OliviA rUBin

‘I was searching for special, unique dresses at an accessible price point and was struggling to find them,’ says Olivia Rubin of her eponymous label, which she relaunched in 2017 in order to fill that very gap in her own wardrobe.

With a signature of colourful dresses in feminine silhouettes, the designer quickly became one to watch after her rainbow-striped sequin midi went viral on Instagram in 2018 (check out this season’s version, Thora, £370). She has since become a go-to for fashion insiders as well as stars including Fearne Cotton, Vogue Williams and Joely Richardson.

Though Olivia has a background at high-end fashion houses (she worked at Dior, Alexander McQueen and John Galliano), accessibility and value are integral to her brand. She also focuses on seasonless pieces that can be worn year round, and only makes a limited number of dresses in each design, something Olivia says is essential to the appeal of the mid-spend dress. ‘There should be an element of exclusivity, of making the customer feel they are buying something special – that can be worn over and over again, and that their friends won’t also own,’ she explains.

It’s feel-good fashion in every sense – by opting for small-batch production, as Olivia does, less waste is created, too.

Look out for the 70s-esque Marley dress (above, £420), which would look just as stylish with heels worn to a wedding as with trainers and a denim jacket to the pub. oliviarubinlondon.com

rOTATe Birger cHrisTensen

‘Exciting yet still wearable’ is the ethos behind Copenhagen-based Rotate’s dresses, according to stylists-turned-designers Thora Valdimars and Jeanette Madsen, who started the label in 2018.

Specialising in retro-inspired mini and midi dresses – think flattering wraps in 70s florals and puffed-sleeved midis in animal print – the brand epitomises the duo’s own much-coveted Scandi-cool (the pair collectively have over 300,000 Instagram followers). ‘We love to wear our own pieces tucked into jeans for a more casual look, or with heels for a night out – and we think our dresses can be for every occasion.’

For spring, with its bold snake-print and rhinestone detailing, the eye-catching Kira (above, £300, net-a-porter.com) ticks all the must-have boxes. rotatebirgerchristensen.com