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In the fashion world of yore, it was the norm that a namesake founder owned their fashion brand. Christian Dior founded and owned Dior; the Gucci family-owned Gucci (as many viewers saw in the Oscar-nominated film “House of Gucci”); Nina Ricci founded and owned Nina Ricci; Cristobal Balenciaga owned Balenciaga, and Pierre Balmain founded and owned Balmain.
In this day and age, a holding company usually owns the major fashion houses. Luxury conglomerate Möet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) owns its namesake Louis Vuitton, and Dior, Givenchy, Fendi, Celine, Kenzo, and Loewe. Its rival company Kering owns Gucci, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and Bottega Venetta. Then there’s Richemont, which owns Alaïa, Chloé, Cartier, and Montblanc. While these are three of the largest holding companies, private equity firms and small investors often own smaller brands, as it is challenging for brands to operate independently. Producing a brand’s first collection at the bare minimum can cost roughly $40,000 between samples, production, and materials.
Despite the conglomerate takeover of many fashion brands, there are still a few designers out there who own their brands. Fashion Reverie closely examines this rare breed of independent designers/brands.
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Maria Cornejo of Zero + Maria Cornejo
Maria Cornejo started her brand over 25 years ago and remains committed to doing things her way. She opened her first shop in New York and has managed to attract a customer base that loves her minimalist, boho chic aesthetic. She’s never once advertised in a magazine or paid a celebrity ambassador. But she had the privilege of First Lady Michelle Obama wearing one of her dresses for a fashion workshop at the White House during the Obama Administration.
Cornejo’s testament to survival is attributed to her regularly meeting customers at her store and being years ahead of the current conversation on sustainability. (Seventy percent of her collection is made from sustainable materials.) With 40 stores in the United States and an additional 10 points of sale worldwide, Cornejo intends to keep the brand fully in her hands and expects the brand to die with her.
Image courtesy of kimshui.com
Kim Shui
Kim Shui founded her eponymous brand in 2016 after working freelance jobs for various designers. After saving up $5000, she created a capsule collection of 8 looks and was selected by VFiles to show at New York Fashion Week (NYFW). VFiles is a non-profit that invests in creators for underrepresented communities on a mission to demolish the opportunity gap.
Now, Shui holds standalone runway shows during New York Fashion Week and counts Revolve, Ssense, and Kith as retail partners. Her list of celebrity clients has expanded to include Kylie Jenner, Gigi Hadid, and Halsey. She focuses on keeping her core group of collaborators and people who work for her small, rather than trying to be a massive brand. The tight-knit approach works in her favor, as she sustains her brand in a tough economic climate.
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Jackson Wiederhoeft
Jackson Wiederhoeft founded his namesake brand Wiederhoeft in 2019 and has become one of the most notable designers on the NYFW calendar. His first collection included 40 garments, and he’s also expanded his business into bridal.
Wiederhoeft founded his brand without formal investors by borrowing money from his family and selling all his Thom Browne uniforms from the three years he worked there. Five years later, he’s still going strong at top retailers, including Bergdorf Goodman, Moda Operandi, and FWRD.
Image courtesy of brownsfashion.com
Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada
Hillary Taymour proudly describes herself as a small business owner, which is rare, as most designers call themselves fashion designers or creative directors. Taymour is very protective of her business, as her approach to business and design is only making as product as there is demand. She also makes samples for various body types from sample size to plus size. She’s spent fifteen years working to build her brand, and now has a full team in place with retail partners, including Nordstrom, Ssense, and Desigual.
Image courtesy of 31philliplim.com
Phillip Lim of 3.1 Phillip Lim
Fashion designer Phillip Lim founded his namesake brand 3.1 Phillip Lim in 2005 with his longtime business partner Wen Zhou, who serves as the company’s CEO. The brand has never taken any money from outside investors, and direct-to-consumer sales account for 30 percent of their business, with Zhou setting a goal of reaching 50 percent by the end of this year.
In addition to two stores in the United States, their points of sale also include Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Ssense, and Net-a-Porter. They also have a significant retail footprint across China, Thailand, Korea, and Japan. One of the brand’s biggest successes has been the 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Satchel, one of the brand’s best-selling bags that is considered an ‘It bag’ among designer handbag collectors.
Image courtesy of famousfashiondesigner.com
Anna Sui
Good times and bad times—Anna Sui has seen them all, and she’s still here. The designer has independently owned her eponymous label since 1981. She’s a rare breed of designer who designs and manufactures her collections directly from her New York City studio, rather than outsourcing any production. Her style has been described as eclectic, bohemian, and rock’n’roll, all mixed into one. Sui attributes her success to finding her brand identity early, with her designs easily recognized by dark florals and embellishments. Sui recently began attracting Gen-Z consumers, proving her brand’s staying power and cross-generational appeal.
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Christian Cowan
Christian Cowan’s big break came when iconic pop star Lady Gaga wore his clothes while he was still a design student. The designer’s stardom is heavily attributed to the celebrity clientele he has racked up, having dressed Jennifer Lopez, Lil Nas X, Cardi B, Heidi Klum, and Miley Cyrus.
One of the ways Cowan has been able to sustain his brand is through successful collaborations. His shoe collaboration with Giuseppe Zanotti sold out in 48 hours, thanks to a post from reality star Kim Kardashian. He’s also collaborated on fragrances with House of Sillage, Teletubbies on a footwear line, and a dog sweater with Maxbone. The designer recently relaunched his website, focusing on e-commerce and direct-to-consumer, and recently collaborated on shoes with TOMS.
Image courtesy of laquansmith.com
LaQuan Smith
He is best known for his sexy, edgy designs, but LaQuan Smith started selling leggings under his namesake label in 2013. He quickly found a fan base among Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé. He expanded his brand into women’s ready-to-wear and recently began designing menswear.
Although his brand doesn’t reveal hard sales figures, they’ve reportedly grown. Most recently, Smith collaborated with Louis XIII Cognac on an exclusive, limited-edition accessory collection and drop collection box. In 2022, Smith was nominated for the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Womenswear Designer of the Year award. He’s been described as a blueprint for independent fashion designers.
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Tara Babylon
Tara Babylon launched her brand in 2019, and she’s managed to keep it alive and independent by keeping things barebones. She runs much of her business out of her kitchen and living room and stores four collections in an apartment in Harlem.
Her big break came when she was fresh out of Parsons School of Design, and Doja Cat’s stylist DMed borrowed a coat that the singer credited on MTV. Babylon says she’s been able to sustain her business as an independent designer by putting herself second and the costs of her business first. The good news is there is demand for her clothes. Many of her designs are sold out on her brand’s e-commerce site.
Image courtesy of huishanzhang.com
Huishan Zhang
London-based designer Huishan Zhang lucked out when the debut of his first collection. Luxury boutique and e-commerce retailer Browns immediately picked up his line. He expanded his retail footprint to include Selfridges, Harrod’s, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman.
In 2015, Zhang was named a finalist for the LVMH prize, and in 2016, he received the British Fashion Council Fashion Trust award to provide funds for business growth. Zhang operates his boutique in Mayfair, London. His early retail success has helped keep his brand privately owned and growing.
Kristopher Fraser
