6 emerging brands for your summer wardrobe

Fashion is not only made by the big players who populate (or, after the coronavirus, populated) the catwalks of Milan, New York and Paris. In fact, there is a whole galaxy of smaller realities whose production is easily accessible, much more original than that of a generic fast fashion and able to produce everyday essentials whose aesthetics are less commercial and more playful than that of larger brands and even less dependent on logos and graphic solutions too obvious. Since the crisis of the Covid-19 hit the sector, then, supporting these small brands, operating outside the big industrial groups and with greater freedom on its output has become an essential activity, as well as one of the best ways to update your wardrobe with unique pieces.

That's why nss magazine has compiled a list of 5 emerging streetwear brands to discover for this season, to give your summer wardrobe the right boost.

Carter Young

An American brand specializing in unisex clothes that bases its aesthetic on the codes of workwear and Americana that presented its latest collection at New York Fashion Week. His very classic and discreet garments, yet always possess a less convevesive detail than the others. The founder, Carter Altman, refined his knowledge by studying classical tailoring first under Alexander Nash, then the codes of streetwear working for Kith and finally minimalism during his time at Helmut Lang and Alyx. 

Instagram: @carteryoungusa

Official website: carteryoung.shop

Etko

This brand specializes in completely handcrafted pieces and limited stock and consists mainly of variously deconstructed denim garments of which the most remarkable is the denim jacket in which are embedded patches of fabric decorated by the Dior Oblique motif, while another specialty are a series of jeans reassembled from different fabrics. The brand itself is mysterious: the creator and, presumably, model of the lookbooks does not show up in the face or specify its nationality and its official website is a simple e-commerce page where the clothes are sold one capsule at a time without any kind of information about the brand or graphic design. Despite these limitations, its garments have a very precise and consistent aesthetic as well as an attitude to craftsmanship.

Instagram: @xetko_

Official website: xthetic.xyz

Red Semptember

Olga Vasyukova, Russian designer and former Polimoda student, is the mastermind behind this young brand that was presented for the first time at Paris Fashion Week FW19. The range of products is vast, with a particular emphasis on a sculptural tailoring that takes up certain codes of luxury streetwear but enriches them with an aggressive avant-garde aesthetic. The construction of the individual items is something really complex, especially with regard to asymmetric trench coats and leather jackets, but it is the pants that impress the imagination the most – reworkings of the classic tracksuit enriched by a creative use of materials and a completely original layering.

Instagram: @redsemptemberofficial

Official website: nobconcept.com

Praying

An American brand created between Los Angeles and New York, Praying is a brand for graphic tee enthusiasts. Although at first glance his creations might seem almost trivial, the brand's post-internet aesthetic is a masterpiece of minimal irony and subtle irreverence. The two creatives behind the brand, Skylar Newman and Alex Haddad, have created a series of simple graphic products, both in the invoice and wearability, infinitely versatile and, above all, very Instagram-friendly.

Instagram: @praying________

Official website: prayingg.com

again & again

This brand represents the apparel line produced and made in Manhattan by the eponymous curatorial creative agency founded by Mayan Rajendran in 2018. The production of the brand is entirely gender neutral and uses as materials Indian fabrics of recovery, Italian veal skin and German nylon, according to an aesthetic that rethinks the codes of American clothing. In addition to the proposal of ready-to-wear dresses, the brand also offers a made-to-order service that produces unique garments with a decidedly more luxury flavor.

Instagram: @oursagainnyc

Official website: againagainetc.com

Divinities

A Los Angeles-based streetwear brand, Divinities is a brand that over the years has mainly worked on graphic items, such as hoodies and t-shirts, but has also produced higher-inspired pieces such as the carpenter Jeans printed from the SS20 collection. The brand also produces branded collectibles such as baseball bats and cutters.

Instagram: @thedivinities

Offical website: thedivinities.com