As surmised by a Vogue Business article from October: 2024 was a bad year for independent designers. And 2025 looks to be equally challenging. Building a fashion business from the ground up has never been straightforward, but—as outlined in the article, with commentary from former British Fashion Council CEO Caroline Rush and Machine-A founder and buying director, Stavros Karelis—for various reasons, recent years have proven especially tough. “This is probably the most challenging moment for fashion brands, especially emerging designers, in the 15 years I have been in this role,” Karelis remarked.
The shuttering of independent labels and a diluted retail landscape (the downfall of Matches, for one), means that now, more than ever, it’s crucial to support small-scale designers. Beyond the heritage houses, they keep the thrill of fashion and new ideas alive.
“The current retail landscape demands that companies play to their strengths, and for Ssense, that means continuing to champion emerging designers as one the core values of our brand identity and overall strategy,” explains Brigitte Chartrand, vice president of womenswear buying and Everything Else at Ssense (the retailer’s home, tech and kids wear subdivision). “Since day one, this commitment has been integral to our success, earning us recognition for supporting and investing in new creative talent. We’ll continue to dedicate space for these exciting voices within our curated assortment, alongside established brands.”
The Ssense site and app are fertile ground for exploration and discovery. Interspersed with The Row, Comme des Garçons and Loewe you’ll find London talents including Aaron Esh, Knwls, Ahluwalia, Chopova Lowena, Feben, Di Petsa, Johanna Parv, Paolina Russo and Sinéad O’Dwyer—amongst many more global names-to-know. Customers are regularly served a combination of established and under-the-radar names, whether through the “You May Also Like” feature that suggests similar styles, or the app’s recommendation tool that shows browsers brands they haven’t seen before.
To ensure that emerging brands are getting as much airtime as big names, they also regularly feature across editorial and social platforms—LVMH Prize recipient Hodakova starred in a special editorial last summer, while “rising stars” Lii, Colleen Allen, and Julie Kegels were in the autumn/winter 2024 campaign. And as well as supporting such brands’ seasonal collections, the Ssense team works on exclusive capsules (the launch of bridal with Wed Studio, Nicklas Skovgaard and Conner Ives, among others, being one such example), and shares insights on “purchasing behaviours of customers and overall merchandising guidance” to inform designers.
Looking ahead, Chartrand name drops some brands that Ssense has invested in for the new year. For lovers of Bottega Veneta, The Row and Phoebe Philo, she recommends newcomer, Christen—“the craftsmanship and quality of her pieces are unparalleled”—while Lemaire devotees will surely love Bambou Roger Kwong. She also anticipates “strong customer reception” for Laura Andraschko—particularly for existing fans of Fidan Novruzova and Abra—and the addition of Willy Chavarria womenswear.
With a noticeable move towards individuality that’s particularly prevalent among Gen Z—anti-algorithm dressing, if you like—small-scale designers provide uniqueness that larger labels can lack. It’s an “IYKYK” mindset. Here, a handful of Ssense-backed brands to invest in for 2025.
40 / 40
Rier popeline wool jacket, $853
Available at SSENSE.
This article was originally published on British Vogue.
