“What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.” —MIUCCIA PRADA, head designer of Prada and founder of Miu Miu
Fashion at its highest level of achievement is an art form. Fashion was born the moment Eve grabbed a few leaves to cover her femininity as she was banished from the Garden of Eden. Fashion is meant to clothe beautifully, to keep warm stylishly and protect from the elements. Fashion is a statement that defines an individual’s moods, personality, frivolities, and sobriety depending upon the occasion or the whim. The 2022 Spring/Summer runway shows have drawn to a close this month in the fashion capitals of the world—New York, London, Milan, Paris—where fashionistas were able to catch a glimpse of what’s up-and-coming and who’s new. The mainstays—Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Versace, Dior, Valentino, among the myriad—were, of course, all there. However, it’s the young fashion houses that make things lively and look beyond their brand, to the future of fashion. Some are daring, some are over-the-top, all have a vision and a statement uniquely their own. Here are five trending designers that take fashion to the cutting edge—and we just love them.
PETER DO
PETER DO IS A NEW YORK COLLECTIVE founded in 2018 by a group of longtime friends, each with distinctive skills, voice, and vision that challenges the traditional yet advocates family first through its “commitment to creating a brand that is rooted in kindness and mutual respect.” The company bears the name of its Vietnam-born designer, Peter Do, who immigrated with his family when he was 14 to Philadelphia. He studied at the renowned Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and was awarded the inaugural 2014 LVMH Graduate Prize. Prior to establishing PETER DO with his friends, he worked at Céline and then Derek Lam. Menswear-inspired with flattering silhouettes resulting from innovative cuts and impeccable draping, asymmetric styling, innovative doubled-breasted tailoring, pleats galore, and more. “The woman I am speaking to is defining a new kind of glamor,” Do says.
THEBE MAGUGU
THEBE MAGUGU FOUNDED HIS NAMESAKE luxury South African label in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2015. Thoughtful and inventive, his designs encourage honor, novelty, and uncompromising quality, and are created for the woman who seeks new ways of presenting herself while enhancing her everyday experience. His fashions are sleek, forward-looking, and incorporate design motifs and details inspired by South Africa’s storied past and complex present. Comfort and practicality with a flare are consistent in all THEBE MAGUGU fashion. “The Sisterhood Golfer Dress,” above left, is a relaxed, calf-length shift dress with a single, knee-high slit on the side. The green knitted wool midcalf dress, above right, features long sleeves, dropped hip, and flared technical pleats. “I always say that although I grew up within an incredibly rich cultural heritage and history, I’m also quite globalized in my view. My family has indigenous beliefs that merge with their modern lifestyle. All these things come together to inform the work that I do,” Magugu explains.
DEL CORE
FOUNDED IN MILAN, ITALY’S FASHION CAPITAL, by German-Italian designer Daniel Del Core, his eponymous fashion house is centered on the principle that fashion should be a fluid, dynamic, “aesthetic vision.” Inspired by classical art, fantasy, and glamor, his garments are painstakingly “Made in Italy” with a level of craftsmanship deserving of the fine fabrics and materials in the couture house’s made-to-measure pieces integrated with prêt-à-porter. The 31-year-old designer interned at Dolce & Gabbana and Versace after graduating from Milan’s IED, and then worked with Zuhair Murad in Paris and Alessandro Michele in Rome before starting his own label. He has dressed actress Dakota Fanning and singer Björk, of whom he said, “I think they’re very courageous women; for performers and artists, dresses are like carapaces that protect them and give them a self-confident persona.
CHRISTOPHE JOSSE
CHRISTOPHE JOSSE draped blouse in cream leather satin, wide rolled sleeves. Skirt in bronze leather satin. CHRISTOPHE JOSSE STUDIED ART history before joining the Torrente fashion house, where he worked for 15 years. He created his own fashion house in 2005 and in 2011, became a permanent member of the elite French Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. His aesthetic is fragile elegance, sensuous and subtle, contemporary and yet inspired by Neoclassicism. Simplicity in line is central to his vision and yet there is nothing simple about the construction of the garments. Skeletal-like ribbing, pleating reminiscent of Fortuny, and contrasting fabrics are used to create an ultra-feminine, romantic silhouette. Above all is the attention to detail. CHRISTOPHE JOSSE draped gown with pleated banded waist, pockets, and caped neckline.
YIQING YIN
BORN IN BEIJING IN 1985, YIQUING YIN and her family immigrated to France when she was four-years-old and then Australia. She is captivated by the dynamic of pleats and modern smocking techniques, unrestricted structure, and the parlance between contruction and fluidity. A graduate of he ENSAD (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs) in Paris, she has received numerous awards and in December 2015, received the distinguished appellation “haute couture” by the Fédération Française de la Couture.