6 Emerging Designers to Watch in 2017
We had plenty of things to regret in 2016. Fashion, thankfully, was not one of them. This year brought back 90s grunge, fluffy 70s-esque fur coats, groovy platform boots straight out of Studio 54 and all the edgy leather and denim jackets we need to channel our inner Vivienne Westwoods. It’s almost as if 2016’s been implementing some sort of nostalgia-induced fashion therapy to transport us back to better days.
As we enter 2017, we look to these six new designers to fuse together the evocative trends of the past with a new modern edge, changing the winter fashion game and giving us hope that 2017 will be the best dressed year yet. This year’s been a weird ride. You may as well tough out the rest of it in style.
1. The Arrivals
The Arrivals is their name, and outerwear is their game.
The Arrivals NYC concept store in Soho is a transcending experience. To call the plethora of architecturally constructed leather moto shearling jackets, delicate silk bombers, and sleek biker jackets statement pieces is an understatement. They are personality pieces, evoking a sense of New York grit and general badassery in the wearer. What makes The Arrivals so unique is that it was founded by self-proclaimed industry outsiders Jeff Johnson and Kal Vepuri.
Johnson is a former architect, and the pair draws upon the architectural innovation of New York City toinspire their collections. One of the best things about this brand is their dedication to attainable luxury. The company’s aim is to “redraft outerwear,” adhering to a strict direct-to-consumer model and cutting out the corporate middleman so that customers are purchasing the highest quality pieces at honest prices. The brand also captures the androgynous movement with a beautifully tailored collection of unisex outerwear to warm the urban sophisticate shoulders of any gender.
2. LPA
Since it launched on REVOLVE in August, designer Pia Arrobio’s contrary yet complementary collection became a sensation overnight. Arrobio first collection (a creative outlet turned career shift after years of working on the design team at Reformation) is popular amongst the modern fashion crowd because of it’s delightful mix of masculine and feminine elements; pink fluffy jackets and menswear-inspired jumpsuits go together surprisingly effortlessly. Get you a label that can do both!
3. ARE YOU AM I
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNqiL4zBd6j/
Born out of Instagram, this supermodel-backed whimsical collection of chokers, crop tops, and slinky silk dresses has gone from a celebrity staple to an all-out uniform for the likes of Kendall Jenner, Chiara Ferragni, Bella Hadid, Hailey Baldwin and the rest of those chicks saturating your social feeds with their impeccably highlighted cheekbones.
Created by blogger-made-businesswoman Rumi Neely, AreYouAmI caters to the contoured, laced-up and visible nipple-rocking baddie crowd and they look damn good. From her blog, Fashion Toast, to her rapidly growing label sold online and out of an appointment-only, highly photogenic LA loft, Neely’s style embodies the youthful model-off-duty look that Instagram dreams are made of.
4. Charlotte Simone
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNuPY1BjiKv/
Charlotte Simone embodies the effortlessly bold style of French women. Created by British designer Charlotte Beechman, the colorful accessories brand began by reimagining scarves by fusing classic Parisian femininity with a childlike sense of humor.
Charlotte’s signature scarves have grown into a rainbow of quirky hats, leather jackets, and bombers that’ll make you feel like a kid in a very, very luxurious candy store. Her latest collection gives us the fluff and color our brooding black wardrobes have been longing for.
5. Second Skin Overalls
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMHIQpRj1cV/
If you suffer from FOMO, do yourself a favor and don’t add Danielle Bernstein on snapchat. Her life has reached a ridiculous level of it-girl coolness; her most recent snaps consisting of slaying at Art Basel, hanging out on a boat somewhere in Miami with Travis Scott and his entourage, and showing off her new overall-centered fashion line Second Skin Overalls. Her blog WeWoreWhat gained viral fame because of her down-to-earth approach to personal style: high-low style, lots of aviator sunglasses, killer shoe game, adorable pics of her French bulldog and oh, lots and lots of overalls.
The overalls are designed to be dressed up or down with tees or polished sweaters and blouses, making them perfect for any season or setting. Capitalizing on the emerging trend that she played a large role in starting, Bernstein has turned overalls into a timeless wardrobe staple.
6. Ivy Kirzhner, New York
This footwear brand is covering the tracks of every bad bitch from coast to coast. Launched in 2012, the brand’s already quite established but is making headlines for its latest eclectic twist on the beloved thigh-high boot trend. Beyoncé, J.Lo and have previously rocked Kirzhner designs on stage, and their off-stage presence in the fashion world is only growing. Put on these boots and walk into 2017 like a mutha fuckin star girl.
