Shopping smalls helps diversify and level the playing field in the fashion world. Old, white men have been sitting on top of everyone for far too long. It’s time to let new talent shine. Small designers are a breath of fresh air, and provide designs nobody else will be wearing. Who knows, you might be the first person to jump on a new trend!
Personally, I’ve had luck finding small fashion designers on Instagram. Social media at its best gives smaller, talented designers at shot at making it it in the fashion world. Not only does it help designers get discovered, but it opens up new clothing options for consumers. If you’re sick of Chanel, tired of Gucci, and downright disillusioned by Dior, look no further than these small designers and fashion houses. Another way to find them is through magazines and websites. Every major fashion magazine has a list of “emerging designers” that they picked up during fashion week. For this article, I’m referring back to what Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar reported during fashion week. Typically, they are the ones who set the tone when it comes trends and taste. It seems ironic that large scale companies are seeking out smaller and more niche designers. It reflects the growing desire of style to be “unique” and “not like everybody else.”
In this article, we’re seeking out the unique and unconventional in the fashion world. In recent years, we’ve seen a rise in eco-friendly fashion and a growing consciousness towards climate change. These brands go out of their way to create slow fashion designs, and mitigate the effect of the fashion industry on the environment.
Brandon Blackwood is a handbag visionary, and the most exciting new designer! His brand is famous for selling out of his iconic trunk bags. Since starting his brand in 2015 with a line of handbags, Brandon Blackwood has expanded his creative empire to include shoes, sunglasses, and outerwear. You can’t find bags like his anywhere else.
Brandon Blackwood is also a champion for social justice, and uses his platform to advocate for change. His website states that the mission of the brand is “Empowering black and persons of color (POC) creatives through education, philanthropy, and activism to counteract systemic racism and enrich a new generation of leaders.” Brandon Blackwood created the End Systemic Racism (ESR) tote, in response to the massive push for social and civil rights.
Freya McKee is a female fashion designer based out of London. If her name sounds familiar, it is because Emma Chamberlain has been spotted wearing her designs. Freya McKee specializes in knitwear, and her designs feature bold colors and cut-outs. Freya McKee also carries a line of clothes made from second hand yarn, creating special and personalized pieces for consumers. The creative and innovative knitwear reminds me a little bit of House of Sunny, and their designs.
Freya McKee stands out because of her commitment to ethical and slow fashion. McKee ensures that sustainability is a priority in her brand by working with a small group of people to produce the clothes. All of her pieces are created on a made to order basis, which eliminates fabric waste and pollution.
Harper’s Bazaar has declared Florentina Leitner as an emerging fashion designer to watch out for, from fashion month 2023, and we can’t help but agree. Leitner is an Austrian fashion designer who graduated from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Florentina Leitner’s designs are eye-catching, flashy, and avant-garde. Leitner specializes in catsuits, slip dresses, and faux-fur hats. Leitner’s brand is very Y2K, from micro mini skirts to sheer plastic sunglasses.
Florentina Leitner is also committed to sustainability. They have a statement on their website outlining their commitment to creating environmentally friendly clothes. All clothes are printed on using silk, lycra, and cotton, not polyester. They use dead stock fabrics in creating designs, and all of the silk that they use is “World Trade Certified” and has a “Peace Silk” certificate. The brand states that all of their designs are produced in Belgium and Italy, and the people creating the garments are being paid a fair wage. Florentina Leitner works with their packaging provider to create recyclable packing, and to mitigate their carbon footprint.
Another graduate from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Shuting Qui is an emerging designer who has already taken the fashion world by storm. Qui began her womenswear line in 2017, fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a fashion designer. She was a finalist for the BoF China Prize in 2019, and in the 2020 H&M Design Award. Qui was born in Hangzhou, but now resides in Milan. Her brand also utilizes upcycling and deadstock fabric. Shuting Qui currently is collaborating with Ugg to make slippers and boots. She describes her brand on her Instagram account as “Daring yet soft, powerful yet romantic, strong yet cheerful.” She’s right on the nose- her designs are whimsical yet daring, and makes use of floral motifs and patterns.
Lou Dallas is an emerging fashion label created by Brooklyn native Raffaella Hanley. Hanley was a Vogue Fashion Fund finalist in 2019. Lou Dallas makes a point of not following trends, and instead designs come straight from the imagination of Hanley. Lou Dallas’ designs are inspired by Hanley’s love for costumes, and fantasy. Her one of a kind designs have been mentioned in Vogue. Raffaella Hanley used dead stock fabric, repurposed vintage, and natural dyes to create clothes for the brand. Lou Dallas creates all of their clothes in New York City. Lou Dallas has also found itself in the limelight, when Hunter Schafer wore designs from the collection on the hit TV show Euphoria.
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