The Best Brands of 2022

Image via Complex Original

Standout Moments: Opening a new flagship in London, building on partnerships with New Balance and Woolrich, opening the Masaryk Community Gym in NYC, working with NYC artists like Grotesk

Aimé Leon Dore has become so popular that it’s a punchline. The finance bros in New York discovered it. Its prices can be a bit more expensive than we would like sometimes. And yes, the memes are funny. But it’s not time to totally write off what Teddy Santis and company have created. For one, the brand’s influence on the menswear market right now is undeniable. There’s a reason why many lookbook campaigns, including ones from traditionally preppy mall brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, have a striking resemblance to ALD’s aesthetic—a clean backdrop and occasionally some vintage wicker chairs or tables in the corner. It’s because it works. 

But ALD isn’t simply on this list because of the ripple effect it has caused in the men’s clothing market. The brand is still cranking out tons of impressive products. Of course, the New Balance collabs are what everyone wants. The brand has done a great job of keeping its new 550 releases fresh, like transitioning from leather to suede uppers for instance, despite the model becoming more and more accessible elsewhere. The 991s it released to celebrate the opening of its London flagship are some of the most slept on pairs of 2022. But don’t forget about the apparel. High-quality cut-and-sew items like retro-inspired bowling shirts covered in colorful patches, shaker stitch knit sweaters, or wool varsity jackets made with industry standards like Golden Bear are some of this year’s standouts. And let’s not forget about its assortment of pieces featuring Grotesk’s take on the Yankees logo from knits to 14-karat gold pendants, a perfect nod to the brand’s roots. ALD is also making sure not to just use New York City’s cultural touch points for storytelling. In April, it announced the newly renovated Masaryk Community Gym in the Lower East Side that will offer community-based programs through basketball. 

What ALD has achieved is the type of community building that every brand wants to achieve. And ALD keeps proving time and time again why it’s one of the best at it. With a newly opened London outpost, LVMH taking a minority stake in the company at the top of the year, and a newly renovated flagship space in New York City coming in 2023, don’t expect ALD’s influence to fade any time soon. It’s just getting bigger. —Mike DeStefano

Standout Moments: A T-shirt made by Shirt King Phade that raised over $85,000 for victims of the 2022 Bronx apartment fire, New York Fashion Week and ComplexCon pop-ups, and a collaboration with School of Hard Knocks

Awake NY is coming up on its 10-year anniversary and the brand has grown greatly since Angelo Baque released small five-look collections back in 2013. This year, the label released memorable pieces that included standouts like fleece jackets bearing a print of the Twin Towers and old-school varsity jackets worn by basketball players like Lebron James and rappers like Pink Siifu. While graphic T-shirts, hoodies, and caps are present throughout all their seasonal collections, Awake continues to show it can make more than just “streetwear.” This year, the label released a double-breasted wool coat with flower embroideries, mohair floral printed cardigans, and flannels with chain stitch embroidery. It’s not surprising that Awake can go toe to toe against New York labels like Supreme—especially when considering that Angelo Baque worked as one of Supreme’s brand directors until 2016. But what distinguishes Awake from other labels isn’t Rihanna being one of their biggest fans. It’s being a clothing brand that puts community before anything else. 

While many brands moved on from producing charitable products post-2020, philanthropy is woven into Awake. At the start of 2022, New York City was shaken by a Bronx apartment complex fire that left at least 17 residents dead. It was the deadliest blaze in New York City history since 1990 and Baque was quick to respond. Less than a week after the fire, Awake and the marketing agency No Company released a preorder for a “I Love Da Bronx” T-shirt designed by Shirt King Phade that raised $87,540 for victims of the fire. Proceeds from the T-shirt were split among three nonprofits that either aided victims or addressed systemic and racial injustice. During New York Fashion Week this September, Awake promoted its collaboration with UPS by opening its a pop-up bodega in Downtown Manhattan that also stocked Latinx-owned labels. All proceeds from that UPS collaboration also went toward funding programming and scholarships for The High School of Fashion Industries—a New York City public school. Even at ComplexCon this year, when Awake dropped hyped collaborations with the likes of Verdy and IRAK, they released a long sleeve made with Cuco that went toward Jovenes Inc.—a charity located in Southeast Los Angeles that provides safe and stable housing for homeless youth. 

“It’s not all about flipping clothes or flipping sneakers. I’m going to make a T-shirt, but how can I make a difference with this T-shirt? How can I use this T-shirt to voice an opinion or bring light to a cause that I really believe in,” Baque told us at ComplexCon this year. “You don’t have to be 44 years old to do that. You could be 14 years old, be printing your own T-shirt in your garage, and voice that.”

Awake’s well crafted campaigns only further Baque’s commitment to highlight the diverse cultures that make up New York City. The brand’s campaign for its Crocs collaboration photographed young artists of color and Black-owned business owners in New York City. Their collaboration with School of Hard Knocks didn’t only resurface the story of a pioneering Queens-based streetwear brand but also highlighted the Queens-born graffiti bombers like CLARK TN, iconic Queens food establishments like the Lemon Ice King of Corona, Queens rappers like Superbad Solace, and Queens-born designers like Tremaine Emory. Yes, their Lacoste collaboration even tapped into one of New York City’s most diverse boroughs by referencing the airbrushed backdrops that graffiti artists like Phade painted near Jamaica Colosseum during the early ’90s. 

The most memorable moment to come from Awake this year wasn’t a celeb co-sign or a collaboration; it was a commercial centered on Awake lookbook model and Primer Rebelde De America founder Victor Vegas wearing a hoodie that reads “Bendiciónes”—which are traditional verbal blessings given by elders from South American, Central American, and Caribbean families when members leave home. It captured Vegas receiving Bendiciónes from his own family, and the comments section was filled with Awake’s fanbase sharing their own memories. Awake is more than a brand. It’s a community. —Lei Takanashi

Standout Moments: Tyler, the Creator’s original composition for their Fall/Winter 2022 collection, the presentation of Virgil Abloh’s final collection as the creative director of menswear, and the release of Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1, designed by Abloh

As the artistic director of menswear, Virgil Abloh took Louis Vuitton to unforetold heights as he reinterpreted the brand’s legacy, and connected its heritage to the realms largely unrecognized by “high fashion” like streetwear, hip-hop, and Black talent. His sudden passing last November sent shockwaves throughout the brand, and at the tail end of 2021 we saw “Virgil Was Here,” Louis Vuitton’s first tribute to the late designer during the presentation of his Spring/Summer 2022 collection. This night would set the tone for the brand’s direction in 2022, as it kicked off a year imbued with commendations for the late designer. 

The brand started off the year with the first release of the Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 collaboration exclusively through Sotheby’s. Two-hundred pairs of sneakers donning the iconic LV Monogram and Damier patterns were sold through the auction house, with an average price coming in at a cool $126,000. Before the general release of the collab, fans and prospective buyers got a look at the full 47-shoe lineup at the Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse in Brooklyn where the brand hosted a pop-up event. Those who were lucky enough to cop a pair when they dropped online—the website was down most of the day due to high volumes of traffic—spent a minimum of $2,750 (and probably flipped them for much, much more). 

In January, the brand presented its Fall/Winter 2022 collection called “An Octology According To Virgil Abloh.” It was the last collection Abloh touched before his death, and his vision reverberated throughout. Performance poet Mustafa opened the show by reciting his work, and was accompanied by an orchestra playing a glimmering soundtrack composed by Tyler, the Creator, who rode throughout the presentation on an LV bike. What followed was a series of callbacks to Abloh’s eight-season arc as creative director. Subverted-luxury was a runway staple, like a classic LV trunk decked out in climbing holds, carabiners, and radio antennas and leather monogrammed five-panel hats.

Virgil’s presence continued to be felt during Louis Vuitton’s standout Spring/Summer 2023 presentation at Paris Fashion Week. The show memorably opened with Florida A&M University’s Marching 100 band—an HBCU—opening the show, which also included a live performance by Kendrick Lamar. Keeping the late designer’s vision in mind, one of Abloh’s longtime collaborators, Playlab Inc., created moving sculptures for the sequel presentation of the brand’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection in Aranya, China. It was the first collection Abloh had not touched and followed the release of Louis Vuitton: Virgil Abloh in September, a book dedicated to his work.

Ending 2022 on a strong note, Louis Vuitton announced the revival of their collaboration with contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Their first partnership in 2012, under the creative direction of Marc Jacobs, brought Kusama’s signature polka dot designs to LV duffels, totes, watches, and more. Safe to say we’re excited for what 2023 will bring. After all, we’re still waiting on a new creative director of menswear to be crowned.—Alessandra Maldonado

Standout Moments: Releasing the first items from its Made in USA line under Teddy Santis, debuting the “Conversations Amongst Us” collection under Joe Freshgoods, signing artists like Aminé and Action Bronson, releasing projects with new collaborators like Mowalola and Bryant Giles

It cannot be overstated how big the past few years have been for New Balance. The footwear brand once considered a distant competitor to giants like Nike and Adidas has morphed from a brand lauded by a niche group of collectors to one that’s launching some of the most celebrated projects in sneakers. A big reason for this is its constantly growing roster of all-star collaborators.

Its work with Aimé Leon Dore, which helped turn the New Balance 550 from a forgotten ’80s basketball shoe to one of the trendiest silhouettes on the market, has been so well received that ALD founder Teddy Santis is now the creative director of New Balance’s Made in USA division. Joe Freshgoods continued his hot streak by launching two new collaborations with his “Inside Voices” 9060s and “Performance Art” 993s. The latter is considered one of the best sneaker drops of 2022. He also took on the creative director role for New Balance’s “Conversations Among Us” campaign. Justin Saunders’ JJJJound keeps hitting home runs with his minimal takes on the 990v3. And for anyone who wants something a bit more adventurous, Salehe Bembury created the 574 YURT, complete with a functional whistle protruding from the heel. And you can’t forget about longtime collaborators who have made some big splashes with the brand in the second half of 2022 like Ronnie Fieg’s “Pistachio” pack or Bodega’s “Age of Discovery” 9060.

But New Balance isn’t just rating on its laurels. Action Bronson debuted his upcoming collab on the recently released 990v6 in an AEW professional wrestling ring of all places back in September. New faces like artist Bryant Giles and designer Mowalola Ogunlesi introduced their first projects with the brand. Other silhouettes from the brand’s archive like the 1906R and MT580 have also seen reintroductions in the marketplace with the help of brands like thisisneverthat and Stray Rats. The momentum from its footwear output has also benefited New Balance’s lifestyle apparel, an area most customers usually wouldn’t look for from the brand. Miss out on Joe Freshgoods’ “Inside Voices” 9060? You may still be able to score the sage green varsity jacket he designed. Need some hiking gear to match your new YURTs? Bembury also designed a utility vest and colorblocked fleece that some may want even more than the sneakers.

For years, New Balance was the punchline to the “dad shoe” joke. But that’s no longer the case. The brand has the youth’s attention with coveted release after coveted release. Its collaborators are telling some of the best stories with their campaigns. If you still haven’t given the brand a shot, stop sleeping. This isn’t your father’s New Balance. —Mike DeStefano

Standout Moments: A collaboration with Burberry, Tremaine Emory becoming Supreme’s creative director, an André 3000 campaign, and the opening of a store in Chicago

Trust us, Supreme isn’t dead. If you don’t believe that, just look at videos posted on social media from its in-store release with Burberry back in March. Hardcore Supreme fans lined up in front of the brand’s Manhattan flagship 16 hours before the store’s opening and even threw hands outside of Dover Street Market New York for Burberry box logo hoodies and T-shirts. Love it or hate it, Supreme is clearly here to stay, and it’s not just because of the hype these drops create. 

This year, Supreme revealed that Tremaine Emory was hired as the label’s newest creative director. It was a step in the right direction for a brand that’s been criticized for cultural appropriation. Although it’s unclear what specifically Emory has influenced since he joined Supreme, the brand has used its platform more consciously this season. Instead of just dropping garments with Malcolm X’s face printed on them, it shined a spotlight on the late Roy DeCarava—a revered Black photographer from Harlem whose photos profiled famous New York jazz artists like Duke Ellington and covered the civil rights movement of the 1960s. All profits from DeCarava’s collaboration went toward the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in West Harlem. It marked one of the first times Supreme released a product for charity that wasn’t tied to a limited-edition box logo T-shirt. The brand did it again in June through a collaborative collection with Futura, where all proceeds went toward Free Arts NYC, a 501(c)(3) charity that provides art programs for underserved children in New York City. 

Emory will likely change the direction of Supreme in seasons to come, but the brand’s ethos has remained consistent this year. Alongside its luxurious collaboration with Burberry, Supreme also released stellar collaborations with Stone Island and The North Face that thoughtfully revisited archival pieces from both brands. It continued to double as fashion’s greatest rotating art gallery by embroidering art from the ’90s animated MTV television series Aeon Flux on varsity jackets, collaborating with New York graffiti artists like Andre Charles and EARSNOT for T-shirts, and tastefully placing the work of the Japanese photographer Daidō Moriyama on denim trucker jackets. Supreme has also managed to keep its collaborations fresh this season by dropping unexpected releases with labels like Griffin and The Great China Wall. 

Naturally, friends of the label are still kept in James Jebbia’s rotation, as seen through a collaboration with Nate Lowman and the movie Gummo by Harmony Korine, who also shot a viral wheatpaste poster campaign featuring Julia Fox this year. And what more could hip-hop heads ask for after Supreme dropped collaborative garments with Duck Down Records and released an amazing ad with Slick Rick trying on chains in front of a $20,000 Supreme x Meissen hand-painted mirror? If you think it’s ridiculous that it successfully sold those mirrors, wait until you hear that $90,000 Supreme Airstream Travel Trailers sold out within a minute of dropping.

As Supreme makes plans to expand in Asia and open more stores within the United States, it continues to stay true to its original vision despite its growth post-acquisition. Just watch Play Dead, Supreme’s newest skate film by William Strobeck, if you don’t believe us. And Emory’s hiring only ensures that Supreme will maintain its roots while also reaching a younger generation of consumers who want something more meaningful than just another T-shirt. By any means, Supreme will reign supreme. —Lei Takanashi

Standout Moments: Collaborating with ASAP Rocky, collaborating with Levi’s, releasing a new capsule with Lil Uzi Vert, and the I Know NIGO! pop-up

You won’t find many people releasing a compilation album featuring the likes of Pharrell and Tyler, the Creator, showing their debut collection on the runway in Paris, traversing the globe for pop-ups, and hitting the stage for a headlining DJ set at ComplexCon in a 12-month span all while maintaining their own clothing brand. But not many people are as gifted as The General, NIGO. 

The Japanese streetwear legend has worn many hats thus far in 2022. He excited fans with new work like his first collection as Kenzo’s creative director or an album chock-full of appearances from some of hip-hop’s most important figures. But we’re here to talk about Human Made, a brand he founded back in 2010. The brand has continued where it left off in 2021, pulling just enough elements from NIGO’s storied history to mix with his current vision. He linked up with Jun Takahashi for multiple capsules celebrating Last Orgy 2, the revival of an editorial series that operated in Takarajima magazine back in the ’90s. There was the home goods collection with longtime friend and collaborator KAWS, featuring plush ducks and tiger rugs. And the denim connoisseur even stamped the Human Made logo on his own mini capsule with Levi’s that consisted of a 506 Trucker and 501 jeans made to the specs of OGs from the ’40s. I Know NIGO! also proved to be a major catalyst for new products as NIGO not only released a “Human Testing” capsule with “Arya” collaborator ASAP Rocky and a new collab with “Heavy” artist Lil Uzi Vert, but also stamped the magic carpet–riding dog and duck from the album cover on a series of T-shirts that were offered at a special three-day pop-up in New York City. Mixed in with the collabs are standout offerings like this Cowichan sweater or embroidered work jacket that prove NIGO doesn’t need a collaborator to make some noise.

Perhaps most impressively, at age 51, NIGO’s brand has maintained such a youthful spirit. Everything still feels new and energized. And not just because of the frequent cameos from friendly bulldogs and ducklings. It’s easy to get nostalgic at the mention of someone like NIGO, who has done so much to help shape streetwear as we know it today. But don’t get stuck reminiscing on years past. He is still creating something special. —Mike DeStefano

Standout Moments: The release of the “Onia” collection inspired by Black Seminoles, an ongoing collaboration with Levi’s, reviving Pyrex Vision with Virgil Abloh Securities, and collaborating on a Fall 2023 capsule for Dior

Although Tremaine Emory has likely been busy this year because of his new role as the creative director of Supreme, he has not stopped redefining what clothing could do as the founder of his own label Denim Tears. The hype for the brand’s popular Levi’s 501 jeans covered with cotton wreaths carried into 2022 as the brand entered the second year of its two-year partnership with Levi’s. Denim Tears’ pre-spring collection included 501s with the wreath shaped into a peace sign on the back pocket and monochrome versions of the original all-over print jeans. After two years of waiting, fans also got the opportunity to finally purchase cotton wreath Levi’s denim jackets. Naturally, all of these Levi’s drops sold out quickly. Cotton wreath hoodies embellished with rhinestones worn by ASAP Rocky and Levi’s decorated with Swarovski crystals were some of the most highly anticipated releases from Denim Tears this year. But there’s more to Denim Tears’ recognizable cotton wreath motifs than just hype.

“The whole idea is to have as many people wearing something that represents the plight of the African diaspora, African-Americans. I tell that story,” Emory told Complex when asked about his Levi’s collaboration this year. “So it’s beautiful to see all kinds of people wearing it. White kids, Asian kids, Black kids, Spanish kids. It’s beautiful to see all types of people wearing something that represents that.”

Denim Tears has consistently released products that look good and spark conversations. It dropped apparel that presented biblical figures like Jesus and the prophet Daniel as Black people. Similar to Denim Tears’ previous riff on Ralph Lauren’s American flag knit sweater—the “Tyson Beckford” sweater—it also released apparel with an “African Diaspora Goods” graphic inspired by Lauren’s “Polo Country” label. Emory delivered commentary on how Black culture popularized the textbook aspirational American clothing brand. While his work may fly over the heads of Insane Clown Posse fans—who took issue with a parody Denim Tears produced of the band’s merch this summer—the conversations the T-shirt sparked in the comments of an Instagram post is what makes Denim Tears more captivating than most streetwear brands that just execute simple logo flips.  

This year, the brand also collaborated with artist Cali Thornhill DeWitt and Yuta Hosokawa’s Saint Michael label on religiously inspired products printed on vintage blanks. Denim Tears also dropped a surprising collaboration with Flan centered on a “Gardening Hoodie” with utility pockets where all proceeds went toward Edible Schoolyard NYC—a nonprofit organization that seeks to educate New York City’s children about healthy food choices. One of the brand’s biggest releases this year was reviving Virgil Abloh’s Pyrex Vision line to commemorate the opening of Figures of Speech at The Brooklyn Museum. Collections with Dan Colen’s Sky High Farm Workwear, Bstroy, Cactus Plant Flea Market, and Skepta were all stellar releases from Emory’s label. However, the most impactful release to come from Denim Tears this year wasn’t a luxury house collaboration with Dior. It was its work with Ugg.

Denim Tears’ “Onia” collection was one of the best examples of how a brand could use products to tell stories that have been historically marginalized for far too long. The collection was named after Emory’s great-grandmother, a descendant of Black Seminoles—a group of free Black people and runaway slaves who joined Native Americans in Florida between 1700 and the 1850s before migrating to other parts of Florida, New Orleans, and Oklahoma. The collaboration featured garments inspired by Black Native American culture and specifically zeroed in on Black Masking culture in New Orleans. The collection included a lookbook modeled by members of Nola’s Black Masking community, featured apparel with a graphic drawn by the Mardis Gras Indian Big Chief Beautiful, and a one-hour documentary created by Emory that explained the cultural context behind the collaboration. Both brands also donated $50,000 each to the Backstreet Cultural Museum and Guardians Institute—institutions in New Orleans that are preserving the history of Black Masking culture today. For Denim Tears, the medium is the message. —Lei Takanashi

Standout Moments: Collaborating with Dries Van Noten, building on partnerships with Nike and Our Legacy Workshop

Being able to stay fresh after 40 years of business is no easy feat, especially in a fickle fashion world that can consider you the best thing around one week and out of style the next. Stüssy is an exception. The streetwear veteran has made it look easy, thanks to its continuous string of smart collaborations and dialed-in seasonal collections.

Stüssy’s biggest project this year is also one of its most recent, a surprising capsule collection with cult-favorite Belgian label Dries Van Noten. The project perfectly meshed streetwear and luxury fashion beyond just merging each brand’s logos, thanks to standouts like a military parka with vibrant airbrushed artwork across the back or tie-dyed hoodies with psychedelic stencils applied to the chest. The campaign was also memorable. Legendary bass player Flea was tapped to model the pieces. It wasn’t all about the Dries Van Noten collab. Stüssy also continued to build on existing partnerships—releasing Air Force 1 Mids and Air Max 2013s with Nike for the sportswear crowd, practicing sustainability with Our Legacy by using materials from both of their archives to create a springtime capsule, and delivering a youthful, surf-inspired collection with Cactus Plant Flea Market. Drops with Copenhagen’s Tekla on bedding and a Beats Pill speaker offered elements that expand the Stüssy world beyond clothing.

The brand’s in-line output throughout 2022 remained solid. No, they didn’t just make that 8-ball logo fleece that you saw all over TikTok. Mixed in with its logo hoodies and T-shirts, a staple of any good streetwear brand, were standouts like cargo pants covered in original camo patterns, chunky patchwork knits, and button-ups featuring artwork by legendary British DJ and graffiti artist Goldie. And let’s not forget about the new Chapter store in Paris and re-opening of a renovated space in Madrid. Yes, the 40-year-old brand is still growing.

Plenty of people have a soft spot for Stüssy. The brand has been many people’s introduction to the world of streetwear, or maybe even kickstarted their interest in fashion as a whole. But that isn’t the only reason they have maintained relevancy as long as they have. The clothes still have to be good. And they are. Stüssy isn’t just a legacy act. —Mike DeStefano

Standout Moments: Collaborations with Online Ceramics, KAWS, and Gucci, the re-release of 1986 Mountain Jackets – the 30th anniversary of Nuptse puffers, and sponsoring the Full Circle Everest Expedition

The gorpcore trend shows no signs of slowing down in 2022 and The North Face did not disappoint. Again, one of the world’s most cherished outdoor labels worked with exciting creative partners while continuing to promote its core values of exploration.

In January, The North Face promoted the return of its 1986 Mountain Jacket through a collaboration with the graffiti artist KAWS. While that jacket was a standout, the KAWS collection didn’t solely rely on reimagining iconic products like the Nuptse puffer, which also happens to hit its 30th anniversary this year. Instead, the best pieces in the collection included jackets, bibs, and fleeces from The North Face’s Freeride line designed for snow sports. The campaign for the collaboration blended the world of the streets and the outdoors. Supreme skate team rider Beatrice Domond modeled a Freeride fleece jacket from the line along with a pair of snow bibs. Sponsored North Face athletes, like the snowboarder Mary Rand, were filmed shredding powder in the KAWS gear. A year after The North Face became the first outdoor brand to ever collaborate with a luxury fashion house, it surprisingly released another installment of its collaboration with Gucci that applied Alessandro Michele’s maximalist vision onto jackets that were popularized during The North Face’s golden era in the 1990s. And like the rappers who helped establish The North Face’s reputation on the streets in the ’90s, its second Gucci collection resonated with rappers such as ASAP Rocky, Kid Cudi, Lil Baby, and Westside Gunn.

Ongoing collaborations with brands like Gucci or Supreme led some to believe that The North Face is only focused on selling hyped products, but the brand has also used collaborations as opportunities to promote important sustainability initiatives. The brand’s standout collaboration with Online Ceramics earlier this year did not just look great but also doubled as the debut of The North Face’s Re-Grind program, which recycles scraps from factory floors to create new garments. Nearly every product in the Online Ceramics collaboration featured an “Exploration Without Compromise” badge that certified that at least 75 percent of the garment was made out of recycled or organic fabric. Re-Grind falls in line with the outdoor label’s sustainability goal to ensure all their apparel is made with recycled, regenerative, or responsibly sourced renewable fabrics by 2025. While there’s always more to do in regards to sustainability (Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard certainly upped the ante this year by giving away his $3 billion company to help fight climate change) The North Face has approached sustainability in an exciting way through collaborations.

Of course, The North Face has continued to sponsor athletes and expeditions all over the world. One athlete everyone should take a moment to remember this year is the late Hilaree Nelson, who served as The North Face’s first female team captain up until her tragic passing in September of this year. Nelson was a pioneering ski mountaineer who made dozens of first-ever ski descents on some of the highest mountains in the world. The Seattle-born adventurer was the first woman to ever summit Mount Everest and Lhotse within 24 hours in 2012. Six years later, she returned to Lhotse alongside her partner Jim Morrison to become the first skiers to ever make a descent on the fourth highest mountain in the world. Nelson passed away at 49 this year after she got caught in an avalanche while skiing down Manaslu, the world’s eighth-highest mountain.

The loss of Nelson was a somber moment for The North Face and the outdoor community at large. Yet, there were also inspiring moments that occurred within the outdoors this year that continue to not only illuminate our innate desire to connect with the natural world but to look towards building inclusivity within these spaces. The most admirable expedition The North Face sponsored this year wasn’t centered on mountaineers like Jimmy Chin or Conrad Anker. It was sponsoring the 11 Black climbers who took part in the Full Circle Everest Expedition, which marked the first time an all-Black group of climbers attempted to summit the world’s highest mountain. The expedition was led by the Black mountaineer Phil Henderson—who was also featured on apparel by The North Face this year—and successfully ended with seven of the 11 members summiting Everest this May. It was a revolutionary expedition that highlighted the barriers that continue to exist for people of color to participate in the outdoors. Prior to the expedition, out of the 10,000 people estimated to have conquered Everest, only 10 were Black. Whether it’s sponsoring important expeditions like these or releasing thoughtful collaborations, The North Face has continued to inspire folks from all walks of life to never stop exploring. —Lei Takanashi

Standout Moments: A Gucci collaboration, an Engineered Garments collaboration, and a collection with Calvin Klein

First and foremost don’t knock down Palace as being the British Supreme. While it’s a skate brand, what Palace founder Lev Tanju has been building the last 13 years is a label that transcends beyond London’s Southbank skate park or hyped Tri-Ferg logo T-shirts. It’s a streetwear brand that’s focused on being ahead of the curve without ever taking itself too seriously.

Palace’s main offerings never disappoint. Every season, one can expect quirky graphics featuring characters like Jeremy the Duck or wild reinterpretations of their iconic logos—just check the label’s Goat horned P-Logo this year. Outside of those graphic hits, Palace never lacks with their outerwear offerings. Their Gore-Tex shells and Pertex puffers would even make the most serious outdoor enthusiast consider wearing their jackets to the slopes. And as always, Palace’s product descriptions continue to deliver a great chuckle every season. It was about time that the best ones were properly compiled into a Phaidon book released this year.

But what Palace truly excels at is crafting unexpected but ingenious collaborations that manage to take the brand to new territories while retaining their core ethos. This year we saw Palace link up with Calvin Klein for a line of essential undergarments with a campaign shot by the acclaimed British fashion photographer Alasdair McLellan. While underwear was obviously going to be produced, there were also cheeky releases like Cal-Vans—a collaboration between Calvin Klein and Vans—plus Palace’s own version of that classic Ck One perfume. While some may think a mainstream collaboration with Calvin Klein means Palace has sold out, remember that the brand also linked with Jimmy’z and Sal Barbier Aesthetics this year to pay homage to old-school skate brands that came before them. And Palace continued to build its reputation amongst blokecore enthusiasts when it dropped soccer jerseys, tracksuits, and more with Adidas and Yohij Yamamoto’s Y-3 label. Then there was their standout Engineered Garments collaboration, which blended the New York label’s innovative vision for outerwear with Palace’s rugged skateboard aesthetic. By the way, if you ever wanted to see Engineered Garments founder Daiki Suzuki fall off a skateboard next to Shawn Powers, you can thank Palace for capturing that moment forever.

All of these collaborations this year eventually led up to one of Palace’s biggest moments to date: a collaboration with Gucci. It’s a step up from their previous high-end collaboration with Polo Ralph Lauren and it will also be remembered as a bookend to Alessandro Michele’s time as the Italian fashion house’s creative director. The collection was spearheaded by a campaign inspired by aliens, featured Palace’s first-ever womenswear pieces, and an actual metal safe that literally played off the collaboration being a part of Michele’s Gucci Vault concept. Palace’s collaboration with Gucci didn’t just cement a skateboard brand’s place within the world of luxury again. It showed that Palace can become one of the biggest streetwear brands of the moment and still have a sense of humor.—Lei Takanashi

Standout Moments: Gucci’s collaboration with Adidas, the debut of Gucci’s metaverse, and the brand’s collaboration with Palace Skateboards

You could consider Alessandro Michele one of Gucci’s “old heads.” The creative director began working for the brand back in 2002 when Tom Ford tapped him to design handbags following his success at Fendi. Michele was appointed creative director in 2015, and has since breathed new life into the brand that waned in popularity before his tenure. Now, Gucci is steadily keeping up with the times, and arguably more popular than ever. 

This year, the second and third installments of The North Face x Gucci dropped, which included styles like the GG monogrammed puffer jackets, merino wool slides, colorful anorak jackets, and more. Then, Gucci returned to the runways of Milan for the first time since 2020. The presentation, “Exquisite Gucci,” placed an emphasis on unisex dressing, incorporating leather skinny ties, boxy, structured blazers, and heavily tailored garments. The show’s overarching theme of gender fluid dressing was underscored by the debut of the brand’s collaboration with Adidas. Gucci continued to display refreshing styles at the tail end of the year with presentations like “Ha Ha Ha,” a 25-look collection created in collaboration with Harry Styles, and “Twinsburg,” a show dedicated to his “twin mums” that featured a slew of identical looks.  

Among the brand’s more recent endeavors, Gucci has been dabbling in tech. Early this year, the brand announced the Gucci metaverse, wherein limited edition NFTs dropped in collaboration with SUPERPLASTIC, along with Gucci Town, the brand’s virtual outpost in the online game Roblox. As part of their digital footprint, the brand also created the Gucci Vault, an online concept store for all things art, archival Gucci, and collaborations, including their latest with Palace. The unusual collab—which touts embroidered leather jackets, printed denim, and of course, sneakers—merged Michele’s quirkiness with Palace’s skater aesthetic to create a collection that included womenswear, a first for the London-based skateboard imprint.

Although Gucci has become a juggernaut of collabs under Michele, the creative director announced his departure from the brand in November. His unique perspective, a playful mix of eccentricism and nerd-core, brought the brand back to life after a creative lull in the early 2010s. At this point, Kering has yet to announce his successor, and Michele, his next move. Time will tell what’s next for the Italian fashion house.—Alessandra Maldonado

Standout Moments: NYFW S/S 2023 show, winning CFDA American Accessories Designer of the Year Award, co-signs from Dua Lipa and 21 Savage

Designer Raul Lopez isn’t a fashion novice. He entered the industry alongside Shayne Oliver when they co-founded Hood by Air in 2006. But he eventually broke out on his own, introducing his line Luar in 2010. He always had vision and a clear brand identity that highlighted his experiences as a queer Dominican man from Brooklyn, but the line, which he had to pause a couple of times, didn’t take off because the business infrastructure wasn’t solid. But things shifted in 2021. Lopez, who spent some time in the Grand Cayman Islands where he served as creative consultant at the Palm Heights resort, came back to New York renewed and ready to approach Luar with a business first mindset. Presenting new ideas that are also commercially viable is always a challenge for designers, but Lopez found his sweet spot, showing hoodies and sweats embroidered with his Luar insignia alongside more tailored pieces updated with interesting details. But it was the Ana bag, a small, square framed bag with a circular handle, that really changed things for Lopez, who had watched his friend Telfar Clemens find huge success with the Telfar shopping bag. Ana, which retails around $300, immediately became an it-bag and a vehicle for Lopez to finally sustain his business. 

In September 2022 Lopez presented one of the best, most spirited shows of the season during New York Fashion Week. He leaned into his fresh ideas around clothing construction and showed different versions of the Ana bag. But prior to that he was making noise with different partnerships including an exclusive Ana capsule with Opening Ceremony and Gucci Vault, an experimental e-commerce site from the luxury brand featuring cool brands. He also showed the power of his tight knit community with a New York pop-up, which was announced via a digital campaign that reinvisioned the Prada installation in Marfa, Texas as a Luar store. And aside from that, he’s received big celebrity co-signs with stars like Dua Lipa and 21 Savage wearing his designs. All of this culminated in being named one of Time’s 100 Next, and winning the CFDA’s American Accessory Designer of the Year Award. It wasn’t a linear path, but Lopez is on a steady rise and he’s not letting up.—Aria Hughes

Standout Moments: Rick Owens creating a signature scent with Aesop, revitalizing his collaboration with Champion, and the next installment of the brand’s partnership with Dr. Martens

If you’re familiar with the brand, you know Rick Owens has amassed a cult following, and for good reason. Fashion’s Prince of Darkness has evolved season after season without sacrificing the essence of his ethos as part health goth, part grunge-meets-glamour. His approach to design is both futuristic and retrospective. Take his Fall/Winter 2022 collection for example—models walked down the runway with lightbulb-adorned headwear inspired by ancient Egypt that doubled as floor lamps. “They’re all free-standing,” Owens told Vogue (the collection was aptly named Strobe). And for “Edfu,” the brand’s Spring/Summer 2023 presentation, models wore hooded tulle kaftans and glycerin-treated leather, backdropped by a crane dropping three fiery, metal globes into the venue’s fountain. However, this is not to say that everything Owens creates is inaccessible or off kilter. Subversive basics have laid at the heart of the brand since Owens first created the eponymous line back in 1994. Some of his most notable pieces are fairly simple in design—the Creatch drop-crotch pants, the black and white Ramones sneaker, and the Stooges leather jacket are among the most popular. Minimalist and functional, pieces such as these have laid the groundwork for Owens to collaborate on collections that expand the reach of his gothic subculture. Early this year, Champion and Owens continued their ongoing partnership to create a unisex collection of athleisure, accessories, and swimwear. In March, he debuted his collaboration with Aesop to create the Stoic Eau de Toilette oil and candle. In November, he rang in Moncler’s 70th anniversary by reinterpreting the Maya jacket. And throughout the year, Owens dropped shoe collaborations with Converse and Dr. Martens, offering fresh takes on the Chuck 70 high and 1460 and 1918 boots, respectively. 

With the rise of trends like avante-apocalypse (coined by Mandy Lee on TikTok) and subversive basics, Owens’ designs are becoming more popular with Gen Z. The brand caters to the DIY aesthetic that took off at the height of the pandemic, where upcycling and restructuring garments was at first a cure to boredom, but quickly became a trend in itself. We’ve seen pieces like the Kiss boots take over social media, and online finds from old seasons get thousands of views on TikTok (there are even archive fashion meetups, too). The creativity and playfulness of the brand has made it a Gen Z favorite—after all, Hunter Schafer stopped the world when she wore a bleached denim patchwork gown to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, and Billie Eilish wore the boldest look of the night at the Grammys when she wore a black structured trench coat and dress from Owens’ Fall 2022 presentation. 

There’s no denying Owens continues to remain at the forefront of contemporary fashion. —Alessandra Maldonado