Who Will Be the Man of Next Year in Style?

It's damn near impossible to teach an old dog new tricks, but Aaron Levine has done it time and again. As one of the designers for hickey, he translated the well-constructed tailored menswear of Hickey Freeman for a younger, bolder demographic that wasn't afraid of pattern, color, or a precise fit. Over at Rogues Gallery, he redefined northeastern style and peppered in a lot of quality menswear staples.

Now, as the vice president of men's design at Club Monaco, he's taken the Canadian retailer in a decidedly more American direction. Mixing in well-cut suits with adventurous sportswear like blackwatch plaid parkas made from waxed canvas, casual bomber jackets, and American-made denim, he's given the brand a well-needed dose of relevancy—just take a look at their spring collection. Men are flocking to the shop, and people are talking about it as a new contender in the realm of accessible style—all thanks to Levine.

These two designers have come a long way. They met when they both worked for Diddy's Sean John clothing label, and then started their own streetwear line, Black Apple. That led to their fashion label Public School. Courtesy of the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Incubator program, that line went from a side project to a full-on lifestyle collection, presenting tailored menswear alongside rugged outerwear with a gritty, New York vibe. Their clothing is perfect for the man who clawed his way up the city's social ladder, but never forgot his rugged roots.

The former Stüssy creative director was responsible for keeping that label relevant into the new millenium. He did that by focusing on organic collaborations, good design, and production that was limited enough to make it desirable, but still able to generate enough profits to pay the bills—and then some. He's since taken his talents to adidas, but Mittleman's M.O. remains the same—putting dope people together to create awesome things.

Paul Mittleman works as a creative director on the adidas Originals line, and we’re looking forward to the continued influence of his American streetwear aesthetic on the classic European brand. adidas Originals has hit home runs lately with collaborations with Jeremy Scott, Opening Ceremony, and cult Japanese designers Takahiro Miyashita and Kazuki Kuraishi, and with Mittleman behind the core collection of the Originals line we can keep expecting to be surprised.

Hip-hop and tailored menswear may seem like strange bedfellows, but if there was a designer who bridged the two successfully and actually highlighted their natural connection—it's Mark McNairy. With a storied history in tailoring and menswear—he previously served as the creative director of prep brand J. Press, his current namesake line, Mark McNairy New Amsterdam, features Danny Brown in the lookbook, and he also made an appearance in the Spring/Summer 2013 fashion show.

When he's not designing that, he's helping out Pharrell with the latest clothes for the Billionaire Boys Club: Bee Line collection. He's also responsible for the Woolrich Woolen Mills line, a side hustle he inherited from Engineered Garments designer Daiki Suzuki. In the world of American sportswear, Mark McNairy is the man who's about to take over the game.

Meet the man who is bringing excitement back to New York Fashion Week. A graduate of Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts—a heralded instiution that's produced design luminaries like Dries Van Noten and Walter Van Beirendonck, he earned his stripes by designing performance gear for Ralph Lauren's RLX label for three years. In 2011, he debuted his namesake line, and it's clear he's taken those technical influences, but reinterpreted them for the modern man.

Tim Coppens makes the kind of clothing that you always thought the future would look like, while still being every bit as accessible today. After Barneys New York picked up his line, more retail doors opened in Japan and London, he even garnered the Ecco Domani award as best new menswear designer of the year in 2012. Things are only looking up for Coppens in 2013, and we just want to be able to say we saw it coming.