“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
Winston Churchill
People ask me how I know things, like what “halfback” means. (Definition: the name for someone who retires to Florida and comes “halfway back” to places like North Carolina when it gets too hot.) How do I know these things? I learn a lot from twenty- and thirtysomething women. In the case of halfback, I got that from Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, the co-founders of theSkimm.
With all the buzz about New York Fashion Week during the past week, I wondered,“Who are the emerging designers, the ‘under 30s’ who are making their mark in fashion, creating sleek to totally out there creations?” That’s what I asked Jessica Wilson, the 22-year-old cofounder of Stashd, an iPhone app that presents the user with a singular item and a choice to either swipe left to trash the item or swipe right to stash it into a centralized virtual wardrobe that can be shared with friends, purchased and used for style inspiration. Jessica knows designers and what people like because she sees thousands of fashions trashed and stashed every day.
Following are Jessica Wilson’s top five emerging designers – women and men (whose collections are inspired by women).
These designers graduated from the top schools, interned with the best design houses, and have been lauded by the likes of Women’s Wear Daily, Vogue, ELLE and The New York Times. They’re doing it on their own and stepping into the spotlight.
Christina Economou, Age 25, France Christina started her journey in fashion by attending Parsons and Istituto Marangoni in Paris, and won (with her graduate collection) the 2011 International Award at London Graduate Fashion Week. After briefly working for Giambattista Valli and as a correspondent for Greek Vogue in Paris, she returned to her native Athens in 2013 to fulfill her dream of launching her own label. Her collections reflect her own effortless and eclectic style, resulting in a line that is as cool and progressive as it is timeless and respectful. Her hope is to create a line that offers a sophisticated twist on classic day and nightwear using beautiful printed silk fabrics made according to an age-old tradition in the historic silk town of Soufli in Northern Greece.
Christina Economou on her best mistake (failing forward):“It has been quite the learning curve since launching my brand in 2013! I think many young designers today will find that fashion design education prepares you for the challenges of design but not necessarily for the trials and pitfalls of building a successful business.”
A few seasons ago, I was thrilled to receive interest from a great new European stockist [retailer/wholesaler who stocks merchandise] who confirmed a large order. In the interest of developing a relationship, I did not insist on the strict terms for orders that are standard in the industry and the stockist backed out for budget reasons shortly after I had ordered the fabric and launched my production. Rather than let this major setback affect my overall season, I quickly saw an opportunity after a meeting with an important department store in Athens and suggested the idea of hosting an in store “pop-up store” during the holidays. The shop was a great success and helped to increase the brand’s exposure all while minimizing my losses and helping to sell some of my remaining stock. It turned out to be a great business lesson for future seasons!”
Phoenix Keating, Age 23, Australia
Phoenix established his Australian-based label in 2009 and was quickly marked for success when his debut collection caught the eye of Lady Gaga’s stylists. After showing his second collection, Lady Gaga word two outfits from the collection for her impromptu performances in Sydney, giving a new level of fame to the Phoenix Keating brand globally.
In 2012 Keating was invited to show on schedule at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, an unprecedented honor. In April of 2014 after being one of the most attended shows at Sydney Fashion Week, it was announced that Keating had been nominated for the International Woolmark Prize, the youngest designer since Karl Lagerfeld to be nominated.
In October 2014, Phoenix held a small press showing in New York City to rave reviews. Keating is now set to show in Sydney in April, with whispers of an on-schedule showing in New York in September.
Phoenix Keating on preparing mentally before a show:“Before a show I am extremely busy. There isn’t much time to think, let alone mentally prepare. However it’s a case of constantly remembering to stay calm and go with the flow. There are many hurdles to get over and personally it’s a case of letting the problems wash over you while figuring out how to solve them. I developed stress-induced psoriasis from these things so I have learned to calm down and go at my own speed.”
Sarah Flint, Age 25, United States
Sarah began in the Fall 2013 launch of her namesake brand marked the realization of a lifelong dream. Following studies at Parsons and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and internships at Diane von Furstenberg and Proenza Schouler, Sarah honed her technical skills in pattern making and prototyping at the prestigious Ars Sutoria in Milan, Italy. At Ars Sutoria, Sarah studied under Richard Siccardi, an artisan known for his work with luxury footwear’s most accomplished names.
With similar points-of-view on what makes a beautifully-designed shoe, Sarah and Richard set out to challenge the status quo of luxury footwear — after encouraging Sarah to start her own company, Richard joined Sarah as head of manufacturing outside Milan and in Tuscany, where all her shoes are handmade. Sarah Flint shoes mark the return of timeless elegance to luxury footwear and her designs have been lauded by the likes of ELLE, The New York Times andWomen’s Wear Daily. Sarah’s an alumna of the Forbes’ 30 under 30.
Sarah’s best success story: “Walking into Barneys in New York City and seeing my shoes on the floor. It has always been a dream of mine and was such an amazing feeling to see it actually come to life. I have put so much of myself over the years into perfecting my craft and I am forever grateful to those retailers who have recognized my work.”
,August Getty, Age 21, United StatesGrowing up Getty provided an interesting portal into the world of art, fashion and fantasy for designer August Getty. Getty’s childhood memories are filled with images of his mother (Ariadne Getty, daughter of Sir John Paul Getty, KBE – a.k.a. John Paul Getty II) opening larger than life boxes from the greatest couturiers of her time.By the age of five, August had created his very own world of whimsy, storytelling, dance and drawing, he also had the perfect muse to direct: his sister, Natalia.
2014 was a big year for then 20-year-old Getty. He announced his debut designer collection for Spring/Summer 2015 and the opening of his Los Angeles studio (aptly named August Getty Atelier) , and showed at New York Fashion week. For Fall 2015 New York Fashion week, Kristin Cavallari sat front at Getty’s show wearing a black mini dress from the brand.
August Getty’s ‘I can’t believe this just happened!’ story:“When I walked onto the runway of my debut show at New York Fashion Week for finale – It was so awesome, I took a selfie right there on the catwalk!”
Leroy Nguyen, Age 23, Australia
With praise from titles such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and with Australian A-list celebrity fans, Leroy Nguyen has quickly become one of Australia’s brightest young fashion designers. In 2012, Leroy graduated from Fashion Design Studio (TAFE Ultimo) and won the Fashion Design Graduate of the Year Award.
In 2013, Leroy opened The Innovators show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia, and his collections continue to receive rave reviews as Leroy is constantly hailed as one of Australia’s rising stars. Leroy Nguyen’s tips for entrepreneurs: “Starting off with your brand identity is key. What values does your business identity revolve around? These can be ethical or emotional for example. It is important to ask yourself these questions when building and marketing your business as a means of attracting the appropriate clientele. Of course, it is always still about quality of product and service, whatever your business may be. However, in this day and age with the continual rise of social media and e-communication, I think it is vital for entrepreneurs to pay strong focus towards the relationship between the business and their clients. How effectively does your product and service embody and reflect the above values, in a way that turns your clients into repeat customers?”
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