Lisa Armstrong
The seven new secret weapons of the fashion set
As we emerge, blinking, from the fag end of the sales into the Klieg-lit uplands of a new fashion season, one trend is over-riding all others: the rise of the stealth label. Four of the fastest-growing collections currently on Net-A-Porter.com are Marques’ Almeida, a London duo making a reputation with tailored, distressed denim; Tibi, the US label designed by Amy Smilovic; Elizabeth and James (sister line of the Olsen twins’ The Row); and Frame Denim, which last year launched a polished yet relaxed ready-towear line featuring a midnight-blue velvet jacket that was on repeat re-order.
At avenue32.com, Elina Linardaki’s playful sandals and THP’s jewel-coloured fake furs are the ones to watch. At matchesfashion.com, the new generation of stealth sellers includes Rachel Comey, Harris Wharf London (again) and Palmer// Harding, a British label specialising in imaginative, well-crafted cotton shirts, which have been “an instant, resounding hit”, says matchesfashion. com’s buying director Natalie Kingham.
Far from being disadvantaged by their relatively diminutive sizes, nicheness is part of these labels’ appeal. Why? Because where once the cognoscenti all wanted the same key trophies – Céline’s Trapeze bag, Balenciaga trousers and Saint Laurent’s kitten-heel boots, they’re now more likely to seek out names largely unknown to the general population. They’re not abandoning the leviathans, but using quirky indie gems to individualise their uniform.
“The proliferation of street style and Instagram means there’s a desire to uncover newness,” says Linda Ayepe, part of Net-A-Porter.com’s buying team. “The emerging wave of accessible, aspirational brands aren’t just following the big trends but developing their own distinct aesthetic.”
Brooklyn-rooted Rachel Comey, for instance, has quietly garnered a cult-like following for her relaxed-yet-edgy aesthetic, with retailers constantly restocking certain styles, such as her Bishop “pant” and ruffled Reunion top. Comey designs for women like her, “who are busy, complicated, creative, curious… and bossy”.
Interestingly, rather than wiping up the minnows, as previously predicted, the ubiquity of some of the luxury fashion giants has created new opportunities, especially for designers with a strong point of view or a specialisation. Palmer// Harding has its shirts; Comey her voluminous silhouettes; J&M Davidson (hardly new, but for years a fashion editor’s insider secret) has its beautifully crafted, understated bags and tiny readyto-wear line. In a sign of the times, this London label, designed by Anglo-French husband and wife John and Monique Davison, is trading up from a small shop at the rougher end of Notting Hill and opening on Mayfair’s Mount Street alongside Marni, Lanvin and Louboutin. The move suggests a label quietly confident that there are plenty more customers eager for discreet statements.
A strong, singular viewpoint marks out this under-theradar school. Catherine Quin, like Comey and Smilovic, designs primarily for women like her, “who travel a lot and want refined pieces that have the versatility to effortlessly transition from day to night, from LA to London, while fitting into a single suitcase”.
While Comey has shapes she repeats in different fabrics each season, Quin has her colours: black and, as of next season, navy, grey and cream – and an obsession with pared-down fluidity. It sounds proscriptive, but these are clothes that enable women suffering from what Quin calls “decision fatigue” to feel comfortable and confident “without sacrificing their sense of elegance”.
The new stealth labels aren’t cheap: £500 seems to be a sweet spot for special items, but that’s comfortably below the £1,500-plus that bigger names routinely charge for a day dress. As Net-A-Porter’s Linda Ayepe says: “You’re getting really good design at a good price.” Since customers generally won’t pay the same for an unknown label as they might for Chanel, the smaller stealth labels are obliged to focus on their perceived value-for-money factor. So while eveningwear from Lanvin or Givenchy can hit £12,000-£14,000, a featherfringed LBD by Elizabeth and James, the perfect marriage of classic and quirky, is £495.
“I was super-naïve about pricing,” says Comey. “In October 1999, a friend borrowed some items for David Bowie, whom she was styling for a tour. She called a few days later to say that Bowie wanted to buy them and I should price them high. The most expensive shirt price I could think of was $200… and that was for two.”
She’s more business-savvy now, but prices remain accessible: around £310 for trousers, £215 for a clutch – and most of it’s made in New York or LA, which shows what can be done, when a designer doesn’t have to factor global advertising campaigns into their expenses.
“We price each piece according to what they cost to make,” say Erik Torstensson and Jens Grede, the Swedish duo behind Frame Denim, which launched four years ago selling jeans, but last year moved into the kind of luxurious-casual ready-to-wear that many women now aspire to. Frame Denim’s pricing strategy might sound obvious, but that’s not how all brands work. Like all the labels here, their ready-to-wear is short on ta-da party bling or clothes that feel precious and delicate, because most women have little call for that.
“We’ve made a full beaded jumpsuit for an actress for the red carpet,” says Comey. “But we often find that a spring jumpsuit or dress that we design will become the choice for a bride’s City Hall wedding.”
Focusing on wearable everyday pieces, decently crafted and well observed, and maintaining a level of personal engagement with the finished product is what lends these designers their sense of authenticity – a quality as sought after by retailers as their customers. “Finding new, exciting small labels that aren’t available everywhere is exactly how we like to distinguish ourselves from our competition,” says Leila Yavari, fashion director at stylebop. com, a Munich-based website.
Do it well and, like Frame Denim, you could find that after four years you’re turning over £50 million a year and selling in a thousand shops across the globe. Then your next challenge is how to remain an insider’s secret.