges Behind Building 12th Tribe

Growth brought operational problems. She said, "During peak season, our warehouse partner at the time mishandled inventory for a major launch. Thousands of units were delayed, and customer orders were sitting in limbo," as quoted by Entrepreneur.

Marchese had contacted customers directly while the team worked through the backlog. Then the company later switched to a new global logistics partner and overhauled its fulfilment strategy.

The pressure of her business also affected her personal life. She said, "In my 20s, I missed more relationship moments than I can count. Not because I didn't care, but because I was drained, too stressed, too responsible or simply empty from pouring into the business every day." In hindsight, she wished she had spent more time learning to manage people and trusted her own judgement instead of second-guessing herself.

Demi Marchese’s Advice to Aspiring Founders

Marchese’s message to people starting a business is that they do not need a million followers, venture capital or a perfect plan. She believes, "You need conviction, community and the courage to show up again and again."