Ladies, These Small Brands Are On The Rise. Let Me Tell You Why

By: Madison Johnson

The Dramatic Changes Within Women's Fashion: Let's Talk About It

After scouring the interwebs for an immense duration, a fairly notable list has been compiled spotlighting many upcoming brands/designers. These brands will fall under three categories. The first is the renowned hyper-feminine, elegant style consisting of a multitude of sheer fabrics, minimalist ruffling, and tasteful cuts and eyelets.

The next would be the eccentric, mismatched, assembled style that is known for its anomalous “trinket-like” flavor. Finally, the last style is the notorious “pop-chic” that is recognized for resembling the Y2K era, familiarly home to neon, bright colors, and modish designs. After a careful fad analysis, it is concluded that the one ideology all these different styles have in common is that imminent cross between desiring something new in fashion without straying too far from the past.

Throughout history women's fashion has had its dramatic changes, however, there became a point where these changes became less of a “birth” of something fresh and just an evolution of style patterns. The most prominent pattern would be the dance across modesty and seductive, which as of today it would seem we have mastered mixing the two seamlessly.

Flirty, Feminine, & Flounced

Recently the style of hyper-femininity has made a huge impact on social media. People have spun their own expected personal twist upon the style, dressing it down a bit, however, this style has taken an unapologetic sway toward matching sets.

Mirror Palais is a brand that has been getting a round of applause on social media for a few years now. The brand, founded by Marcelo Gaia in 2019, was conceived in New York City. Mirror Palais is a concoction of romantic and sultry styles produced by the sheerness of the fabrics used and the draping style of many of the dresses and skirts. However, the designs are minimalist, withholding an abundance of intricate centerpieces in Gaia’s visions. Mirror Palais creates clothing fit for the multitude of bodies that wear them. “A love letter to women,” Gaia says on the website, and a sweet memorandum indeed.

Fait Par Foutch is a brand with a similar aesthetic to Mirror Palais. The same fanciful style is displayed with Fait Par Foutch, a french inspired brand that was founded in Los Angeles in 2021. Fait Par Foutch fancies wonderous creams and ethereal

prints that resemble antique art pieces. The clothes belong in a museum themselves showcasing effortless silks that fall off the skin, embraced by minimal strings for adjustments. The concept of sheer vs silk is the main attraction of this style and Fait Par Foutch makes its mark. The cursive dresses and skirts are a successful acknowledgment of past romantic era designs for women’s fashion, executed with pulchritude and grace.

Closing this section off with Sororité seems pertinent. Sororité is special because the brand truly grasps the notion of sustainability. Sororité connects women’s clothing to its past by simply taking historical pieces and enhancing them with the slightest modern touch. Built upon a mother and her daughter’s passion for luxury fashion, Sororité Vintage bleeds of generational femininity, and its pieces tell that story. Sororité ensures that the piece you pick will truly be one-of-kind. The brand even has its licensed fashion historian that works closely with classical pieces, ensuring they get the regard they deserve.

Sororité prides itself on its social media presence. They post quite a bit online, engaging with the followers of their brand, baking that tight-knit relationship so similar to the one the founding mother and her daughters had when creating Sororité. Sororité has picked up considerable celebrity recognition from photo shoots to streetwear, they are only on the rise.

When we take a glimpse back in history, restraining our timeline to nowhere past 1910, draping in skirts began to become more asymmetrical and loose. The rigid frames from the years before were being abandoned for looser fabric designs that were flirty and fun. Preferred fabrics such as satin, lightweight silks, chiffon, and taffeta– all fabrics that these three brands showcase exponentially. We then migrate to the 20s wear dresses become simpler in design, skirts also begin to rise, showing more skin, and most designs were considered indecent for the time.

These three brands seem to be mimicking these eras, for Sororité some pieces may be closer to those years while Fait Par Foutch and Mirror Palais are replicating this look in a more modern way. These designs are so simple and elegant, accentuating the minute details of the clothes while allowing the women who wear these designs to be the main attraction.

Concocted & Constructed

Flip the switch and we are on the opposite end of the spectrum with styles that are less dainty and abandoning classic women’s style habits. There has been a rise in designs that challenge the usual socially expected apparel. The act of no longer attempting to rationalize garments has been taking the world by storm. This movement is swayed by newer generations breaking through the bounds and expectations of prior social constructs in fashion.

Hodakova is a remarkable brand, dripping in authenticity and expression. The Sweden brand, founded in 2021 is fairly novice, bringing a refresh to the fashion industry through its curious patterns. The brand’s mission is to follow the sustainability wokeness that has swept the world by transforming older materials and items into luxury, the garments becoming the raconteur for the lives of these items connecting the souls of one material, to the heart of this pattern.

Hodokova uses sharp and angled slits in most of their skirts which separate the skirts from what people usually digest. The garments have unique choices in the fabric that are robust, and eye-catching while also complementing the wearer with leg slits or flattering fabric sinches. Hodokova’s homepage embraces different accessories in an art form, using belts as skirts, and long jackets as dresses. Their Conventional Collections are anything but and they’re sure to bring newfound imagery to what we know as fashion.

Awake Mode is another brand that bids farewell to usual trend patterns. Awake Mode, no stranger to the industry, was founded in London in 2012. They describe their pieces as avant-garde and innovative. At first glance, Awake Mode’s pieces have an industrious aesthetic, including lots of suit pants and blazers, and very sturdy wear. Then, after looking further it is revealed that these pieces are challenged by being paired with flashy skirts with riveting geometric patterns. Their bags take abnormal shapes and vibrant colors, and the shoes range from shades of black, beige, brown, bright yellow, and bright green, a fitting assortment for the brand’s style.

When paired together, many items in the assortment may not make a great deal of sense to many but will speak volumes to those that do. Regardless, Awake Mode must be commended for its ability to have remained divergent after all these years and can constantly create rare and imaginative styles.

Taking a look back at the fashion timeline, we skip to the 1940s, when war was underway. Wartime regulations such as L-85 restricted fabric freedom with garments for women and men. Women became seen in more practical attire that was industrious and sturdy; lacking character but appropriate for the time.

The 1940s was also the era of wide shoulders and slender waists, much seen in women’s blazers today, uttering a kind of sophistication and earnestness. This era was also the declaration of women’s slacks in fashion. There was a conversation about their appropriateness, what could they be categorized as? Were they feminine enough? Were they sophisticated enough? Leaving this era, the social popularity of slacks carried through, bringing us to today–where slacks can be seen as a streetwear staple in many closets.

Hodakova and Awake Mode lean toward the idea of the 1940s, where women retired their infamous and impractical skirts and grandiose gowns, for materials that were solid and designs that allowed for work and movement. It was a turn fashion-wise from the traditional garments and although the era didn’t last long, it put its stamp on women’s fashion with a multitude of modern-day materials. Hodakova and Awake Mode garner their spin on the fashion pieces and add more depth to these once-bland garments. Playing time machine, these brands take us back while launching us forward, the materials themselves feeling very reminiscent but the actual designs ushering us to a cutting-edge place, one we’ve never seen before.

Forever Into Eternity: Y2K Lives On & On

1. The Era Of Y2K Fashion

Ending off on the return of the cult classic “Y2K” which over the years has seemed to evolve in ways that incorporate more and more audiences. Its adaptations within the industry have proved if nothing else, that it has made its place within fashion, whether that be in the form of an oversized shade that has taken its place coupled with a long trench or a night-out outfit that’s decorated with a recognizable print.

When it first returned in volume during the years 2020-2021 through the media, it heavily parodied pop culture references and trends that included the smoky and effortless makeup, the obnoxious animal print, the bedazzled accessories and phones, the velvet tracksuits, and of course, the lowest of lowrise. Within its return, people plucked out what they wanted to keep from this era or modified it completely.

2. The Rise Of The Miaou Brand

Miaou is a brand that I believe is the most notable on the list. Their presence on social media has gathered many’s attention because of their kiss to the era everyone was ramping and raving about. Interestingly enough, when the rise of thrifting and shopping second-hand online became a prominent statement a few years back now, Miaou joined this movement. This can be partially explained by the fact that Miaou was created by Miss Alexia Elkaim who fed her love for fashion by buying from flea markets and thrift stores in any and every city she visited. Elkaim started Miaou with a small vision “the perfect pair of jeans” the brand has created that and much more since then with their vision remaining the same, wear the clothes, don’t let them wear you.

Miaou has several unique prints on fairly simple designs. Unlike the brands we just dove into, the patterns and prints of Miaou speak louder than the actual clothing blueprint itself. Their best sellers consist of raunchy denim skirts, pleather, and denim studded corset tops, and a hot moto jacket. Miaou is fun, sexy, and free. The brand screams women's liberation through the funky zebra print and fiery mismatched mini tees that give any outfit a bit of zest.

3. The Ascension Of The Farai London Brand

Farai London up next was true, founded in London in 2020 and blew up online a bit after Kylie Jenner was seen in their notable cutout halter dress. Since then people couldn’t get enough of the bright and vibrant colors and splotches that they display on their clothes. Their dresses are form-fitting, very sexy, and catty.

The designs of their clothes heavily replicate a certain style from the early 2000s which the founder, Mary-Ann Msegni stated in Teen Vogue’s article of Farai London that she always loved the early 2000s from the music to the public figures of the time. This is no shock considering her clothes make such bold statements, invoking confidence and fierce sashays in whoever wears these garments. Farai London is one of the few black-founded businesses on this list which is extremely inspiring considering she already received such traffic from celebrities and public figures. Her designs seem to hug the shapes and curves of all body types which I’m sure black women across the world adore, and rightfully so.

4. The Revolution Of The Niihai Brand

Niihai is another brand that follows this theme of early 2000s luxe but they take a different approach. Niihai launched in 2019 in London and is very fitting to their style category, they want their wearers to feel confident, sexy, and powerful. Niihai is known for its bold boots. They are sharp, dark, and cutthroat. Their boots are very Metallica in colors, jumping from black to these shades of chrome which compliments the staple silvery metal hardware. They take a darker, edgier feel to the early 2000s style, not sticking too closely to the “pop” aesthetic that often comes with the style. They instead almost give off an “effortless rocker -girlfriend”.

Nihaii has the signature faux leather tops and bottoms and they love adding star decals to their jeans which is oh so 2000s. For anyone who wants to embody this style category with a bit of a renegade touch, Niihai is your brand. “Aesthetically exclusive yet socially inclusive.” they preach, so find your people.

Conclusion:

This list could have included thousands of other smaller brands, ones including their varieties and details however, that list would be a thousand and one pages. Upcoming women’s fashion trends could hardly be condensed down to ten categories let alone these three, however, this lets us see these new trends from a new perspective.

We know why these certain styles are becoming popular but some of us beg the question of why? Fashion like most things in our society is extremely repetitive, morphing itself into different versions of what it once was, we can get even more intricate and “scientific” and figure out how exactly these style origins branched off and changed into what we see today, however, that’s a different article for a different time.

One similarity these very different brands all share is their fruitful actions of incorporating the mission of sustainability in fashion. These brands are fighting the strong current against fast fashion in their unique ways whether that be through refurbishing classic items, upcycling garments, or simply sourcing proper materials and help, the steps taken are large ones and they’re all contributing to the change.

EXTERNAL RESOURCES:

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Fox-Suliaman, J. (2021, November 15). 49 emerging fashion brands on our radar for fall 2021. Who What Wear. Retrieved January 20, 2023, from https://www.whowhatwear.com/emerging-fashion-brands-fall-2021/slide3

Ware, A. M. (2020, August 25). Meet the black designer behind Kylie Jenner's viral dress. Teen Vogue. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://www.teenvogue.com/story/farai-london

Gibbs, S. (2020, May 1). Why the brand Sororité Vintage is doing everything right. Medium. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://sgibbs-78733.medium.com/why-the-brand-sororit%C3%A9-vintage-is-doing-everything-right-201aeaa6ba59

Admin. (2011, February 13). Fashion timeline. Vintage Fashion Guild. Retrieved January 21, 2023, from https://vintagefashionguild.org/fashion-timeline/