Who said you have to wear expensive brands to look cool? If there’s one thing that’s for certain, fashion comes in many different forms. It’s an expression of art and culture, and like anything in these categories, should be accessible to all; embracing a mix of styles and influences.
With the rise of the internet and social media, the world of fashion has evolved and grown, and now the everyday street stylista has arguably as much influence as the designer power houses.
This opens up the industry to a whole new world of young, raw design talent. Of course, this takes nothing away from the beauty and aspiration of traditional seasonal design, but it does however open new doors and bring in new creations to play with. Fashion should be fun, after all.
The emergence of independent designers and boutique labels gives us the opportunity to really experiment with fashion.
Gemma Goldstone (http://www.gemmagoldstone.com) is a British womenswear and accessories designer, teaming traditional cuts with unusual fabrics. Gemma herself describes her brand as “staying true to her British roots.. taking inspiration from the fearlessness of British fashion, pushing boundaries and taking risks.” Her latest AW14 collection nods to the cyber trend, mixing metallics and pop colour.
Bill + Mar (http://billandmar.com) is a trend lead street style brand, playing with bold prints and colours in seasonal shapes. Since building a cult online following, including a number of celebrity faces, this brand has gone from strength to strength, and is now stocked in one of the High Street’s biggest stores – Topshop. Their Lookbook campaign imagery stays true to the brand’s original ethos, often using edgy and alternative models in quirky settings.
But the independent label isn’t just for the girls. Scribblers Tea Room (http://www.scribblersteeroom.co.uk ) is an urban wear label and family-run brand that boasts handmade T-shirts, jackets, trousers and accessories. With super male model Sam Reece (who is also the face of mainstream brand Boohoo) as brand ambassador, the brand’s AW14 range is nodding to the bearded-tattoo trend of the moment.
Also in the bespoke stakes is head-ware brand Ricalyce (http://www.ricalyce.com), who offer the highest quality, premium snapbacks and beanies, for men and women.
Go on, be daring and try out an independent brand. Fashion is fun, after all.
Written by Laura Jane Turner