7 Designers You Need to Know

By InStyle.com
Aug 24, 2016 @ 10:22 am
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic, Steve Granitz/WireImage, John Lamparski/WireImage
7 Designers You Need to Know
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7 Designers You Need to Know

Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com, MiamiPIXX/Katryna/FameFlynet Pic, John Shearer/WireImage

It’s a woman’s world in the fashion industry this season! The rising stars catching our eyes—and the hearts of celebrities—all share one focus: to make women feel empowered, confident, and beautiful through their clothes… and they know how because, as women, they’re dressing for themselves, too. Click ahead to see seven designers to watch (and who celebrities are already falling for). We guarantee they’ll be household names soon enough. Just you wait.
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MONIKA CHIANG

John Shearer/WireImage, Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images, Jeff Schear/Getty Images

CELEB FANS
Sofia Vergara, Paula Patton

WHAT TO LOVE
Chiang is ambitious—she immediately opened two stores after launching her line last year—and she designs for ambitious women. Her line offers options for a spectrum of occasions, from tough-girl leather jackets to perfectly-draped dresses, as well as handbags, shoes, and accessories. It’s a one-stop shop for power-dressing.

THE DESIGNER POINT OF VIEW
“Everything I design has to be something that I would want to wear myself,” says Chiang. “I want the women who wear my clothes to feel beautiful, desirable, and protected.”

WHERE TO BUY
Shop her stores New York and Los Angeles, and online at monikachiang.com.

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KATIE ERMILIO

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CELEB FANS
Olivia Palermo, Brooklyn Decker, Camila Alves

WHAT TO LOVE
Ermilio strikes the perfect balance between tailored minimalism and femininity to create a classic look for the classic woman. Her eye for fit runs in the family—her grandfather was the personal clothier to Grace Kelly and her father is a bespoke menswear designer.

THE DESIGNER POINT OF VIEW
“I design my collections with the intention of being mixed and matched, and most importantly to fit seamlessly into a woman’s existing wardrobe,” says Ermilio. “I’d like for women to buy the clothes first because they love them, and second because they know they’ll love them for years to come.”

WHERE TO BUY
Shopbop.com. Visit katieermilio.com for more stores.
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KAELEN

BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM, Ben Hider/Getty Images

CELEB FANS
Blake Lively

WHAT TO LOVE
If you’re looking for effortless, modern, and cool, pick up something from designer Kaelen Haworth’s line. The Toronto native launched her eponymous label in 2010, and ever since has created layered knits, asymmetrical shapes, and experimental, easy-to-wear pieces that make every budding fashionista’s wish list (including Lively’s).

THE DESIGNER POINT OF VIEW
“I want women to feel like themselves,” says Haworth. “A woman should feel as though the clothes fit seamlessly into her life and her existing style while also advancing it.”

WHERE TO BUY
Shopbop.com. Visit kaelennyc.com to see stores.

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OLCAY GULSEN

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CELEB FANS
Sophia Bush, Eva Longoria, Emmy Rossum, Selita Ebanks, Kristin Cavallari

WHAT TO LOVE
This Dutch fashion designer focuses on dressing your inner It-Girl. After successfully launching the celebrity-loved line SuperTrash, Gulsen followed up with her eponymous collection last fall, emphasizing a more grown-up look for life’s red carpet moments. This label is the women who want to show off their inner celebrity. In your world, you’re the star—and Gulsen will dress you.

THE DESIGNER POINT OF VIEW
“My designs are very much about expressing your inner feelings and staying true to yourself,” says Gulsen. “Women are strong, independent and elegant and that's how my clothing is. It's effortless.”

WHERE TO BUY
Olcaygulsen.com and shopbop.com.

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REFORMATION

AKM-GSI, MiamiPIXX/Katryna/FameFlynet Pic, Owen Kolasinski/BFAnyc/Sipa

CELEB FANS
Jennifer Lawrence, Miley Cyrus, Zoe Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Ali Larter

WHAT TO LOVE
Founded on the idea that fashion should be environmentally “guilt-free,” creative director Yael Aflalo leads a team of designers to create each design from surplus fabrics, which are repurposed, recut, and recrafted into limited-edition pieces.

THE DESIGNER POINT OF VIEW
“I want my designs to be the ‘Duh, yes I need that’ for a woman’s wardrobe,” Aflalo says. “Reformation combines aspects of new and old that are unique to the brand and exactly what women of today are looking for.”

WHERE TO BUY
The label just opened its second store in New York City, has one in Los Angeles, and an online shop at thereformation.com.
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Sally LaPointe

AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Kevork Djansezian/WireImage, Joe Corrigan/Getty Images

CELEB FANS
Julianne Hough, Lady Gaga, Rihanna

WHAT TO LOVE
This 2006 RISD graduate debuted her first collection in 2011, and her linear, sharp aesthetic quickly became a go-to for the ever-daring Lady Gaga. But her clothes aren’t just for those who crave avant-garde—her painter background lends itself into developing prints for forward-thinking, wearable looks.

THE DESIGNER POINT OF VIEW
“I am 100% driven by comfort, confidence and coolness,” says LaPointe. “I am constantly amazed at the range of our customers, from size to age. I really do think this is the key to my pieces—they work on everyone.”

WHERE TO BUY
Curve NYC, Curve Miami. Visit sallylapointe.com for information.

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JOY CIOCI

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic, Steve Granitz/WireImage, John Lamparski/WireImage

CELEB FANS
Julia Jones, Brooklyn Decker, Jaime King

WHAT TO LOVE
Cioci nailed the feminine-with-a-twist look, an aesthetic she honed after stints at Gucci, Carolina Herrera, and Nina Ricci, and launching the contemporary line WiNK, which she departed to debut her own line in last fall.

THE DESIGNER POINT OF VIEW
“I always create pieces to flatter a women's body in a romantic way. Not too tight and not too loose, just fitted in the right places,” says Cioci. “When women wear my clothes I want them to feel special and confident and therefore empowered.”

WHERE TO BUY
Shopbop.com. Visit joycioci.com to see stores.
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