New York Fashion Week is right around the corner, and with each season comes a fresh set of brands we're keeping an eye on as they emerge into the fore of conversation. New York City will always be a melting pot of new talent, and the CFDA Fashion Fund ensures that independent designers receive the support they need to keep New York City's industry brimming with fresh perspective, diverse techniques, and innovative fashion evolution.
Last year, we shouted out emerging designers like Zane Li of LII and Colleen Allen of her eponymous label as ones to watch. This year, we're paying attention to Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen, Miss Clare Sullivan, and Amir Taghi as they make their debuts on the fashion week calendar. Also on our radar, brands like OSSOU and Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen, who are returning to the calendar.
Many of the emerging brands we're watching are pegged as CFDA Fashion Fund finalists this year—and if unfamiliar, the prestigious American award that has helped launch the legacies of some of New York's most quintessential designers today, like Proenza Schouler and Altuzarra. With this in mind, it's always important for us to pay attention to these names before they become the new guard of American heritage.
So below, read about the 5 emerging designers at NYFW that we've got our eyes on this season.
Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen is a CFDA Fashion Fund Finalist this year, and even though this is not the designer's first time showing at NYFW, it feels as though more eyes than ever are on her ultra-romantic, body-focussed ready-to-wear brand than ever. Zoe Whalen uses deadstock materials to create sculptural, historically-informed silhouettes that feel truly one-of-a-kind.
You might recognize Clare Sullivan of Miss Clare Sullivan's work on the likes of Rosalia, Pink Pantheress, and Addison Rae on stage. The independent demi-couture designer has become a go-to for her feminine, voluminous, and princess-like silhouettes in recent years. Having launched her brand in 2021, Sullivan is also a CFDA Fashion Fund finalist this year, and is celebrated for her custom, one-of-one garments that play with proportion and the idea of fantasy.
Presenting their third collection ever and their second collection on the CFDA calendar is OSSOU, the pared-back, denim-forward brand helmed by Fforme founder Nina Kholsa and creative director Talia Shuvalov (also of Australian Jewelry brand Erede). OSSOU, translating from the Latin word "bone" brings together simplicity, craftsmanship, and restraint to offer a wardrobe of clothing—from perfect denim to everyday cashmere—that feels essential to a contemporary womenswear brand.
Persian-American designer Amir Taghi is a Central Saint Martins and Parsons graduate whose work takes cues from his Iranian heritage and Texan upbringing, merging American silhouettes with patterns and prints from his roots. Another CFDA Fashion Fund finalist this year, Taghi's work caught our eye for his precision tailoring and sophisticated silhouettes. He will show his Spring/Summer 2027 collection this year on the official schedule.
Andrew Curwen's gothic, dark, romantic signatures have seen his namesake brand dress the likes of Charli XCX, Doechii, and Lady Gaga. The Parsons graduate has previously been named the "secret weapon" of New York's buzziest designers, and is inspired largely by Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. His corset-heavy, distressed, and romantic silhouettes breathe an emotional, intimate quality into his work.