10 Emerging Designers You Need To Get Familiar With

Everyone is a clothing “designer” these days; as long as you have Photoshop, you can turn As to Vs and toss in a few hashtags to become the new “flavor of the week” brand. True fans of the art of style and fashion know that this just will not suffice if you want to truly make it. Whether you have formal training in the art of cut and sew or you’re a self-taught visionary, there has to be something unique about your brand—thriving in this industry isn’t as easy as one may think.

Brands come and go everyday, so what is it that sets each one apart? Whether you improve upon a previously created idea, or you blow the water completely out of the pond with something new, there must be something separating you and the next brand. And the difference all starts with the designer’s vision. The following 10 designers are well on their way to establishing the arm’s length from the competition they need to bring their incredible pieces to the promised land. Treat yourself to the brilliance of 10 Emerging Designers You Need To Get Familiar With.

Age: 31
Twitter: @ClothSurgeon

It simply doesn’t get better than what Rav Matharu offers up these days with a full spectrum of premium goods through Clothsurgeon. On top of ready-made items that range from Blackwatch wool bomber jackets to leather-detailed hockey jerseys to genuine python skin chukka boots, the Clothsurgeon designer will bespoke just about anything using any high quality, exotic fabric you so well please. Want goat suede? No problem. Rabbit fur? You got it. And it will be made immaculately for you in the U.K. What more could you ask for?

Age: 30
Twitter: @GregRosborough

With a background that includes studying at FIT and designing for Simon Spurr and Ralph Lauren, Greg Rosborough’s resume is practically bolded, underlined, and in italics. And now he’s teamed up with Nepenthes manager and the virtual face of Engineered Garments, Abdul Abasi for Abasi Rosborough, a brand new, design-heavy avant-garde menswear label that doesn’t try to impress you with the flash-in-the-pan antics brands pull out today. Rosborough’s work is that of which is timeless and so simplistically unique in nature that it almost certainly cannot be replicated. His muted palettes and flowing silhouettes will keep you awake at night trying to figure out how to get your hands on it.

Age: 31
Twitter: @MrEddieHuang

The new age chef has made his mark on the New York restaurant scene over the past few years, taking the staunch snobbiness out of dining with his ultra-laid back BaoHaus. The success of his restaurant is just as much the deliciousness of his food as it is his brash, rebellious “IDGAF” nature. And that translates perfectly into the streetwear world as he takes his NYC roots to his newest venture, Monica Monroe, using fabrics and cuts only the boldest can pull off. Are you quirky enough to pull off a zebra-print tracksuit or paisley jacket? You have to be a different breed of style influencer. But to Huang, that’s perfection.

Age: Unknown
Twitter: @ryok1228

If you didn’t catch a glimpse of Hender Scheme’s hand-made raw leather “Hommage” collection, then welcome to Complex for the first time ever. There may not have been a better “sneaker” than the Air Force 1 High-inspired version Ryo pulled off. The work of Ryo Kashiwazaki for this collection alone has easily put him on more people’s radar last year, but the designs he’s done in the past on top of this have us twiddling our fingers in excitement for more. Will his work reinterpret more footwear classics in a unique way, or will Hender Scheme go in another direction that blows our collective minds? We’ll just have to wait to find out.

Age: 26
Website: gosharubchinskiy.com

How many international designers, let alone Russian designers, can make enough of a splash to get work from Vans and Supreme on top of their own label? Well, only one if you count the young Moscow prodigy Gosha Rubchinskiy. Rubchinskiy has much pride in his native Russia, constantly drawing inspiration from Soviet history for his lines. Using simple cuts and minimal color—but maximum effectiveness—Gosha’s vision has been praised by designers and brands abound. With his own brand really just starting to build buzz as he gets more comfortable with the work directly associated with his name, look out for his next move this year.

Age: 22
Twitter: @oisinhunt_

The newest designer of the group, Oisin Hunt, likes to keep a fairly low profile while making sure his brand, Dog Eat Dog, gets just the right amount of exposure. With his second collection featuring an impressive unstructured collar jumper with wool sourced directly from and manufactured in Ireland, the theme of it is “mental patient.” You’ve gotta open your eyes a bit and pay attention when you hear this. There are just enough pieces in the collection to understand Hunt has the design chops we like to see, but few enough pieces in the collection that we can’t wait to see more.

Age: 28
Website: caesyoney.com

While you may notice the name from his work on lavish handmade backpacks and sturdy iPhone cases with Draught Dry Goods, Caesy Oney’s newest venture, Odd Fellow Co., will grab the attention of outerwear-enthusiasts everywhere. Luxurious varsity jackets, all sourced and manufactured right in the U.S. of A., truly break down the new school thinking of what a stylish varsity jacket should really look like. Whether it’s made of perforated leather or has a floral lining, the slimmer silhouettes and updated features put a new age twist on an American classic.

Age: Unknown
Website: yokoito.info

If you’re looking for the next best drapey, goth brand for you to float around this earth in, Individual Sentiments is calling your name. Designer Yoko Ito keeps a fairly low profile, but she is helping the brand blow up instantaneously with incredibly unique silhouettes and quirky plays on fabric use that will have you feeling all existential and what not. All you have to do is look at their A/W13 lookbook video to catch a whiff of it. The pieces are incredibly wearable if you’re ready to rid your closet of plain fleece hoodies and raw denim and take a step into the dark side of fashion, then Ito will be your new guide to fashion glory.

Age: 39
Twitter: @JonBuscemi

Jon Buscemi is no newcomer, whatsoever. Before starting the popular footwear brand Gourmet, he worked his way up the ladder at DC Shoes and Girl Skateboards. But it is Buscemi’s new eponymous offering that has everyone champing at the bit. Using his virtually peerless design expertise, superior knowledge of manufacturers (he’s sought out Chanel’s factory in Italy), and unrelenting pursuit of the best fabrics and details around, he’s entering the fickle, yet rewarding world of high-end luxury sneakers. Dropping a collab with high-end streetwear giant En Noir is a damn good way to hit the ground running, and we don’t expect the footwear maven to step off the pedal anytime soon.

Age: Unknown
Website: notsohardwork.com

Could you imagine if Michael Jordan had a younger brother who was equally as talented, but was trying to create his own lane so he wasn’t in MJ’s shadow? That’s essentially what Takuji Suzuki is doing with Japanese brand ts(s). Many a clothing discussion is had with his brother Daiki Suzuki of Engineered Garments, but he doesn’t let it sway his designs, which are definitely making a huge push in the States as Japanese brands continue to thrive. New interpretations of Americana with elongated flannel shirts and contrast-sleeved hunting jackets make basic, everyday items thought-provokers and topic-starters. Takuji and ts(s) are at the forefront of this new wave American bandstand.