There’s nothing quite like filing your closet with major designers and labels, but we also think you should make some room for the next big names in fashion. Fashion Weeks are taking place all over the world in cities like Seoul, Kiev, Moscow and Toronto, showcasing budding talent that has yet to reach us stateside. If you want to be ahead of the curve and support the next Prabal Gurung (so you can say you knew of them way back when), these are the international names you’ll want to watch out for.
Babyghost
This brand is a double edged sword, breaking into the American and the Chinese market simultaneously. Designers Qiaoran Huang and Joshua Hupper started Babyghost six years ago after meeting as interns at Diane von Furstenberg. Chinese native Qiaoran graduated from Donghua University before moving to NYC to study at Parsons, while Hupper worked for Thakoon and Nathan Jenden. Since then they’ve managed a small but very dedicated following both in New York and in China. This season was their second year at NYFW. They’ve gained some serious traction since their first show and garnered outstanding reviews in February. Look to them for streetwear and cozy knits that are deconstructed, slouchy and totally cool.
Ground-Zero
Hailing from Hong Kong, brothers Philip and Eric Chu founded Ground-Zero in 2008 in an effort to design their own line of club wear. Combining their skills—Eri studied graphic design in Hong Kong, while Philip went to London to study fashion design—they’ve become extremely successful in Asia, working with celebrities Wyman Wong and Miriam Yeung, and brands like Sanrio, And-A, D-Mop, Bypac and Juun J. Their collection is a cool kid lineup that features super wide leg pants, leather jackets and bright eclectic separates. It’s not for everyone, but if you’ve been to a rave sometime in the past 10 years or love the Instagrammable looks of style icons like Anna Dello Russo, this brand is worth looking into. This year was their second season at NYFW, and so far, they’re getting some pretty great reviews.
Anton Belinskiy
When Vogue says a designer is going to “take over the world,” then chances are good it’s a name you’re going to want to add to your closet. Ukranian designer Anton Belinskiy has had some major success in his home country and in Europe, even becoming a semifinalist for the LVMH Prize last year. By 2015, not only did Harvey Nichols pick up his line, but he also had an exhibit at the Museum of FIT. In 2009, he debuted his line at Kiev Fashion Week; this year, he showed for the first time at NYFW as a part of the VFILES runway show and has received some majorly impressive reviews. His collections are bold in color and architecture; he uses color blocking and shape as a way to symbolize a “utopian space.”
Julia Seemann
If you’ve ever wanted to copy some of Rihanna’s on-point style, then you’ll want to check out 25-year-old Swiss designer Julia Seemann. As student of the Institute Of Fashion Design at the Academy Of Art And Design Basel, she presented her graduate collection at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Days Zurich in 2014. She began her eponymous collection later that year while working for Vivienne Westwood and Meadham Kirchhoff in London. By 2015, she won the VFILES award and was invited to open at NYFW—a day later Rihanna was wearing her designs fresh off the runway. She now presents in-season collections, and earlier this year showcased her Spring/Summer 2016 line titled Desire Lines. Working with color, abstract patterns, structure and textures, she creates pieces that are easily wearable, but still offers that youthful, experimental edge.
Kim Shui
Born in the US, but raised in Rome, Kim Shui returned to America to study at Duke University and Parsons before going on to graduate from Central St. Martins in London. Launching her label in Italy, she was quick to receive some serious attention being featured in Vogue Italia, Elle Italia, and L’Officiel. She was a finalist in the 2013 Mittelmoda International Fashion Award in Milan and in 2014, won the Media Award at Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week: International Young Fashion Designers Competition in Beijing. This year she was one of five designers chosen to show at NYFW under full sponsorship by Not Just a Label. Of course it garnered great reviews for her use of color and texture. Even Kylie Jenner attended her presentation, seated front row in a Kim Shui-designed jumpsuit.
Anna K
Model-turned-designer Anna Karenina has been showing her collections at Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days for several seasons now with great success. The 20-year-old Ukrainian creative has been crafting fun and quirky designs since she was 16, and her line, Anna K, has been selling in top European retailers like Colette, Galeries Lafayette and Avenue 32. She’s shown at Pitti Imagine in Florence, and this season, brought her designs to New York for the first time showing in Made Fashion Week. Kris Jenner is a fan and has already worn one of her designs to a PR event. She’s hoping to relocate her business to NYC where as she feels the city is an “ideal place for our generation.”
Beaufille
In 2013, Canadian sisters Chloé and Parris Gordon founded Beaufille, loosely translated to “handsome girl.” Playing off the name of their brand, they focus on androgynous looks, featuring designs with clean and simple lines that are unfussy and easy to wear. They have been nominated for two major Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards including the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent: Fashion and the Emerging Talent Award. In 2015 they won the CAFA Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent: Accessories. They presented their first NYFW presentation this season, usually showing at Toronto Fashion Week. If you’re feeling hesitant about jumping on the new androgynous trend, keep in mind Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez are already fans of this designing duo.
KYE
South Korean designer Kathleen Hanhee Kye is well-known in her home country for her K-pop collections, but this Central Saint Martins-educated designer is ready to break open the American market. After graduation she debuted her Fall 2012 collection at London Fashion Week before moving her show to Seoul Fashion Week during the Spring 2013 season. She was a finalist for the LVMH Prize, received the Samsung Fashion Design Fund Award and was named one of the 100 Koreas Expected to Bring Honor to Korea in a Decade by a major Seoul newspaper. She began participating in NYFW as part of the Concept Korea collection (a show sponsored by the South Korean government), and is now showcasing her own NY runway presentations. Her designs are fun, bright and lighthearted, much like the K-pop idols she often dresses.
