There are the established fashion houses and the go-to legacy brands we know and love, but fashion is also constantly awash with fresh talent. Each season a new crop of names and faces pop up on the circuit, and with them a plethora of new designs and ideas to pay attention to. Scoping out emerging designers is one of the highlights of being a fashion editor, and it seems like each week there’s something popping up for me to be enthralled with. Supporting these brands and designers is especially important to me given the demands and challenges that come with building a brand. The below names are doing just that: forging their own audience with their unique pieces. It’s partly why a good portion of my recent buys have been from them. From IG cult favorites to minimalist labels, keep scrolling to check out the new class of emerging designers I have in my bookmarks.
At the intersection of sleek, moody, and sensual, Grace Ling is the eponymous brand headed by Singaporean-born actress and model Grace Ling. A student of Central Saint Martins and Parsons, Ling utilizes sustainable practices and 3D printing to create her sculptural designs. Her recent collection also has its fair share of optical illusions like a metal embellished maxi skirt cut out to resemble a thong and a long-sleeve sweater with a sheer square cutout in the center. Jennifer Lopez recently donned a design, and a year from now she likely won’t be the only big name to.
With pollution such a major consequence of fast fashion, its refreshing to see more and more brands taking it slow. Deji Studios is one of those names devoted to a more sustainable approach. Founded by Juliette Harkness and Emma Nelson, the Australian-based label focuses on lounge and sleep separates made with organic cotton, hemp, and linen. Their two-piece sets are particularly a favorite among my friends, and its easy-going simplicity means you can wear them to bed as well as running errands.
LA brand Local European is about as Instagram famous as they come. The label’s Saro Knit Turtleneck has been a mainstay on my feed since last year, which finally led me to a deep dive into its site. But it’s not just the viral turtleneck that worth checking out—the brand carries a selection of cute going-out tops and trendy separates like baggy parachute pants. As expected with being internet-famous, a legion of fans soon followed, so when anything new drops on its website, it won’t be there for long.
Breaking into the accessories game can be a challenge: people tend to stick to the names and designers they know, making room to emerge from out of the pack limited. But if there’s one to watch on that front it’s footwear designer Markisha Marie. She launched her label in 2018 and has since seen her flashy heels capture the attention of celebs. They’re the type of shoes you want to wear on vacation or for a girls’ night out and believe everyone will ask where you got them.
No one knows the hardships of swimsuit shopping like those with larger busts. Too many times have I had to pass on a pretty bikini because it didn’t hold everything in place, luckily for me (and you) there’s Form and Fold. And leave it to the Australians to know how to make damn good swimwear—each of their suits holds you in all the right places with a clean and timeless design to boot. The beauty of its swimwear is that they’re easily able to be mixed and matched so you can keep adding to your collection season after season.
