Shopping Niche Fashion Brands Is My Thing—25 Items That Bring a Cool Factor
By now it's pretty obvious that I like to shop, but what may not be so apparent is my affinity for under-the-radar, niche brands. There's a time and place for tried-and-true staples, but sometimes you need a bit of the unexpected to break up the monotony of the same old shirt-and-jeans combo. That's where what I like to call "funky fashion" pieces come in, and usually, emerging brands are the ones that create statement-making pieces best: Take Marshall Columbia's unique stretchy cutout top or Tyler McGillivary's swirly neckline vest.
Finding up-and-coming designers to support is probably one of the most rewarding parts of my job, as I love the element of surprise of coming across a piece that hasn't yet made it big—it feels like a secret only for me. But of course, as a fashion editor, I can't keep something this good to myself, so I'm passing along my list of niche fashion items that really bring a cool factor. From whimsical pearl jewelry to revealing cutouts, these items are far from the expected. Keeping reading ahead to check all of them out.
I'm not a watch person by any means, but this one completely changed my mind. It has that expensive, heritage-watch look while being pretty affordable.
We still have a few more months of sunny, warm weather in L.A., so I plan on wearing this dress to help me carry through.
How many corsets are too many? I believe you can never have enough.
A bit on the controversial side, but it's hard to ignore how striking this is.
I found the perfect going-out top for all of your pairs of jeans.
I've been a fan of J.Kim since earlier this year, and the designer has finally landed at Ssense.
A trick to make your sweaters feel fresh—accessorize them with cool necklaces.
The beauty of this top is that you can wear it over a bralette for an elevated night-out look or layered over a long-sleeve tee for extra oomph.
As someone who's perpetually cold, I am excited about these slippers.
If you love quirky cutouts, Marshall Columbia is a brand to know.
Around this time of year, all I want to wear are chic midi dresses.
As classic as this black one-piece looks, you can switch out the straps for beaded and jeweled versions to switch things up.
Next up: Our Editors Are Serious Shopping Experts—7 Fall Trends They'll Wear Next Month
Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.
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