Seven independent designers—Lii, Aisling Camps, 6397, Jamie Haller, Heirlome, Colleen Allen, and Ashlyn—are giving New York Fashion Week a fresh, grassroots energy through craft, reworked basics, and distinctive silhouettes.
Aisling Camps and Heirlome emphasize craft and handwork—Camps with hand-knit constructions, Heirlome with Mexican weaving and artisanal techniques.
6397 and Jamie Haller update everyday wardrobe essentials—jeans, T-shirts, slippers, and loafers—into a downtown uniform that feels lived-in and communal.
Ashlyn combines sculpted tailoring with a zero-waste approach, producing polished garments with small, unexpected details.
New York Fashion Week still belongs to established houses, but the freshest attention is going to a cluster of smaller brands that have built followings through craft, practicality, and distinctive point-of-view design. These are seven labels the city's stylish set is already treating like cult favorites.
Zane Li, born in China and trained at FIT, launched Lii in 2023 after an internship at Proenza Schouler. In just two NYFW showings, the label has attracted high-profile wearers such as Jennifer Lawrence and Ayo Edebiri. Lii revisits '90s minimalism with architectural, cubist silhouettes, bold primary colors, and small, peculiar details—the kind that make a look feel precisely strange.
Founded by Stella Ishii and now led creatively by Lizzie Owens, 6397 treats jeans, T-shirts, and slips as the raw material for a downtown uniform. The brand's approach is to tweak staples so they feel fresh and communal rather than flashy—an antidote to overly curated, algorithm-driven trends.
Jamie Haller is new to the official NYFW schedule but not to the fashion set. Her slipper-loafer hybrid became a quarantine-era cult hit, helping steer attention toward vintage-inspired shoes and relaxed, well-worn denim. Haller designs for personal taste first—slouchy tuxedo jackets, visible stitching—and lets the audience draw near.
Colleen Allen spent time at The Row before launching her namesake label to explore a more instinctive take on femininity. A 2026 LVMH Prize finalist, she favors editorial presentations over conventional runway formats and crafts garments—ruffled pantalettes, sculptural jackets, velvet capes—that suggest a theatrical, slightly mysterious sensibility.
Ashlynn Park's label Ashlyn makes minimalist dressing feel layered and slightly architectural. The brand pairs polished suiting with draping and micro-details—like neon micro-peplums at hems—while working with a zero-waste philosophy.
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