Words by Axel Metz
As style gets back on the agenda, we pick out five fashion brands to look out for in 2022.
Fashion can be a tricky business. For the big names battling it out on the high street, the challenge lies in identifying trends, capturing the imagination of a target market and pitching products at prices that tread the line between fair and competitive. But for the consumer, too, the question of good style can be an awkward one to answer. With such an abundance of choice out there, it’s often difficult to know where to look – especially when every brand is claiming they’ve got their finger on the pulse of what’s hot in 2022.
So, we thought we’d take the guesswork out of shopping for your next fit. Below, we’ve rounded up five emerging brands whose collections are sure to have you at least looking like you know what you’re talking about when it comes to style. We’ve been sure to add a mixture of newer labels and more established (but perhaps not yet well-known) names, with prices for any budget.
Read on with an open mind and an even-more-open wallet.
Human By Nature
Human By Nature (stylised as HBN) is an independent clothing brand founded in 2017 by John Lehman in Hong Kong. Its collections weave classic East and West Coast American styles with Asian inspirations, and products range from streetwear-infused caps and sweatshirts to printed tees and patchwork trousers. The brand’s latest range – Tokyo Athletic Club – is “inspired by nostalgia and the new” and combines modern Japanese aesthetics with vintage sportswear designs.
Products are stocked on a US-based website, but international shipping is free.
Shop Human By Nature here.
CONTRA
Founded in 2019 by Ross Youell and Gabriele Galli, CONTRA is a New York-based fashion brand that merges pop culture iconography and aesthetics from your favourite luxury labels with its own contemporary streetwear designs. Vincent Van Gough on a hoodie? Check. Tony Montana on a T-shirt? You got it. Inspired by the music-laden streets of its founding city, CONTRA’s collections are gender-neutral and undefined by seasons – you won’t have to worry about these pieces going out of style.
As above, international shipping is free.
Shop CONTRA here.
Casablanca
What more can we say about Casablanca that we haven’t already? Bursting onto the sartorial scene a few seasons ago, Charaf Tajer’s Parisian label has frequently grasped the latest trends with both hands by combining luxury materials with athletic aesthetics. It’s also proven the brand to re-establish tennis-wear as the coolest sportswear on the block. Sports shorts are made of silk. Sweatshirts are embroidered with the finest threads. Nothing here is cheap, mind, but Tajer has identified the comforting versatility – and gentrified appeal – of classic tennis styling and combined it with the luxury trappings of haute couture; it’s Wimbledon meets Louis Vuitton.
Shop Casablanca here.
Post-Imperial
Post-Imperial isn’t a new name in the world of fashion. Nigeria-born designer Niyi Okuboyejo launched his menswear label almost a decade ago, and it’s risen to become one of those hallowed brands on the radar of those with one eye open on the latest trends. Post-Imperial’s inspirations are rooted in Africa and its various cultures, and its mission is to establish ethical responsibility and the creative collaboration between artisans, matter and the environment.
There’s even a Jollof collection – what could be cooler than that?
Shop Post-Imperial here.
Denim Tears
Denim isn’t dead. Well, at least not according to the twenty-somethings lining the streets of Camden and Shoreditch on a Friday night. A few purchases from new label Denim Tears, then, should see you fit right in with London’s cool kids. Founded by industry mainstay Tremaine Emory, the brand seeks to tell the story of the Black experience in America – as far back as 1619. According to Emory, its logo – a cotton plant – is a direct reference to slavery, and its collections – often made up of jeans, hoodies, and tees – are adorned with subtle nods to history. This is fashion with a message.
Shop Denim Tears here.
If you’re after some new footwear, we’ve also picked out the best trainers to buy this summer.