Cover Fashion designer Grace Ling walks the runway during the Grace Ling Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 2025 fashion show as part of the New York Fashion Week (Photo: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Fashion designer Grace Ling walks the runway during the Grace Ling Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 2025 fashion show as part of the New York Fashion Week (Photo: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
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These emerging designers are carving out their own paths in the fashion industry
Cutthroat and volatile are among the many words often used to describe the fashion industry. However, there’s one thing we know for sure—they’re always on the lookout for fresh, new personalities. Us usual spectators typically have our heads turned to big-name creative directors of major labels (especially with the onslaught of “musical chairs” dominating the fashion scene today), but it’s important to know that every big-name started their journey in relative obscurity.
Today’s emerging designers—some even fresh out of fashion school—are carving out a name for themselves. It’s worthy to note that they are the ones bringing new perspectives and a youthful hunger to redefine style. The next wave of fashion is just around the corner, and these rising stars are poised to become household names.
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Claire Sullivan
Claire Sullivan, former co-creative director of Vaquera, launched her namesake label, Miss Claire Sullivan in 2021. She’s been turning heads ever since, dressing red carpet favorites like Kylie Jenner, Selena Gomez and Charli XCX. The American designer blends couture history with modern age, with a signature aesthetic that fuses structured corsetry with unexpected contrasts. Imagine Eloise at the Plaza meets Paris Hilton meets Edith Wharton—old world elegance with a rebellious twist.
Tanner Fletcher
Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kasell burst onto the scene in 2022, quickly carving out a niche in New York fashion with their “fluid future heirlooms.” The pair’s label, Tanner Fletcher, embraces a subdued baroque aesthetic, reimagining traditionally feminine aesthetics—bows, ribbons and lace—into pieces that transcend the binary.
Grace Ling
Grace Ling helms her ultra-futuristic label from New York City with an innovative take on design, combining 3D printing and CGI technology with traditional methods of garment construction. Despite a minimalist outlook and a restrained palette, Ling’s work finds its wealth in substance and storytelling. Her pieces have been worn by the likes of Kim Kardashian and Tate McRae.
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Tokyo James
British-Nigerian designer Iniye Tokyo James is at the forefront of a new wave of African fashion talent. He founded his namesake brand in Lagos back in 2015, known for its focus on simplicity with playful tailoring. His designs draw from traditional Nigerian techniques, balancing practicality with spontaneity. Clean lines meet unexpected details, creating a look that feels both straightlaced and dynamic.
Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen
Zoe Whalen brings a surreal, medieval-inspired vision to contemporary fashion, further enriched by a handful of degrees from Parsons School of Design, Central Saint Martins, and the Fashion Institute of Technology. She launched her label in 2021 with a mission to bridge the gaps between clothing, art and performance. The result of her research? Sculptural yet wearable pieces that merge structure and fluidity.
Ellen Hodakova Larsson
Ellen Hodakova Larsson, the visionary behind the rising Swedish label Hodakova, ushers in a new era of minimalism with an unconventional approach. She won the 2024 LVMH Prize for Young Designers, praised for her use of upcycled materials. Her garments challenge traditional proportions while still keeping a clean-laced yet unexpected edge.
Margherita Maccapani Missoni
The heiress to the legendary Missoni fashion house, socialite and model turned designer Margherita Maccapani Missoni is forging her own path in the industry. Her label, Maccapani, moves away from her family’s signature knitwear with a feminine and almost semi-formal take on athleisure.
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About
Julianna has been interested in leading a literary life since she first read Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess at eight. Before working with Tatler, she was an archive intern at The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, New York. She is a textbook Pisces who devotes most of her spare time to her crochet projects, watching classic films, and going through her never-ending pile of unread books. She studied creative writing, global literature and art history at Sarah Lawrence College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2022. Toni Morrison, Nora Ephron, Clarice Lispector and Jia Tolentino are among her all-time favourite writers.
Work
Julianna writes about fashion, beauty, sustainability, and the arts. She is always keen on conducting interviews with talented women who are changing the game in their respective fields.
For event invites and story leads, hit her up at julianna.cabili@tatlerasia.com
