Brands to watch in 2023!
The new year is here meaning a new wave of designs, styles and creativity blessing the space. Every year, in whatever industry, someone new comes up. It’s an opportunity for new talent to be discovered and so we've taken it upon ourselves to showcase brands to watch this year. Sit back, relax, let's get into it.
We’re starting off with a brand I discovered late last year based out of Paris and Koln; No Faith Studios. They have a more grungy and industrial aesthetic to their brand, which is shown in their standout denim pieces. The jeans are dramatically oversized with unique hand done distressing that forms captivating patterns and adds to the unique silhouette.
The washes they have on these jeans as well as further products is also noteworthy, as it gives them a worn out look which turns out quite fashionable when styled correctly. It may be considered more of a niche style but there's an audience for it and it's part of the reason I included it. No faith have showcased their versatility in fashion as since dropping their signature denim jeans, they dropped a largely leather collection which included their snake zip leather jacket that was included in our Christmas wish list.
The versatility doesn't end there. Their handmade jewellery which includes an array of rings and earrings follows the same principles of creating new silhouettes and original designs. One product that really stood out to me was their loafer. Luis, the founder, has an ability to reinvent silhouettes for staple fashion pieces which is a talent that deserves attention, especially since he’s still in his early 20's. I also want to put a big emphasis on their presentation because their imagery and creative direction is simply beautiful to look at. If you're looking for originality and are someone who likes unique brands that stand out, this is a brand to watch 2023.
This brand came about near the end of last year. Popular tiktoker Drew2wavy launched his first brand in December. We did a full post about him on our Instagram.
Drew is a perfect example of leveraging your personal brand to market your brand. His strong tiktok personality is the perfect marketing tool to grow and expand the brand. He dropped the Takeover cargos in his first drop which then went on to sell out. Even though he's only dropped once, his next samples are looking promising, especially the knit sweater. Drew will only improve as he continues designing, and with a good network of friends around him who have a lot of experience in growing a brand, I don't see why he won't grow his brand successfully. His branding and presentation is also on point. 2023 will be huge for main character and I'm intrigued as to what designs we will be seeing. If you're a fan of Drew and what he'll come up with or fan of the video game type aesthetic, this is a brand to watch 2023.
Now I've been seeing a lot of talent and interesting designs from Kobbi Banks with his brand By Wave. One of his recent posts is what really cements his spot in this list where he previews a bag, a jacket and some jeans.
The work that went into this shouldn't be underestimated and it's clear Kobbi had a thorough thought process when it came to designing these pieces, as they look a little different to what he usually comes up with. This could be a signal of how he's intending to evolve moving forward. Kobbi is only in his early 20's and founded his brand in 2020, so for a young designer to have set such a high level for himself is honestly crazy to me, which is part of the reason I had to include the bag in our Christmas wish list. What I also like is the continuous improvement from Kobbi. From his first design to his latest, it's clear that he is in for the long term and isn't afraid to experiment and try new ideas with his brand. I also like how Kobbi showcases his thought process and inspirations behind some of his designs. I feel like not enough designers do this when it can really develop their brand and form better connections with their customer base. Even though it's not on sale, I think he did this well with the motherland table which is a piece of home decor he designed inspired by the strength of African women. As someone slowly getting into home decor I can appreciate this piece a lot. Lastly, we need to mention his collab with Peccavi. Not only is Peccavi another brand to watch, but I'm a big fan of how the two crossed over in this collab. If you're a fan of brands telling stories and experimenting, this is a brand to watch 2023.
Grimy Kids is a brand that's had a crazy year in 2022. The consistent drops, the outlandish products and the nonchalant energy they exude is what makes them a captivating brand to watch 2023. Their signature product is their turban hoodie which is like your basic hoodie, except it includes a turban like hood as well as a graphic centred on the hoodies front.
This has been dropped in a variety of ways, with different colours, different screen prints and even with different products such as a turban hooded bomber jacket. This is a brand that's also unafraid of controversy, they understand it sells and grabs attention and utilises that to create whacky products which guarantee to stop you from scrolling on your feed. Sometimes it may just be a mockups they don't actually intend on dropping. Let's have a look at some of them. My personal favourite products from them may be the Bible bag and the Islam bag.
People loved it so much grimy dropped multiple restocks and even additional colours. It's fair to say this may be a grail in Grimykids locker of products. They were also early adopters of the outlandish slogan t trend, where brands put the craziest words and sentences on Ts. A few more honourable mentions go out to their Mohair Shoes, Motorcycle Helmet, xan chair, perc table, their Rick Owens candle and their Buckle Hat. The ultimate goal for Grimykids is to quote on quote ‘piss off all brands who act corporate” by showing them not being Hollywood to their supporters. They want to make being corny cool as well as modernise older items and I think they're doing a very good job at that. If you're person who doesn't take life serious and isn't scared of controversy in fashion, this is a brand to watch 2023.
Imgoingpysco is a brand by artist Teddy Opong. I really like the story behind the brand which branches from “the mental problems which many of us in the creative world face”. This is actually something I think would be interesting to hear Teddy expand about so I'm definitely waiting on that story. He started this in 2019 as an interdisciplinary project which makes sense as he works on multiple projects himself between fashion, art and music. One of Teddy’s goals is to “elevate the world's taste levels through timeless pieces” which are handmade and often 1 of 1 taking inspiration from the environment he grew up in and the people around him.
In his recent FW22 collection, Teddy drooped a broad range of products that are more than just your typical collection consisting of just Ts and hoodies. I like how he explored the new sherpa wave with 5 different products including the Antarctic Sherpa Fleece, Reversible Armour Vest, Panda Fleece, Reversible Sherpa Jacket and Sherpa Logo Cap. Looking at the designs, it's clear teddy isn't one who doesn't rush any work and takes pride in taking his time designing. Each product makes use of sherpa in a different way and in a different cut. I feel like a lot of designers would struggle to reuse certain designs differently for different products so i big ups to teddy for being able to constantly re-imagine this material. Teddy also aims to be innovative in his design which can be seen in the cropped puffer hoodie that aside from being reversible, also has a chest pocket embedded in it, which is a feature I don’t commonly see in clothing design This feature is also repeated on the Short Long Sleeve T and the Panda fleece. I'd say the star trousers are one staple in their locker coming in several colours and variations. Really and truly, we could spend all video dissecting his handmade designs but instead I'll let you do that by leaving his details on screen. Before I finish off on Teddy and his clothes, id highly recommend you check out his art pieces as you'll find more amazing pieces and designs to indulge in. If you're a person who is very much into handmade designs as well as art in general, imgoingpsyco is a brand to watch 2023.
Nola is a brand out of Finland and is another one of the smaller brands on here. But let their size distract you from the movies they're making. I sense a strong community of supporters who believe in their vision and the high potential these guys have moving forward makes their journey something that I'm definitely invested in. What I like the most about Nola is their use of fashion films because I think they are massively underrated by underground brands.
Utilising fashion films is such a good way to showcase a product in addition to further lookbook's and product shots. Yes they can be expensive but I feel like if you have a good network of friends around you, you can get away with a solid video even with a low budget. Back to topic, one of my favourite films from Nola was their packrunner video where we see the starring actor in the packrunner jacket walking through the streets and getting complimented, all before getting chased down the street for his jacket. I was unable to get my hands on it but seeing the video definitely made me want it more and I definitely recommend you look through the rest of their films. I also liked Nola’s involvement in the world cup and how they produced a football T, and for all the americans reading, yes it's FOOTBALL.
Nonetheless, the T was cold. It's always cool to see underground brands act on worldwide events. Speaking of events, they had an insane christmas drive where they essentially had people in their city send themlocations and the Nola team went out of thier way to personally bring them gifts. Not only does it show the strong sense of community, but it also shows you nola are for the people and they're in it for the long term. Gearing into 2023, Nola looks to go through a small rebrand to incorporate the word Dunya in it, which translates to world. Nola want to create their own world of people who want to stand out, but also be part of something, i.e. the Nola world. If Nola Dunya is something you want to be part of, this is a brand to watch 2023.
VAIN is a brand out of Helsinki. They recently went viral for their collaboration with McDonalds Finland which I actually believe is the first fashion collab with McDonalds we’ve seen and is a change from the usual artists who tend to collab with the fast food restaurant.
Nevertheless, the workwear collection consisted of Mcdonalds uniform upcycled into 27 different pieces. Jimi Vain, owner of the brand had this idea inspired by part of his childhood in which he and his friends used mcdonalds as a spot to hangout. This prompted him to look at the uniform and have to re envision it, resulting in this collection. What's interesting to note is that you could say it was more of a marketing move as the pieces weren't actually available publicly, it was available exclusively to mcdonalds finland employees via raffle. Jimi describes the brand as more of an interdisciplinary design project which started as a one man team and has since evolved into an independent fashion label. Their core brand philosophies lie in using subtle cultural references, being creative in the digital age, selecting high quality materials, and putting extreme attention to detail. VAIN ultimately wants to bring humans together through love which VAIN is all about. Jimi is inspired by the environment he grew up in, the art he consumes and the people he loves making his work deeply personal to him. They released their first official collection ASTIGMATISM last year. The collection celebrates the supposed dilemma of perception and how perception is individual as people can't see through your own lens of how you perceive something. It may seem simple to you, however he uses a small selection of colours which contrast from each other utilising strong details and silhouettes. VAIN accepts you won't see what they've seen, instead they want you to find something you find beauty in yourself. For a young brand to put so much depth and thought behind a collection is impressive and that's why they are on this list. They haven't dropped too many products but have already risen to almost 17 thousand followers. I have no doubt we'll see more of them this year. If you're a person who appreciates brands putting depth and thought behind products, collections and their brand overall, this is a brand to watch 2023.
Mona Thomas literally dropped the most viral hoodie of 2022 with the Huni hoodie. If you're into the underground fashion space, I'd be surprised if you've never seen. They first dropped a dark grey colourway and a purple colourway, they then moved on to a pink and green colourway and eventually, light brown.
The unique silhouette has even caused copycats and while of course it's not something we condone, copycats are a definite sign you're doing something right. I think one underrated thing about them is the mockup presentation, which is futuristic, modern, different and has helped make her mark in the space. I think that it's fair to say the evolution from her first sweater designs to the Huni hoodie shows a lot of refinement and improvement in her work which is one thing we can always respect and look up to. Mona’s designs have also caught major attention and recognition. She created the cover art for one of her childhood favourite artists, T-Pain, and was part of adidas’ forum campaign, in which she created a piece of jewellery for sneakers. As well as this She had one of her shades stocked at Selfridges and was even asked to design a keychain with integrated NFC chip for BMW’s Next Gen Creator Days campaign. Apart from just her hoodies, Mona has a whole host of products in her locker especially with regards to accessories where she has designed a host of shades and jewellery. I have a slight feeling shades are her favourite pieces to design just because of the amount of different pieces she's made of them. She's also created a perfume and a skateboard which even though it isn't actually usable, still looks super cool. Again they have a very futuristic approach to them which utilises translucent materials and loud colours which have a saturated hues. With all these accolades collected over the past years and the momentum of the Huni hoodie, 2023 should be a big year for Mona thomas. If you're a fan of futuristic designs that put creative spins on pieces, Mona Thomas is the brand to watch 2023.
Arkivelives is a brand I've seen featured by pages maybe a handful of times but I think they still don't receive enough coverage. I may be wrong but I feel like they've had a slight revamp as I remember seeing more products on their page. They also just announced their first capsule collection and this definitely deserves a look, including a cargo pant, a zip up, a hoodie, a shirt and an ashtray.
The core colour palette is a charcoal grey wash colour with light blue and grey distorted images engulfing the whole product as you can see the print on the front and sleeves. The long sleeve shirt actually has a lighter, more purple colour to it but i'm not sure so let me know what colour you think it is below. The brand was founded in 2019 but what's interesting to note is how the owners own a boutique of similar brands which also stocks some of the other brands they've found. Their clothing store, Arkive Store also stocks Valelives and Misere Moderne. Vale has more of a handmade element to it in the sense there's a lot of distressing, embroidery and general modification of fabrics. Additionally, their products also have a vintage aesthetic to it, with a lot of different washes and eroded prints on items. Misere Moderne has a darker and more niche appeal to it, with leather and knitwear pieces being in their catalogue of products. Similar to Vale, it also has a few pieces featuring washes, eroded screen prints and distressing of fabrics. Back to their boutique store, they started it to give underground brands the exposure they deserve, this is why each brand is carefully screened and scouted. They've identified this as a risk on their side as the brands aren't as well established, however they guide brands with resources and the help they need. With all that being said, Arkivelives may be a quiet brand but shouldn't be overlooked. If Arkiveslives suits your personal style, they're a brand to watch in 2023.
Specthetics
Specthetics is definitely a brand in my finds of the year. 2022 was the year of fleeces and Specthetics dominated that wave crowning themselves the kings.
For a new brand to drop back to back fleeces to such a high level is crazy to me as the quality, the consistency and the effort is there and deserves nothing but respect. I believe they launched in September of 2022 and I remember putting them straight into our drops of the week. Their designs consist of a lot of reversible fleece jackets that have standout patterns and textures on one side, with a waterproof material on the other. This makes it one of the most versatile jackets in the game ensuring you stay warm and dry. Specthetics focus is bridging the gap between the use of unique materials and textures and practicality in clothing. The name derives from the words specific and aesthetics forming SPECific aesTHETICS . They want to also focus on the actual design of garments that appeal to an individual's aesthetic as opposed to creating garments with logos on display. I think my favourite piece would be the grinch fleece but they've also dropped a glacier fleece which goes just as hard, so it's definitely between those two jackets for me.
Their last drops of the year was another fleece being the blackout fleece which may seem simple but still deserves the spotlight. They've also caught a big dub with metro boomin showing interest in one of their products. Shoutout to the brands who've gotten their products featured on celebs this year man. That's big. I've seen that there also expanded into bottoms creating tech pants and maybe even some upcoming cargos. Seeing their expansion into new products will be very interesting and I'm here for it. If fleeces or practical clothing is something you're into, specthetics is a brand to watch 2023.
Last but not least, we have computer generation imagery, a multi-faceted creative and design house. They launched out of New York in 2021 and since dropped their 1st collection. The highlight of the brand is the deep blue colour which can be seen all over the brand in design and further branding which was actually developed through multiple colour and material treatments making it a unique shade of blue.
What's interesting to note about the futuristic brand is their indulgence in technology, video and sound design. Along with the drop of their first collection, they showcased a video presentation and a video game trailer to act as the lookbook for their collection that was directed by head designer Anthony Wyllie with his creative partner Dante Holley. The video showcases models wearing the clothes and walking through a studio while getting shot by multiple photographers. There's also a distorted sound track playing while this video plays produced by Wyllie himself.
The video game trailer showcases some of the models on one side with a robot opposite to them, all running towards one of CGI's bags.
Their first collection consisted of insulated jackets, vests, sweaters, t-shirts, pants, hats and bags in innovative silhouettes and premium price points. The creative direction of this collection was very well executed and showcased their products very well. They are yet to drop their second collection, early this year. If you're a fan of this type of futuristic aesthetic, this is a brand to watch 2023.
Which brands did we miss? It's a lot of work keeping up and covering such a wide space so I know there's brands I've missed out. Feel free to plug your brand, your friends brand below and let us know more brands to watch below
If you're looking to get featured, reach out to us via DM. We also have an archive page where we post brands free of charge so be sure to message us.
Share this to someone who needs to be put on!
Comments