7 Emerging Designers from Fashion Week SS23 to Know
As Fashion Week SS23 set the trends for spring, a plethora of new designers begin to hit our radar. For New York Fashion Week SS23, Manhattan took center stage paving the way for Paris, with many iconic labels showcasing their Spring/Summer 2023 collections. Amongst the fashion frenzy, many emerging independent designers were also hitting the runway. From whimsical collections inspired by nature to collections rich in cultural heritage and a focus on sustainability, these emerging fashion designers are worth adding to your wardrobe.
With countless shows setting foot on the runway throughout Fashion Week SS23, keep scrolling for the top emerging designers to watch out for in 2022 and 2023.
ASHLYN
HEADQUARTERS | New York, USA
FOUNDER | Ashlynn Park
VALUES | Woman-owned, Sustainability
Uniting her Japanese and New York influences, ASHLYN was created with the intention of breathing new life into modern tailoring. Ashlynn’s professional journey started in 2009 when she won Japan’s SO-EN award. Since then, she has worked for many names within the fashion industry including Alexander Wang.
WHY WE LOVE IT | Ashlynn’s latest collection brings innovation into the ordinary tailored garment. Its palette features monochromatic timeless tones alongside an injection of primary red. Throughout the collection, you’ll find intricate draping, asymmetric cuts, gathering, and statement sleeves. Tailoring for every aesthetic, a combination of figure-hugging and loose garments creates a contemporary feel to each look. The standout piece is the final look: a gown combining many of the techniques seen in the previous looks. It’s a truly modern take on a classic design.
WHAT SETS IT APART |
– Eco-friendly fabrics
– Unites Eastern and Western design techniques
Anna October
HEADQUARTERS | Kyiv, Ukraine
FOUNDER | Anna October
VALUES | Woman-owned, Sustainability
Based in Ukraine, Anna October continues to innovate fashion with her latest showcase at this year’s Paris Fashion Week SS23. Founded in 2010, Octobers’ ultra-feminine silhouettes are created to celebrate and empower women worldwide.
WHY WE LOVE IT | Under the theme of ‘Pleasure Garden’, October’s collection features lingerie-inspired pieces which celebrate and appreciate the female form. With romanticism at its core, the collection includes tailored silhouettes in luxury fabrics and tones. The feature of fringing, diamond patchwork, asymmetric cuts, playful cut-outs, ruffles, crochet, and sheer details applies a contemporary twist to the traditional garment.
WHAT SETS IT APART |
– Uses deadstock textiles
– Sustainable ethos
Boutet Solanes
HEADQUARTERS | Paris, France
FOUNDER | Coco Boutet and Jose Maria Solanes
VALUES | Sustainability, Local Craftsmanship
With Boutet’s background in design at fashion houses such as Celine, Louis Vuitton, and Dior and Solane’s background in photography, this duo came together to create Boutet Solanes in 2020. Coalescing Boutet’s love for gemstones and minerals and Solanes’ confident portrayal of women within photography, Boutet Solanes’ latest collection follows the tale of a woman who has set out on an exploration to find the next dazzling stone.
WHY WE LOVE IT | Inspired by gemstones, the collection features tones and patterns radiating natural hues paired sophisticatedly with bold gemstone patterns and prints. Finding cohesion with these two natural aspects, the collection also finds balance within silhouettes: interchanging tailored and figure-hugging garments with looser pieces. Across the collection is a mixture of maxi dresses, tailored trousers, as well as miniskirts, and crop tops. Many of the garments feature traditional lines embellished with draping and stone detail buttons. Statement pieces are the petrol blue leather jacket with matching trousers.
WHAT SETS IT APART |
– Genderless approach to design
– Uses a mix of sustainable textiles
Ruohan
HEADQUARTERS | New York, New York
FOUNDER | Ruohan Nie
VALUES | Woman-Owned, Minority-Owned, Sustainability
Founded in 2020, Ruohan set out to create a Maison which reimagined timeless garments for women. A talented designer, Ruohan won the China Institute Fashion Design competition back in 2020, and two years later showcased at Paris Fashion Week for SS23. Her latest collection draws from her past travels and her experience with different cultures. Creating timeless garments with quality materials that are made to last, Ruohan has perfected the art of chic style.
WHY WE LOVE IT | With a spring collection that features a plethora of effortless designs, Ruohan perfects the balance between relaxed and tailored silhouettes. From maxi dresses, shirts, full-length skirts, and statement gowns, natural and earthy tones grace the spring collection with delicate fabrics. Notable themes in the spring collection include one-shoulder designs, sheer fabrics, as well as draping.
WHAT SETS IT APART |
– Custom-made textiles
– Unique sillohuettes
AnOnlyChild
HEADQUARTERS | New York, New York
FOUNDER | Maxwell Osborne
VALUES | Minority-Owned, Sustainability
Osborne’s latest collection from anOnlyChild draws inspiration from his very own upbringing, influenced by old family photos. Titled “Chapter 1: It’s Getting Late,” the collection is brought to life through the use of his West Indian and Jamaican heritage influences. Injecting rich jewel tones in luxury fabrics of silk, leather, lace, and velour, Osborne lets the fabric move in the way it desires, creating silhouettes featuring tiers, draping, and ruching as well as dramatic collars, shoulders, and plunges.
WHY WE LOVE IT | This latest collection revisits nostalgic textures and silhouettes with a contemporary feel. We love the bold jewel tones in luxury fabrics that create a luxe look with everything made from deadstock fabrics.
WHAT SETS IT APART |
– Everything is made from deadstock fabrics
– The collection is created through only the materials readily available
– Luxury fabrics and dramatic details will become statement pieces in your wardrobe
Gabriela Hearst
HEADQUARTERS | New York, New York
FOUNDER | Gabriela Hearst
VALUES | Woman-Owned, Sustainability
An emerging designer with sustainability playing a key factor in her collections, Uruguayan designer Gabriela Hearst’s latest collection was a celebration of women. Whilst her notoriety also stems from her title as Creative Director of Chloe, her very own Maison draws upon her New York and Uruguayan influences.
WHY WE LOVE IT | A brand by a woman, who celebrates women, her latest collection features timeless silhouettes whilst including playful necklines, pattern placement, and texture. Perfectly balancing the unity of monochromatic tones alongside pops of neon yellow and orange as well as gold. Much of the collection used deadstock and various sustainably sourced materials, yet still maintained and achieved a high-quality, luxury look.
WHAT SETS IT APART |
– Timeless designs with a modern edge
– Uses a mix of deadstock and sustainable textiles
Collina Strada
HEADQUARTERS | New York, New York
FOUNDER | Hillary Taymour
VALUES | Woman-Owned, Sustainability
A Maison with the drive for climate and social awareness, Collina Strada’s latest ready-to-wear collection from Hillary Taymour unites her Y2k influence with the collections reigning theme of Monarch butterflies. An endangered species that plays a crucial role in our ecosystems, Taymour’s collection was driven heavily by sustainability values with the inclusion of deadstock fabric.
WHY WE LOVE IT | Following the journey of the butterfly’s life cycle, the collection features an endless number of colors and patterns, perfectly reflecting the butterfly’s own design. Predominantly featuring pastel hues with an essence of warm browns and deeper pinks and purples, Taymour effortlessly combines almost tie-dye, flower-pressed-like patterns with block color garments. Drawing inspiration from the butterfly, loose silhouettes floated down the runway, with a contemporary feel created through the addition of asymmetrical cuts, sheer fabrics, and the re-envisioned cargo trouser.
WHAT SETS IT APART |
– Collina Strada collaborates with brands who are striving for sustainability including Virón and Melissa in the creation of upcycled footwear, as well as Vitelli for the collection’s knitwear, and Unspun and Levis for sustainable jeans
– Unique, nature-inspired prints that will add a sense of whimsy to your wardrobe
