acne jeans
founded in stockholm 1996, acne's ambition was to create and develop their own products as well as helping other people to build their brands. this ambition led to numerous assignments in advertising, graphic design, internet games and tv production. as a part of the creative collective acne, acne jeans started in 1997 when the company designed 100 pairs of jeans distributed to friends, family and clients. soon, several stores and boutiques wanted to carry the line, much to do with the characteristic bright-red stitching on raw denim. in 2003 the company opened their first acne jeans studio in central Stockholm. the second studio opened in copenhagen in december the following year. acne is today recognized internationally as a creative collective, unique for its corporate diversity such as fashion design, graphic design, film production and advertising, as well as product, business and concept development.
alexander wang
the parsons graduate is just one of those designers who hit the ground running. at 18 he moved from san francisco to new york city to attend school. His sophomore year he was already designing his first collection. by 2007 wang launched his full womenswear collection and was received by national acclaim. In 2009 he was chosen as the winner of the 2009 vogue/cfda fashion fund award for emerging designers. wang’s objective has always been to keep one’s originality and breaking the idea of the predictable uniform. “a t-shirt and jeans can be just as stylish as an evening gown”
am eyewear
Gathering inspiration from his fast-paced life traveling and mingling with some of the worlds biggest rock stars to his mother’s collection of vintage sunglasses and photos from her days in the fashion industry, Simon (Kumar) Ponnusamy's am eyewear has grown quite a bit from it's five-frame debut collection in 2003. with his shades worn by celebs such as Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Gwen Stefani, Rihanna, Sienna Miller and Jay Z, Ponnusamy still likes to work in the "old, organic way" designing using only a pad and pencil.
band of outsiders
from his carefully curated brand website made of washed-out polaroids, to his nonchalant (albeit beautiful) presentations during fashion week, scott sternberg, has a counter-culture vision in mind. his brand, band of outsiders, calls up the boyish suiting (his women's line is named boyy) that reminds us of that era in paris when drink-swilling authors like hemingway and fitzgerald banded together in disheveled, gentlemanly attire and did what they wanted without apprehension.
bed|stü
the shoe brand bed|stü’s philosophy is not about where you came from, it’s about where you’ve decided to go. since the start the brand’s purpose was to create a footwear line inspired by the tough and resilient streets in bed stuy, brooklyn, hence the name bed|stü. fundamentally based in nature with a thorough understanding of craftsmanship and endurance, bed|stü footwear is handcrafted of the finest materials available.
cast of vices
cast of vices celebrates the inherent design aesthetic of these substances while at the same time casting a critical eye on pop culture and our obsession with self-medication and addiction. the collection is hand crafted in the usa with solid .925 sterling silver, semi-precious stones and 14k gold by using the lost wax process.
cheap monday
back in 2004 while running his successful store "weekday" in central stockholm, Örjan Andersson noticed that amongst the denim sold in their store, there was a need for a cheaper but still fashionable jean. from there, cheap monday was born. without tradtional marketing, cheap monday can now be found in more than 35 countries worldwide. their original idea still remains: to offer our customers pieces that compete with high-end brands both in attitude and fashion-level as well as in quality – always at an extremely good price.
chrishabana
named after its free-spirited Brooklyn based designer, chris habana, the contemporary jewelry brand is famous for its playful yet subversive pieces. habana takes inspiration from everything such as pop icons, cartoon characters, occult imagery, pornography, victorian charm, hippie culture, raves, rock anthems, love songs and poetry. habana has developed his own style with his original unisex pieces. dark, gothic elements – from asteroids, drowning girls and the “fly trap” – to geometric shapes, shocking colors.
comme des garcons
founded (and still solely owned) by rei kawakubo in the 1970's, commes des garcons, in its many incarnations (there are approximately twenty divisions to be made), is a brand synonymous with nonconformist attitudes and experimental ideas. commes des garcons is responsible for many of fashion's most shocking and intellectual moments and this spirit is carried from guerilla pop-up, to perfume, to overcoat, in subtle and interdependent ways.
corpus
though jerrod cornish and keith richardson live in los angeles, there clothing line, corpus, isn't without a feeling of east coast conserve. in their collections, crisp collared shirts and neat suiting is occasionally punctuated by an unconventional print or denim wash. never is their clothing hurried, never is it unwise. noticing a lack of mid-range options for men that didn't fall under the umbrella of street wear, back in 2003, the pair decided they had something to say. now, having launched women's line and expanded their business to a wide range of consumers, it's clear that corpus is cognizant of its importance, and moving confidently forward each season.
factory by erik hart
factory is an interdisciplinary exercise with its focus on the creation/production of clothing, installation, video, sound, and objects. the range focuses on hart’s signature aesthetic and design approach. the collection itself draws from a base of soft tailoring, directional feminine silhouettes, minimalist sophistication paired with street sensibilities, and a keen eye for construction and quality.
general idea
with a mix of avant-garde and preppy, the korean brand general idea creates styles that manages to remain wearable. general idea’s collection is influenced by military wear with bold colors and powerful patterns.
grey ant
the grey ant aesthetic is informed by the brand's direct and uncommon approach where quality and individuality are paramount. tradional eyewear designs are reinterpreted and transformed into newfound classics for the modern everyday hero.
h by hudson
h by Hudson: the errant younger brother of London based Hudson shoes. heavily influenced by past and present youth culture and music, the collection picks up trends and gives them their own idiosyncratic twists.
harmon
designer andrew harmon is a native of new jersey. having always been interested in art, he studied sculpture at the massachusetts college of art. andrew has worked for susan cianciolo, betsey johnson, and then miguel adrover. he launched harmon in 2003 and since has become a part of the downtown new york art and fashion landscape. recently adding denim to his collection, andrew is doing true seventies with an 11” rise. a combination of elegant form and retro content have become the harmon signature.
hyden yoo wanting to eliminate that eponymous ‘after-hours' look where men in suiting un-tuck their shirts and have them dangling, all wrinkled, down by their knee-caps, hyden yoo started his line with a collection of collared shirts that were slim-cut and only slightly longer than waist. today the line has grown to include knits, trousers, and outerwear and is described as wall street meets brooklyn hipster. the two stereotypes couldn't have done better by each other.
jeffery campbell
since launching the line in 2000 inside his garage, campbell has slowly morphed the collection into a brand of genius. he and his team continue to dazzle the market with fashionista faves, including: conceptual vintage recreations, reworked runway looks, and re-amped current trends, alongside his continual best selling ballet flats and boots.
kai-aakman
kai-aakman is a genderless, seasonless casual brand aspiring harmony of animas and anima, inspired by carl jung. as a result, kai-aakman’s clothing line is unisex and androgynous where avant-garde dresses meet masculinely-tailored blazers, which could be matched with comfort baggy pants. every color, fabric and item you could find in kai-aakman collection is odd and fun, sleek and chic.
ksubi
ksubi formally “tsubi” is an australian team comprised of three sydney-based designers, dan single, george gorrow and gareth moody. the brand was launched in sydney at the mercedes australian fashion week 2001. they have been gaining popularity since then and have developed a dedicated following on an international level. ksubi has become a scene for unique and colorful denim and fashion.
ld tuttle
tiffany tuttle has been on the OAK roster since we were just 2 small store fronts across the street from each other in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. our dedication and love of the designer and the brand has been as unfaltering as her passion for creating the most comfortable shoes on the market applied to the edgiest styling. with her dancer’s background, the LA native has mastered the understanding of a women’s foot and applied this to the impeccable construction for the ultimate footwear available at a level of high end designer quality. in other words, we heart L.D. Tuttle.
matt brenson
matt brenson is based in tribeca, and designs luxurious sandals for women, which are hand produced in an artisan workshop factory in the south of brazil using the highest quality craftsmanship, eco-responsible materials, and advanced comfort-engineering.
mm6 maison martin margiela
mm6, the sister label of maison martin margiela, is a standalone collection designed for women. the range of easily mixable separates, shoes and accessories comprise wearable day-to-day basics which remain true to the stron and distinctive style unique to the mainline collection.
miansi
new york bred and educated at the university of miami, michael saiger is a self-taught designer having learned by combining his creativity and curiosity with a natural niche for finding collectibles and translating their influences into wearable accessories for men and women. inspired by childhood memories of the beaches of new england and his mother's antique shop, michael's handmade designs are preppy, rustic, classic and timeless.
mother
shying from the much-digested notion of heritage jeans, Mother is a play on opposites. a study in irony, it feels soft and nurturing, while presenting itself as stark and sexy. the term winks at the double entendres of what is, arguably, the second most powerful word in the English language.
oak
in 2003 jeff madalena and louis terline concepted a small women's store called canary located at 145 ainslie street in williamsburg brooklyn. prior to the opening of the store louis, a native new yorker, had studied graphic design at the pratt institute in brooklyn. after a year of freelancing and exploration post-graduation, terline was asked to serve as wardrobe stylist for a small independent film. having enjoyed his first taste of the industry, he went on to work on a number of new york independent films, including paper soldiers, produced by roc-a-fella records. in 2001, terline was introduced to an intriguing side of fashion, when a friend asked him to style a fashion show for plus-size women's clothing for curvestyle in manhattan. after, recognizing an underserved market, he designed and produced a small collection of designer denim called seventy washington which is specifically proportioned to flatter fuller figures.
jeff born and raised in california attended the university of california at berkeley. not satisfied with academia he moved to new york in 1998 to study fashion at parsons school of design. his first job in the industry was with ddc lab, a small denim line with a store in the lower east side. while at ddc jeff picked up a tremendous knowledge of denim, fabrics, and intricate construction. after leaving he continued on designing and launched a full clothing line called jack with denim and t-shirts as the core. the collection sold to barneys its first season out and immediately made it into top us retail doors. after jeff madalena transitioned into styling and met terline.
terline and madalena opened their first store canary and one year later they decided to set up shop across the street with another store for men. this store was named oak.canary and oak on ainslie st have been closed and re-located into one men's and women's store called oak on north 8th st. oak has progressed into a full lifestyle brand with a clothing line, magazine and two retail locations.
orly genger by jaclyn mayer
orly genger by jaclyn mayer is a collaboration work between manhattan based artist orly genger and designer jaclyn mayer. the limited edition jewelry is based on the knotting technique used in genger's sculptures. everything is done by hand and without hooks or needles. the pieces juxtapose the industrial ropes from genger's art with the design aesthetic of mayer's jewelry.the result is jewelry delicate yet powerful and strong when worn. all jewelry is designed and made in the usa.
pleasure principle
pleasure principle is a fashion label founded in 2002 and is a collaboration between new york based artists/designers adrian cowen and diva pittala. their idea is to bring a conceptual artistic approach to fashion design particularly to the area of sportswear. this initially took the form of developing garments from jersey that can be worn in multiple ways and yet are restrained in construction by the parameters of the simple t-shirt.graphic elements offer glimpses of an imagined identity, and often reflect the dark side of pleasure - hence the freudian 'pleasure principle' name.
rick owens drkshdw
rick owens drkshdw collection celebrates the versatility of blue collar staples like denim and jersey cotton and reinterprets them with his notorious dark and gothic edge. pieces retain a deconstructed elegance reliant on extreme treating, abrasion, bleaching, dying and waxing. each garment is very limited edition and has a quality of abuse all its own.
sally lapointe
modern, feminine, aggressive. these are the words that sally lapointe uses to describe her designs. after graduating from RISD in 2006 with a BFA in apparel design, lapointe moved to NYC with her best friend and now business partner to launch her eponymous collection. her debut collection for spring 2011 was shown during NYFW.
super sunglasses
worn by the likes of daft punk, kanye, sienna miller and the kills comes super, the most buzz-worthy and color –conscious shades around.
super, the newest project from pig magazine's sean beolchini and the beckerman brothers, has taken the classic wayfarer-style sunglasses and upped the ante with a virtual rainbow of unisex options—turquoise, cream, red, yellow, and blue—not to mention superior construction. handmade in the legendary sunglass factories of Italy, each pair of slightly oversized frames is reinforced with zeiss lenses and a gold-plated brand stamp inside. achieve true technicolor vision with a pair of super's retro style sunglasses.
surface to air
what started as a collective of designers and artists with a clever graphic identity and ties to the fashion world has evolved into a global creative force with operations in both paris and new york city. known as darlings of the coolest underground scenes across the continents, Surface to Air creates enviable collections drool-worthy amongst the fashionable elite. Wearable, sexy and hip... what more could anyone want?
thvm atelier
THVM {pronounced "them"} is a collective of creative minded people dedicated to designing and producing quality premium denim at an affordable price. the brand’s aesthetic aim is to create sophisticated and refined designs, while being accessible to a wide audience. simplicity is the core of the basics collection, allowing an individual to express their style and personality without the interference of over embellishment.
unconditional
unconditional is designed by philip stephens and is now 4 years old – it started in A/W 2003 as a menswear luxury basics line for his first shop, the concrete shop, soho, london. for the past two years it has included womenswear and currently shows on schedule in london fashion week. the appeal and success of unconditional centers around a strong style identity: laidback, edgy, often androgynous pieces in high quality fabrications. clean, strong silhouettes that are also intentionally quite sexy, and a focus on the wearer. with a core of luxury basics, the collection increases its collection of more special pieces each season, all combined with a realistic price point. philip has environmentally friendly tendencies and the collection almost exclusively uses natural fabrics produced, dyed and manufactured as ethically as possible.
unif
UNIF {“Ur Not In Fashion”} was established in 2004 by LA native Eric Espinoza (designer/owner). UNIF embodies a clean fusion of fashion forward street design and contemporary details. influenced by the hustle and bustle of everyday city life, UNIF is a true representation of LA style.
won hundred
having long felt the urge to launch his own vision of a distinctive clothing line Nikolaj Nielsen, an industry veteran with a vast background in denim, founded Won hundred with the ambition to challenge the way fashion was grasped in native Denmark. won hundred is a brand with a collection rooted in classical mens wear and traditional formal wear and a willingness to take risks.