Adam Frisby says he has no regrets about walking away from In The Style, the womenswear brand he started from his bedroom with just £1,000 and turned into a fashion success story — before it all came crashing down.
Speaking on the We Need to Talk podcast, Frisby looked back on a decade that took him from the highs of a £100m stock market float to the lows of legal fights, online abuse and near-collapse. “It’s taken me a long time to recover,” he admitted. “But after therapy and lots of conversations, I can honestly say I don’t regret it.”
From Bedroom Start-Up to Stock Market Darling
Frisby launched the business in 2013, riding the boom in influencer-driven fashion. The formula worked: by 2021, In The Style was worth more than £100m and floated on the London Stock Exchange. But success was short-lived.
Consumer interest waned after the pandemic, costs rose sharply as supply chains faltered, and the war in Ukraine pushed them higher still. By 2023 the company had racked up losses of £8.4m. “There was so much cost in just being on the stock market,” Frisby said. “We tried everything to keep it going, but investors weren’t interested.”
‘The Darkest Period of My Life’
At the same time, Frisby was dragged into a bruising High Court battle after being accused of stealing the idea for the brand. He eventually won, but the toll was heavy. “I had to manage a rescue deal while appearing in court. I was a shell of myself,” he said.
He also faced death threats from angry shareholders who lost money, alongside a wave of homophobic abuse and online hate. “It was the darkest period of my life,” he said.
Fallout and Departure
As the company faltered, In The Style was also hit with claims from influencers who said they hadn’t been paid. By late 2023, Frisby had stepped down as chief executive, and in October 2024 he left the business altogether. Less than two years after being sold, the company was forced into another pre-pack deal to avoid administration.
Frisby admitted the stress nearly broke his relationship. “I told my partner, you don’t have to stay. You can find someone else. It wasn’t fair what I was putting him through,” he said. His partner stayed, and the couple are now expecting a child through surrogacy.
Moving On
Looking back, Frisby says he’s at peace with how it ended. “It’s been tough. It’s taken me years to get through it,” he said. “But I don’t regret what I did. I started something from nothing, and I gave it everything I had.”
