The Best Men's Style Brands of 2014

Image via Complex Original

Creating a sneaker empire is not easy…unless you're Ronnie Fieg, that is. In 2014, Kith saw major growth, expanding its NYC Flagship store and in-house line, and putting it on the same racks as other heavy hitters like Stampd and Off-White. For Fieg, it's all about his ability to create desirable, impactful products that anyone can respect, even if they don't own it. Kith's growth proves Fieg is capable of way more than just jogger pants and Asics collabs, and marks the brand's progression into a full-fledged lifestyle label hawking everything from fisthtail parkas to candy bars.

A combination of upstart and established designer, Gosha Rubchinskiy has benefited from his unique perspective—a combination of '90s skateboarding and post-Soviet Russia—that's landed him in dope shops like Trés Bien and Dover Street Market. Thanks to the recent influence of Comme des Garçons and Rei Kawakubo, who gave Rubchinskiy financial investment, his work has become highly visible and sought after. His autumn/winter 2014 collection proves that he can create high fashion streetwear with pops of color and odd twists like sneaker collaborations with Camper and Vans—think of it as a runway version of a Supreme drop. 

Haider Ackermann is a high-fashion designer notable for making a menswear line in 2010 that was so dope he dropped the mic and stopped designing men's clothes altogether. He recently got back into the game last year and has proven that he hasn't lost his touch—and guys like Kanye West have noticed. Mr. West rocked Ackermann's wild printed blazers and oversized cozy sweats all over the place this year, even wearing a $15,000 Ackerman raccoon fur hoodie in the airport. While the price of admission to his gear is a hefty one, it hasn't stopped certain pieces—like distressed sweatshirts—from selling out.

John Elliott didn't invent the side zip sweatshirt, but his Villain hoodie did capture the attention of swag lords everywhere. By creating minimal, but high-quality sweats, Elliot became a premier force in the upscale-casual movement that dominated 2014. While the side zip Villain crewneck and hoodie were hot trend-setters that got knocked-off by strug brands, his Escobar sweatpants provided a balance between accessible athletic brands and pricey luxury labels. Elliott's relevance was so obvious, that GQ added them to their “Best New Menswear Designers in America,” culminating in a collaboration with Gap that sold spectacularly well. When it comes to upscale basics, John Elliott + Co. dominated 2014.

Off-White has become one of the most visible brands on platforms like Tumblr and Instagram and celebrities like Beyoncé and A$AP Rocky. Virgil Abloh's unification of streetwear silhouettes with Italian factories flips the high-low mix into the manufacturing process. The goal is to generate enough clout to create a modern luxury lifestyle brand (à la Martha Stewart or Ralph Lauren), that legitimizes staples like graphic tees, hoodies, and patched-out army jackets. Abloh also made the jump into womenswear with the collection “I Only Smoke When I Drink,” applying his graphic tastes to buttery leather jackets and fringed coats that vibe with certified "cool fashion girls" like Sky Ferreira.

Founded in 2008, Pigalle's street cred has overtaken the Parisian neighborhood it was named after. Way more than just "the French Supreme," Stephane Ashpool's box logo gear has always co-existed with fully thought out collections. In 2014, he collaborated with Nike on two street ball classics: the Nike Air Force 1 and Air Raid, which preceded the launch of his own basketball-themed collection (which was far from a brick). Then, to prove they were really 'bout that life, Pigalle also hosted two b-ball tourneys during fashion week New York and Paris. With momentum like that, 2015 just might be a lay-up.

Parisian dudes are the prototype for urban cool guys, and Ami is the brand they’re most likely draped in these days. Designer Alexandre Mattiussi makes the kind of clothing that subtly amps up your graphic tees and kicks—though he makes some covetable sneakers, too. If A.P.C. is your favorite band that went mainstream, consider Ami its relatively underground counterpart. Don’t let the French fashion street cred intimidate you though, for a certified menswear brand (snow-covered runway show and all), Ami’s price points tend to clock in on the lower end of the luxury spectrum.

COS is H&M's more stylish sibling. Owned by the same parent company, COS and H&M occupy similar spaces in their respective spheres. H&M creates cheap fast fashion with the occasional well-hyped collaboration (sup, Alexander Wang?) while COS swoops in with easy-entry menswear that skews towards the minimal. It's for the guy who digs brands like Acne Studios and Our Legacy but can't get with the price point. With COS opening stores in LA and NYC in 2014, along with giving the U.S. access to its webshop, COS made moves this year to expand into the American marketplace. Expect even more growth in the year to come.

One of the stars of LA's rapidly rising menswear scene, Stampd is quickly establishing a standard in modern, monochromatic streetwear. Founder Chris Stampd has seemingly captured lighting in a bottle with his eponymous brand, finding the sweet spot between the quality guys crave from their clothing, with a price point that most guys can actually afford. Whether it's the simplified color palette, key pieces like ripped biker jeans and parachute-inspired bomber jackets, or the reasonable prices, the label resonates with guys who want to drape themselves in it from head-to-toe, or mix in with high-end designer pieces. After 2014, it wouldn't be surprising to find plenty of Stampd pieces in your local cool guy's closet—no matter how much bank they're making.

Scandinavian minimalism at its finest. Unless you're making wild bank, guys don't shop an entire runway look, but cop the one or two bangers that really speak to them. Our Legacy succeeds by providing accessibly stylish pieces to guys, with an attention to detail and an editing eye towards the unnecessary. They also kill it with obscenely perfect outerwear that will be in your rotation for the next couple years. Ask the most stylish guy you know what his favorite labels are right now, and Our Legacy is sure to come out of his mouth.

Palace is a bona fide skateboard brand, and founder Lev Tanju makes no secrets about how clothing sales directly affect the riders on the Palace skate team. With the brand's Tri Logo seen across the back of everyone from NYC skaters to European DJs, the brand has quickly adapted to become a symbol for cool kids the world over—even if they've never learned how to ollie. The VHS-style that's applied to the brand's skate videos applies to the simplified graphics, which occasionally take a tongue-in-cheek twist, and ultimately reflects the personal touch that Tanju incorporates to his tightly-knit brand. The hype around Palace reached a fever pitch with the label's “Pop-Off Shop” in collaboration with adidas Originals, proving that the brand was not only able to play with the big boys, but design a collection that would completely encapsulate Palace. It may seem simple, but no one out is doing it like Palace.

Hedi Slimane is nothing short of controversial, but at least his work speaks for itself. You may be familiar with Slimane's rock-and-roll approach to design, fueled by skinny-ass models walking down the runway in excruciatingly tight jeans and leather jackets. 2014 saw the introduction of the Permanent Collection, a series of gear that the design house will have on deck all year round, including the aforementioned leather jackets and denim. Kanye West beef aside, SLP caught a new wave of fans in sneakerheads who got put onto their minimal varsity jackets and high-top luxury sneakers, rendered in the covetable Black/Royal and Black/Red colorways of the Jordan 1.

The German shoe giant already has collaborations with major capital-F fashion labels Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto which produce insanely popular and innovative sneakers like the Qasa. Footwear-wise, 2014 was all about Stan Smith and slides. Guys weren't just wearing adidas on their feet, they were wearing its apparel from head-to-toe, whether it was core products like Tiro 13 training pants or collaborative gear from Nigo, NEIGHBORHOOD, and Pharrell. With the insanely hyped Kanye West collaboration looming in 2015, the adidas takeover isn't imminent—it's here.

Raf Simons is arguably the biggest designer in the insanely talented Parisian high fashion scene. His work as creative director of Dior aside, Simons has positioned his eponymous line, especially his collaboration with Sterling Ruby, as one of the most relevant and desired collections in 2014. Not only stocked with innovative and quality pieces, Raf combines his Belgian heritage (and design aesthetics) with the cut-and-paste style of Ruby, creating a collection of abstract-yet-wearable clothes that are every bit as collectible (and expensive) as a legit work of art. It's not as if Simons had anything to prove this year, but when you can convince guys like Virgil Abloh and A$AP Rocky to drop $30,000 on a limited-edition trench coat, then you're definitely winning.