When it comes to fashion, some names roll off the tongue without a second thought. These are the designers who dominate red carpets, influencers’ wardrobes, and, often, sit on our own wish lists. These household names have become synonymous with luxury, even as they face criticism online for declining quality or, in some cases, appear in court over labor violations.
Don’t get us wrong—Fashion Reverie love these brands as much as the next fashion lover. While the discourse around them rages on, they’ve undeniably shaped the fashion industry we know today. But what about the designers shaping tomorrow?
Fashion Reverie aims to start a conversation around those said fashion designers who haven’t quite hit household-name status … the ones just now entering the “if you know, you know” arena. These are the names worthy of your attention, your admiration, and, of course, your closet.
With a background working with luxury houses like Dior, Charlotte Bialas blends timeless elegance with modern playfulness. Her designs often feature vintage-inspired details such as romantic silhouettes, fluid silk prints, and plush cashmeres. Based in France with a boutique in Paris, Bialas crafts pieces that feel like heirlooms from the future. It’s no surprise her brand has quietly earned a devoted, discerning following.
Already a staple for many, Magda Butrym is the Polish designer known for merging classic femininity with cool, offbeat details. Floral appliqués and sculptural tailoring are part of her designs, her backless pink floral dress seen on TikTok star Alix Earle earlier this year. Earle wearing this Butrym dress marked her pivot toward a more refined aesthetic, and it’s easy to see why. Butrym’s style is timeless, while still remaining playful and feminine. With a fall 2025 show set in Paris, Butrym is quickly proving she’s not just of the moment, but a designer worth keeping an eye on.
Charles de Vilmorin launched his eponymous label on Instagram at the height of the 2020 pandemic, and the risk paid off. Just a year later, he was showing at Paris Fashion Week. Known for his dreamy, theatrical aesthetic, de Vilmorin crafts clothes that feel like portals into another world. With bold silhouettes and whimsical prints, his work captures fashion at its most expressive and otherworldly.
Italy has long been home to iconic fashion, but Niccolò Pasqualetti brings something new to the table. Founded in 2021 and debuting at Paris Fashion Week that same year, the brand reimagines classic Italian craftsmanship through a gender-fluid lens. All items are handmade in Tuscany, where tradition meets boundary-pushing design. Androgynous and architectural, Pasqualetti’s pieces feel like the future of tailoring
On her website, Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen writes that her work is “less of a brand, more of a practice”—and it shows. Based in New York City, Whalen is an artist and designer whose pieces feel like wearable sculptures. She works exclusively with deadstock and vintage materials, sometimes incorporating unexpected elements like papier-mâché. After a striking debut at New York Fashion Week in 2024, she’s quickly becoming one of the most compelling voices in fashion’s next chapter.
Images courtesy of the respective brands
The creative force behind Scandinavian label Hodakova, Ellen Hodakova Larsson, places sustainability at the heart of her work. Founded in 2021, the brand is known for its dedication to craftsmanship, storytelling, and recycling materials into entirely new forms. Each piece, whether made from repurposed belts or secondhand suits, feels both deeply personal and wildly inventive.
—Sydney Yeager
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