New Names To Know: 5 Designers To Have On Your Radar This Season

“I've always been interested in the relationship women have with their bodies and clothing – how what we wear can change how we move through the world and how we feel inside ourselves,” says Yael Aflalo on why she decided to launch her namesake label.

If Aflalo’s name sounds familiar, it’s because you know her as the founder of Reformation, the fashion brand loved by the likes of Emily Ratajkowski, Kendall Jenner and Laura Harrier. Now, the New York-based designer is back with a new line of luxury ready-to-wear – and a fresh point view. “I wanted to create pieces that celebrate women as they are: sensual, intelligent, ambitious, playful, complicated.”

For Aflalo, that meant building a curated edit of elevated everyday staples, alongside a few standout pieces for extra-special occasions, in beautiful fabrics that skim rather than restrict the body. “The goal is never perfection in an abstract sense – it’s creating a piece that a woman puts on and instantly feels good in,” Aflalo explains. “There’s something incredibly modern and confident about a silhouette that allows you to move, sit, dance and live comfortably while still feeling undeniably feminine.”

The brand’s collections include figure-skimming plissé dresses, weightless silk shirts, ’90s-inspired twist-front tops and languid slip skirts that require little effort to style yet leave a lasting impression. “I imagine them becoming part of a woman’s story,” says Aflalo. “Worn on holiday, to dinner with friends, on first dates, on airplanes, barefoot at home, dancing somewhere late at night. I love when clothes gather memories and become more beautiful because of the life that’s been lived in them.”

Wear for: dinner dates, cocktail parties and alfresco drinks with a stylish, sophisticated crowd.

While some brands go big on logos and eye-catching embellishments, others take a quieter, more understated approach. Paris-based Fane falls into the latter’s camp. Founded by Laurie-Anne Braun and Margot Baudequin in 2020, the brand is the result of the pair’s pursuit to find a bag led by function and design rather than trends. “We wanted to create timeless bags with the purest possible lines, allowing the leather and color to speak for themselves,” Braun explains.

Suffice to say, they nailed it. Inspired by art, furniture and vintage archives, every design is a study in proportion and silhouette. “Some shapes emerge from everyday objects, like the ‘Mie’ bag, inspired by a loaf of bread, or the ‘Pli’ bag, whose gussets recall the volume of a pleated skirt,” says Baudequin. Then there’s the signature ‘Bra’ bag, which echoes the curves of the female body and is designed to sit comfortably in the hollow of the hip. It is without a doubt the brand’s most popular product and fast becoming a symbol of modern French style.

Although they like to keep every collection as timeless as possible, Braun and Baudequin aren’t afraid to play with new colors, textures and finishes. “The ‘Bra’ in Flamme is probably our favorite this season,” says Braun of the gradient-hued design. “The leather was developed exclusively for us with one of our Italian suppliers – and each panel is hand-painted before assembly, making every bag unique.”

Wear for: brunch and other chic weekend occasions that call for a touch of effortless off-duty elegance.

“A dance in dialogue between the everyday and the artful” is how Skall founders and sisters Julie and Marie Skall describe their designs. Based in Copenhagen, the brand is a celebration of womanhood and family, as well as the artisanal craft and creative curiosity that shaped the sisters’ early years. “We grew up in a small town in northern Denmark, close to the sea and surrounded by nature. Our childhood was filled with books, music and an abundance of love, making creativity a natural part of who we are. It has always been our way of understanding and expressing the world around us,” says Julie.

Inspired by their vast collection of vintage textiles and an affinity for the ’60s and ’70s, each collection begins with a mood, muse or moment in time – and combines the nostalgic, romantic elements they love with a pragmatism that underscores much of Scandinavian design. “We often describe our pieces as a meeting between Jane Birkin and Leonard Cohen,” Marie explains. “Jane Birkin represents the feminine, effortless and romantic spirit, while Leonard Cohen brings a sense of depth and understated masculinity.”

The NET-A-PORTER edit includes a selection of the brand’s most notable creations, including the ‘Freesia’ maxi dress, the ‘Edgar’ shirt and the ‘Talia’ blouse – all crafted by trusted, family-owned factories in India using natural, certified organic materials and slow, considered processes. The sisters’ hope is that their clothes will become treasured pieces in your wardrobe. “What brings us the greatest joy is seeing a woman cycling through the streets of Copenhagen wearing one of our pieces from a previous collection,” adds Marie. “You can tell it has been worn, washed, repaired and truly loved. Those are the moments that mean the most to us.”

Wear for: slow weekends, long lunches and coastal walks.

When Rier creative director Andreas Steiner launched his label, it was with a very clear vision: to create a brand built on meaningful collaborations and artisanal savoir-faire. Inspired by his upbringing in South Tyrol – the Italian province nestled within the Dolomite mountains – Steiner masterfully transforms practical Alpine garments into elegant everyday staples, all with the help of skilled craftsmen based across Austria and Italy.

“What makes the work at Rier interesting and motivates me is meeting people that are passionate about what they do,” says Steiner. “Throughout the Alps and Northern Italy, there are so many hidden treasures: family-run businesses, tailors, leather craftsmen and women, hat makers, weavers, coloration experts for fabric dyeing…”

Committed to building a transparent supply chain, Rier’s fabrics are made from responsibly sourced, natural materials. “I want to propose something that is less harmful for the environment and for the body, uses less chemicals, is produced as locally as possible, and is reparable,” the designer explains. There are subtle nods to traditional Alpine dress, too, such as the native crocus flowers strewn across skirts and dresses, or the water-resistant wool outerwear felted to resemble a traditional Tyrolean Loden.

“I like the quality of Alpine costumes and garments, but wanted to make them in a modern way, with a new aesthetic ideal for city, countryside and travel,” says Steiner. From the half-zip wool-fleece pullovers to the corduroy pants and fine linen tees, each piece in the brand’s collection is crafted to be lived in and cherished for a lifetime.

Wear for: busy office days, buzzy gallery openings and chic dinners downtown when you need sophisticated polish and effortless versatility in equal measure.