The Phuket SunPhukets online english newspaper with the latest news, business, travel, real estate, lifestyle, money and free classifieds
Undiscovered Designers On The Rise
Style news brought too you by Sri panwa www.sripanwa.com Phuket’s most stylish resort.
Vera, Oscar and Ralph need no introduction. While these powerhouse designers are household names, it’s new faces like Andrew Holden and Philip Sparks that are piquing shoppers’ interest–especially amid tough financial times.
“Emerging designers are trendsetters, and come up with a different angle than what’s already out there,” says Gaston Garcia, owner of Republic of Couture, an upscale men’s and women’s clothing store. “What keeps consumers in the market is new and unique items. In this economy especially, they won’t shop for something that looks like what they already have in their closet.”
Call these designers what you will (”experimental fashion” is the term most often used), but they’re filling a gap in the market. They’re not playing it safe, but they’re not stepping too far out of bounds, either–because they can. And success can come quickly. Sparks’ collection, for example, debuted in fall 2007; he’s already collaborating with Town Shoes, one of Canada’s largest footwear chains.
“Undiscovered designers can afford to take more risks because they don’t have a lot to lose at this point in their careers,” says Noga Edelsztein, head of design affiliation and creative content at Erayo.com, a Web site for independent retailers and designers.
Less Business, More Art
Many young designers still view fashion as a form of art and a hobby, says Michael Fisher, men’s editor for Stylesight, a trend forecasting firm. Since there are no big investors to please or shareholders to return investments to, the designers can try new and different things.
“Even when designers nod to an era past, such as this fall’s take on the Roaring ’20s, it still requires a new point of view,” says Aaron Walton, owner of Walton Isaacson, a Chicago- and Los Angeles-based marketing agency. Emerging designers, he says, are the lifeblood of the fashion industry because they introduce new and innovative ideas that more established brands cannot.
“Design houses are big corporations that are trying to make money,” says Agata Maskiewics, celebrity stylist for USA Network’s The Starter Wife. “Young designers sometimes are not as concerned [about] or aware of their sales profit.”
And, oddly enough, a slow economy is actually of benefit to these designers. When times are tight, shoppers cut back on big-ticket splurges and trade down on apparel and accessories. In fact, 26% of shoppers are turning to retailers other than where they usually shop (more discounters, less upscale and specialty stores), according to an August survey conducted by TNS Retail Forward, a consulting firm.
“This economy, ironically, opens up opportunities for young designers to get goods in to retailers,” says Cynthia O’Connor, CEO of Cynthia + Company, a fashion and accessories showroom in New York and Los Angeles. “In the good times, when sales are soaring, the retailers give more dollars to their current vendor mix and fewer dollars to new talent. In this economy, stores are looking for contemporary brands in men’s and women’s to excite their consumers.”
In some cases, it’s even more profitable for department stores and specialty boutiques to invest in unknown designers because their items tend to cost less, making the sales margins higher than they would be for big-brand merchandise.
Also, what generally makes luxury goods so expensive is the name attached to them, Edelsztein says. Unknown designers often make products of the same high quality, but consumers are not paying extra for the name. While a Rag & Bone trench coat sells for $585 at online store La Garconne, a similar Dolce & Gabbana double-breasted trench retails for $1,295 at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Where To Find Them
Department stores such as Bloomingdale’s and Barney’s have done a good job at carving out sections of their stores dedicated to emerging designers, says Tim Bess, market analyst at the Doneger Group, a source of global market trends and merchandising strategies to the retail and fashion industry.
“These stores are constantly looking for new lines that are theirs exclusively, at least for a few seasons, before the word gets out,” Bess says. “It gives shoppers a reason to come into their stores.”
Some of the newest, hottest designers are coming from Scandinavian cities, such as Stockholm, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark, Fisher says. In fact, Barney’s and Bloomingdale’s buyers have been attending Scandinavia’s Fashion Week for a few seasons running in order to spot these emerging designers before their competitors do.
New York City boutiques like Oden, BBlessing, Group 16 sur 20 and Oak also have become platforms for new designers to showcase their collections.
“Established brands may still be the staple of male shoppers’ wardrobe, but we see a hunger out there for the innovation and fresh approach that young designers bring,” says Sean Shutter, owner of BBlessing. “A typical customer may spend the majority of his budget on a designer he’s worn and trusted for years because he knows he can trust the fit and the quality. But he’ll supplement that with something more exciting and new.”
Of course, as young designers mature, they may grow into staple brands themselves. Shutter sees this potential in Rag & Bone, which began as creators Marcus Wainwright and David Neville’s quest to find a comfortable pair of jeans.
And that’s just the sort of thing that happened to Oscar de la Renta. The designer worked in other fashion houses for years before striking out on his own, taking a ready-to-wear approach with innovative, wearable clothing.
Now he’s a household name.
Philip Sparks
This fall marks Philip Sparks’ third season creating classic menswear rooted in heirloom tailoring techniques. He modernizes his collection by adding slim cuts, nipped-in waists and unexpected accent cloths and details. This season, Sparks expanded beyond suiting, shirting and coats to include a line of knits and accessories. Sparks’ collection is available at specialty stores in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, including Balisi, Simon’s and UPC Boutique.
Conference of Birds
Conference of Birds, by designer Andrew Holden, debuted with a Fall/Winter 2008 runway show. By combining British tailoring with classic American workwear, he creates pieces that are both beautifully constructed and wearable. Paying close attention to detail, he offers a luxurious selection of coats, blazers, shirting, denim, sweaters and accessories.
Celestino
Celestino by designer Sergio Guadarrama was created in August 2005, and his collection has been shown each season since during New York Fashion Week. Specializing in women’s evening wear, Guadarrama’s goal is to make women who may not be the most fashion-forward feel more comfortable and confident. In July Guadarrama competed as a finalist in the Supima Cotton Design Contest and was awarded “Best in Class for Execution.” Celestino is sold at trunk shows across the U.S.
Whitley Kros
Designers Sophia Banks and Marissa Ribisi base their line on the stories and travels of their fictitious character Whitley Kros, a self-possessed woman with a journal and a suitcase. The collection was launched for Spring 2008 and has been shown at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles for the past two seasons. Whitley Kros has garnered a celebrity following for its graphic T-shirts and has also done well with signature knit-draped cardigans. Whitley Kros is available at department stores and specialty stores worldwide, including Intermix, Henri Bendel and Scoop.
Gar-de
Gar-de is a New York design collective united by a desire to reinvent high-quality materials into innovative designs. Formed in 2007, the founding members of Gar-de (Chris Viggiano, Jonathan Delagarde, Ken Li and Jiminie Ha) look to their urban landscape for inspiration. Gar-de launched its debut collection in Fall/Winter 2008 with leather. Each season Gar-de will introduce a new product category while simultaneously referencing past themes. The line is available at www.gar-de.com.
Keith Lissner
The line is a women’s ready-to-wear designer collection with inspiration from Victorianism, the belle époque era and the turn of the century. Lisner’s goal is to emphasize and empower the strongest part of a woman. Nakomis, the Earth-Mother figure in Algonquin legend, was also an inspiration in the collection and is a figure Lissner embroidered onto one of the gowns in the collection. The line is available at www.keithlissner.com.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment Login
