Fat Anna Wintour’s Fashion Squeeze: Creative Brands You Need to Follow and Nurture

Words: Anastasia Vartanian

A new year brings so much pop culture promise. Which celebs will rise to the status of fashion darlings? What internet-breaking runway moments are in store? Who will go on a press tour with annoying interviews but good fashion? I don’t know. And, to be honest, none of these things really matter when the daily news feels like a slideshow of horror upon horror.

The couture shows going on this week are beautiful, yes. (Looking at you, Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli and Jonathan Anderson for Dior!) But there is something very, very jarring about photos of celebs clad in finery sandwiched between reports of violent, oppressive governments. We talk about it every time, as the 2020s have shook the world harder and harder, year after year.

We always say we want a different fashion system, one not controlled by conglomerates like LVMH and Kering. One which isn’t an unrelenting hamster wheel crushing creative spirits underneath it. Well, put your money where your mouth is! (Just FYI: LVMH’s CEO, Bernard Arnault, was one of the billionaires at Trump’s inauguration.)

If you’re feeling disillusioned by the fashion system, the ass-licking, self-congratulatory parade of wealth and consumption, then here is where you should be funnelling your dollars. Emerging designers, small businesses, passionate makers who put their heart into their work rather than corporate entities on a quest for eternal growth. 
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Kenza Iatrides

“I call this coquette punk,” reads the bio of Paris-based designer Kenza Iatrides. The brand is perfect for anyone who enjoys things which are hyper-feminine yet weird, in that very chronically online Gen Z girl way. Her garments are spray painted with the pattern of lingerie sets, including one which looks like very sun burnt tan lines. The products are developed entirely in house, often using vintage lingerie and deadstock fabrics. One of my favourite pieces are knits with lingerie motifs, made in collaboration with another small business, Tati Things. A two for one for you.

Haus Dahlia

Call me biased, since I would consider the founder, Emma, an industry friend. But it also means I’ve actually worn these clothes, and I can confirm they are phenomenal. Wearing one of her 100% silk dresses made me feel like an Ancient Greek goddess. If you are a curvy woman who feels disillusioned by the fashion industry, Haus Dahlia is for you! While her clothes may feel pricey to a generation of people raised on fast fashion, I can guarantee there is hardly anyone selling such quality garments for this price. 

Mo. Na. Gems

Love sweet, plastic-y accessories but don’t love the concept of plastic? These accessories from Mo. Na. Gems are for you. Made up of bioplastic sourced from potato starch, these charms are biodegradable without compromising on aesthetics. The colourful gems are made by founder Mecca McDonald in New York. The idea of sustainable fashion as simply beige linens is so, so over. You can make better choices for the planet and look adorable.

Hadiyah Hussain

Handmade in London, Hadiyah Hussain’s signature garments feature ruched fabrics and fun prints. Her pieces frame the contours of curves, looking particularly sensual on mid-size and plus-size women. (It’s nice not to be an afterthought! As a curvy woman herself, Hadiyah understands.) Prints are often inspired by her Pakistani heritage, and fabrics come in rich colours like royal blue, burnt orange and fuchsia. 

Middaia

Middaia creates intricate, handmade, silver jewellery in Paris. Some particularly beautiful pieces include rings modelled on antique lace, resulting in silver as delicate and spidery as lace fabric. The artist uses an ancient jewellery-making technique called lost wax, which involves sculpting the pieces from wax first, making a mould, melting the wax away and filling the shape with molten metal. It makes Middaia’s wares feel both futuristic and ancient at once.

Gina Corrieri

The coolest girls you know are wearing upside down t-shirts. Designer Gina Corrieri specialises in upcycling secondhand, vintage and deadstock pieces, turning them into new garments: a flowy skirt made from a football top, a body-hugging top fashioned from a loose shirt. The effect is meant to be uncanny, and speaks to a time where we might not produce new clothes at all, but create what we can from existing materials.