In a few more blinks, New York Fashion Week will officially kick off this week on September 6. The bi-annual industry event will be filled with its usual bevy of runway shows, presentations, and after-parties that will be the talk of New York City. While the event will see headliners like Coach, Tommy Hilfiger, and Tory Burch, New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is also a playground for many emerging designers. New York City has been the birthplace of many notable major contemporary names in fashion, including Thom Browne, Jeremy Scott, and Telfar Clemens.
With NYFW on the horizon, many are wondering who will be the next crop of designers that could be the next big fashion designer/brand. Fashion Reverie has created a designers-to-watch guide for the upcoming spring 2025 NYFW season.
Grace Ling
The 2010s saw the rise of 3D printing and conversations around sustainability in fashion. Grace Ling combined these contemporary concepts and founded her namesake brand, known for its unique, 3D-printed pieces and sustainable designs. The brand also takes a minimalist approach to color, with most pieces offered in black, white, or gray. In an era where the quiet luxury aesthetic has become a bigger trend, Ling has found a way to give minimalism an edge with sculptural designs, CGI technology, and luxe materials like leather and wool.
Campillo
Coming out of Mexico, Campillo is another sustainable-focused fashion brand offering menswear pieces, some with a gender-fluid twist. Campillo manufactures its clothing using fair labor practices and the mission of using environmentally sustainable materials. The brand does both customer orders and direct-to-consumer pieces. Campillo merges luxury and sustainability using leather, silk, and suede materials.
TWP
Founded by Trish Westcoast Pound, whose initials made up the brand name, TWP is a tailoring-focused brand launched in 2021. Pound had the right idea to launch the brand as the fashion industry emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and people were looking for tailored clothes again.
The brand is made for the polished and understated woman, playing on the quiet luxury aesthetic. Pieces range from leather camisoles to wool suiting trousers for customers who want to build out a wardrobe of luxury staple pieces.
Diotima
Designer Rachel Scott of Diotima is inspired by her Jamaican heritage and grounds her work in history and politics. Scott designs Diotima between Jamaica and New York, showcasing elements of her heritage in her work. Tailoring is crafted with heritage tweeds from the UK, harkening back to the informal dialogue born out of Jamaica during the Windrush era, while island-inspired basket weaves are sourced from Italian mills.
The name Diotima comes from Diotima of Mantinena, the name or pseudonym of an ancient Greek character in Plato’s dialogue Symposium. In Symposium, Diotima argues that not everything must be either one thing or its opposite, similar to the brand.
Kate Barton
In 2021, Kate Barton received her MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and her thesis garnered exhibition in the CFDA Graduate Showcase. A year later, the designer began making waves with the official launch of her eponymous brand. The New York-based label is known for its unconventional garment construction, bold silhouettes, and draping.
This year, Barton is among the 2024 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists, making her one of the biggest American designers of the year to watch. The winner of the Fashion Fund receives a $300,000 prize, while two runners-up receive a $100,000 prize.
Jane Wade
Workwear is seemingly all the rage nowadays as many independent designers and younger brands focus on tailoring. Jane Wade, who launched her namesake label in 2022, created her brand to bridge the gap between traditional workwear and modern office attire. To that end, she carefully constructs her garments inside out, and unusual colors and visual proportions to create workwear with an edge. It’s paid off in her favor, as she already counts notable department store Bergdorf Goodman among her stockists.
Presley Oldham
Presley Oldham’s last name might ring familiar to many, as he is the nephew of legendary American fashion designer Todd Oldham. Presley has followed in his uncle’s fashionable footsteps, but rather than modernize his uncle’s ready-to-wear approach, he’s found his footing in jewelry and accessories.
Presley’s become known for using pearls, antique glass, and 14k gold to create one-of-a-kind handcrafted pieces. The designer recently took to Instagram to say he’s “dreaming up something special for Fashion Week” so fans will have to stay tuned.
Images courtesy of the respective brands
5000
Taylor Thompson of 5000 didn’t have the traditional path to becoming a fashion designer. The 2024 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nominee studied UX design before he bounced around to various jobs, including working as a sales representative at Nordstrom, assisting the fashion director of Hood by Air, and working the sales floor at Dover Street Market.
In 2017, he founded 5000, where he showcases a luxe take on utilitarian pieces. Notable designs include a raw edge silk coat, fur-lined sport vests, and Japanese nylon hunter jackets. The brand offers both ready-to-wear and made-to-order pieces.
—Kristopher Fraser
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