While I definitely get excited to see the fashion month shows from the major houses, one of the things I look forward to the most every season are the up-and-coming brands. They’re the ones that usually leave me feeling the most inspired, from the unbridled collections to the shows that feel more like performance art. It’s a special time to discover something new, whether it’s a familiar name continuing to challenge conventions or coming across a designer I haven’t heard of before.
This kind of discovery is one of my favorite parts of my work, and fashion month is the perfect time for it. As runways always do, this inevitably influences the ways we think about shopping for the season ahead.
For S/S 25, I wrote about the emerging designers that I loved at New York Fashion Week. This season, I’m expanding my focus to the entire F/W 26 fashion month calendar. Below, shop the designers that stood out to me on the latest runways across every city, from Copenhagen to Paris.
Fashion Month F/W 26 Emerging Designers
(Image credit: Launchmetrics/Spotlight)
Brands to remember: Nicklas Skovgaard, OpéraSPORT, Caro Editions, Paolina Russo
Copenhagen Fashion Week consistently has some of the coolest brands in any market. This season, Nicklas Skovgaard, OpéraSPORT, Caro Editions, and Paolina Russo especially caught my eye. For me, Caro Editions truly epitomized the glamorous dressing trend, and it one of the standout collections of the week. I’m also currently eyeing an OpéraSPORT baseball hat or bag for myself.
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(Image credit: Launchmetrics/Spotlight; Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen; Mel Usine.)
Brands to remember: Gabe Gordon, Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen, Mel Usine, Jane Wade, Colleen Allen, Pipenco
Living in New York, my hometown fashion week is, of course, New York Fashion Week. At Gabe Gordon, knitwear remains the signature, and there was a timely nod to ice skating as well. Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen’s post-show press release cited “pre-industrial pregnancy corsets, sanitary belts, and maternity wear” as references, with materials like secondhand linens and vintage nylon bringing that vision to life.
Mel Usine, which debuted this past spring, continued building on its foundation with a second collection drawing from historical research, French lore, and medieval dressing. And Jane Wade’s The Summit brought her workwear lens outdoors, leaning into performance and expedition wear, including a shoe collaboration with Sorel.
Others who left the biggest impression on me include Colleen Allen, who has become one of the most beloved names at NYFW for editors, and Pipenco, a one-of-a-kind fantastical line designed by Romanian designer Lorena Pipenco.
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(Image credit: Launchmetrics/Spotlight)
Brands to remember: Conner Ives, Chopova Lowena, Tolu Coker, Petra Fagerström, Pauline Dujancourt, Lucila Safdie
London Fashion Week truly might be my favorite part of the fashion month calendar. Beyond the household names like Burberry and Vivienne Westwood, I always love keeping up with the designers coming out of Central Saint Martins, along with the other emerging brands that show each season. For F/W 26, my top shows were Conner Ives, Chopova Lowena, Tolu Coker, Petra Fagerström, Pauline Dujancourt, and Lucila Safdie, many of which can be shopped at Nordstrom, Net-a-Porter, and Farfetch.
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(Image credit: Launchmetrics/Spotlight)
Brands to remember: Avavav, Florania, Institution by Galib Gassanoff, Casa Preti
I like seeing what Avavav does each Milan Fashion Week. The label consistently puts on theatrical (and often satirical) shows with an absurdist approach to design. Founded in Florence and now based in Stockholm, it’s become known for its tongue-in-cheek runway presentations, and this season was no different. Beyond that, Florania, Institution by Galib Gassanoff, and Casa Preti were also particularly memorable.
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(Image credit: Launchmetrics/Spotlight)
Brands to remember: Julie Kegels, Hodakova, Matières Fécales, Vaquera
Along with LFW, Paris Fashion Week has my heart. Some of the highlights included baby blue tights at Julie Kegels, a makeshift bra made of teacups at Hodakova, jaw-dropping, over-the-top couture-inspired looks at Matières Fécales, and an unexpected twist on bridalwear (with a baby’s breath bouquet) at Vaquera, as pictured above. In terms of incorporating these brands into my own wardrobe, Vaquera’s Pretty Boy T-Shirt, which has a graphic of a chihuahua (my favorite dog), is currently on my wish list.