Six Emerging Labels On Our Radar
Women seduced by a beacon of colour, drapery and ankle-grazing dresses would be charmed by new Dutch designer Sander Lak’s label Sies Marjan this fall. The runway was speckled with models in cushy multi-coloured robes trailing closely behind fair-haired models like Vittoria Ceretti and Bella Hadid.
The Brunei-born Holland native made his debut last fall and has since gained popularity among fashion’s It girls and insiders. Lak previously worked with Marc Jacobs and Phillip Lim before heading Dries Van Noten’s designer team for five years, and the latter’s inclination towards colour and eclecticism may have influenced his aesthetics.
London-based Natalia Alaverdian, designer behind A.W.A.K.E (acronym for All Wonderful Adventures Kindle Enthusiasm), combines Japanese sensibilities with conceptual tailoring this season to weave a narrative behind molluscs — octopuses, to be exact. Ruffled spherical sleeves made obvious nods to the form of tentacles while the whirling of drapery on cream floor-length skirts were akin to the movement of these creatures in water. Considering the fact that this marks the fifth year since the launch of the label, it’ll be particularly interesting to witness which direction Alaverdian will embark on from here.
New kid on the block AALTO drew inspiration from Finland’s youths by injecting bold prints and textures into what would otherwise be prim attire. There has been some consistency to Tuomas Merikoski’s AALTO despite its newness — his inclination toward classic tailoring. However, this season sports a more playful take on workwear. Still office-appropriate, but hardly cliché.
It was a game of fashion musical chairs in Milan this season as new designers took the stage alongside quintessential Italian names. Two young designers who in two collections have shown their inclination towards chic and daring pieces are Milanese designers Giorgia Tordini and Gilda Ambrosio’s Attico. The designers, who are also street style stars in their own right, have diffused their personal style into the label — think sequinned-spangled jumpsuits and satin mono-coloured wrap dresses — and were successful in marrying the “I woke up like this” aesthetic with refined elegance.
Blatant and serving up a whole lot of defiance, Vaquera is NYC’s breakout label headed by design A-team Patric DiCaprio, David Moses, Bryn Taubensee and Claire Sully. The political climate in America has sent shockwaves through fashion’s big blue marble, the label reacted with a runway spectacle of all-American icons, such as life-size Tiffany & Co pouch and a couture chef’s uniform topped with a tall toque hat. As it turns out, the emotional strife that was translated into Vaquera’s signature kitschy DIY aesthetic seems to strike a chord with attendees of the show and it's fortifying the ethos of their label even more. In DiCaprio’s words, “This brand isn’t about making something to be sold in stores – obviously I’d love that — but it’s all about fantasy.”
Perhaps it’s the lingering disposition of past subcultures or its standing as an international creative hub, but London is big on off-the-beaten-track glamour this season while playing cheeky culture-provocateur. A designer embodying this zeitgeist is Charles Jeffrey, whose label Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, takes “ugly pretty” to the next level. This Fall, the collection transports us to an alternate universe where the Renaissance meets the inside of the club from the ‘80s. Think crackled faces painted white, mud-smeared torsos paired with oversized tailcoats and ruffled collars. In a sense, Jeffrey’s tongue-in-cheek designs goes beyond just fashion as each garment exudes its own psyche. He’s caught the eye of the British Fashion Council, and was awarded a sponsorship from its annual NewGen fund for exceptional emerging designers.
