As a fashion editor, it’s part of my job to have my eye out for cool, rising brands so I’m constantly checking out the newness unfolding on Instagram, at retailers, and on the runways. With so much new talent out there and a lot of exciting designers worth noting at the moment, I want to shine a spotlight on some on-the-rise women-founded brands who are making their mark on the industry.
Each of these designers is carving out a strong point of view, landing themselves on the rosters of the world’s leading retailers, and cultivating a following amongst fashion insiders. Ahead, I’m diving into six cool rising female-founded brands to have on your radar right now. Their designs range from reinvented tailoring to vibrant colors and prints to gauzy knits—each crafting directional pieces you’ll want to add to your closet.
Milwaukee-born designer Elena Velez plays with texture and proportions in her collection of pieces that take on reinvented tailoring with unfinished, tactile suiting, and new takes on womenswear with items like deconstructed tank tops. Holding her first runway show at New York fashion week for the F/W 22 season, expect to see Elena Velez as a permanent part of the fashion calendar.
LVMH prize winner, Priya Ahluwalia, has already landed at some of the world’s biggest retailers who are stocking the print and color-forward pieces that are already signatures for the brand. You’ll find pieces inspired by the tradition of passing garments between families and friends, taking inspiration from her Indian-Nigerian heritage.
Founded by Denmark-based designer Amalie Røge Hove Geertsen, the namesake brand experiments with textiles and how they’re worn on the body. A. Roege Hove’s signature ribbed, gauzy knits are already a fashion insider favorite and it’s easy to see why. You’ll want to snap up the cutout cardigans and dresses right away.
Trinidad native designer Aisling Camps launched her label in Brooklyn after working as a mechanical engineer and graduating from FIT. With that kind of background, it comes as no surprise that the knitwear and swimwear pieces are all about fit, form, and attention to materials.
Founded by South Korea-born creative director Ashlynn Park, Ashlyn is a brand everyone should have on their radar. You’ll find references to both Japanese and American fashion, elements infusing Park’s professional time in both Tokyo and Japan. At once romantic and minimal, tailored and high-volume, Ashlyn’s pieces are a study of contrasts that work in the best possible way.
British-Indian designer and LVMH prize finalist, Supriya Lele, takes inspiration from the streets of India, plays with contemporary dress codes, and offers an updated take on proportions in her designs. Delicate, modern, and minimal, with a few twists, there’s a reason Lele is a designer everyone is talking about.
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