NEED INSPIRATION? HERE ARE 4 NEW DESIGNERS WE’RE INTO TODAY
If you haven’t heard of them already, you soon will. We’ve travelled from Stockholm to Bahrain to round up a quartet of up-and-coming designers whose collections are turning heads.
This article was originally published on Sleek.com
ARETHÉ STOCKHOLM
Arethé Stockholm has managed to bottle that elusive Scandi-cool in her sleek, oft-androgynous designs. Russian-born, Stockholm-based designer Alina Bendikova studied business and economics and worked in retail before launching the label, heavily influenced by the boy’s clothes she’d wear as a child in the Soviet Union. Think funnel neck shirts and wide-leg trousers in a crisp, monochrome palette.
HALA KAIKSOW
Hailing from Bahrain, Hala Kaiksow reappropriates traditional pieces and gives it a contemporary spin. Inspiration starts in the form of a Japanese kimono, an Iranian shepherd’s jacket or a Bahrainian man’s thawb. Kaiksow specialised in sculpture during her university studies, and this is evident in her collections, which feature architectural garments constructed from hand-woven fabrics and unusual finishes such as latex or mother of pearl.
MARTINA SPETLOVA
Having studied chemistry before launching her eponymous label, Martina Spetlova has a penchant designing intricate garments methodically. The Czech designer utilises ethically sourced leather and hand-weaving to create geometric patterns upon structured dresses and skirts, making for modern yet functional pieces that epitomise contemporary cool. Her designs are stocked by the likes of Dover Street Market, Selfridges and Farfetch.
ROBERTA EINER
Named One to Watch by NEWGEN, Estonian designer Roberta Einer works with experimental textiles and traditional techniques to reimagine femininity. Einer cut her teeth at the likes of Mary Katrantzou and Alexander McQueen, and fans of the labels will love AW16’s intricately engineered paillettes and word-embroidered skirts.