We live in an age of social media and hyper-attention spans that leaves quality and creative businesses in the wayside in favor of the next new trendy thing. Perhaps this is nowhere as prevalent as in the fashion industry.
The term “hype beast” is thrown out a lot to describe people who follow trends in streetwear and possibly don’t think for themselves. Hype beasts want what’s hot; the brands that everyone is wearing or wants. Think of Supreme now. Or Thrasher tees.
Yeah, these companies are fire and wildly successful, but at what cost?
Fuck that hype beast shit. Instead, I am looking at brands on the come-up. Ones that people aren’t necessarily talking about. These seven brands could be huge in the future, and for now, it is cool to look at their creative designs with no social or corny impediments.
Olivier
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Olivier is a fashion company founded by Olivier Rogers. This is a high-quality, luxury brand that makes tees, shorts, jeans, hoodies, and more. Rappers Lil Durk, Future, and Gunna have been seen wearing this up-and-coming brand, along with NBA players Brandon Ingram, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Zion Williamson.
With a sweet-sounding French name and a mystique behind the brand due to the website and Instagram page’s minimalistic nature, this brand is right where it needs to be now. If you have some of the hottest celebrities in the game on your side, you’re set OG.
LIV Streetwear
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LIV streetwear is another fly low key brand. Designed by Olivia Anthony, LIV uses a unique style, merging attitudes of the industry today with the vibes of the ’90s. Anthony pushes styles with colorful, tight-fitting garments that look like they’re out of a dance/hip hop studio.
A collection of baggy, oversized tees and jackets bring us back to a time where this was how our icons dressed. Not to mention patterns we can’t keep our eyes off. Olivia Anthony is just getting started, and we can’t wait to see what she has in-store, next.
Stop drooling bruh. We got you!
No Access New York
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No Access is a brand created by Thomas Keys, with a mission statement reading, “Through our clothing, we focus on heritage and community, while also standing at the junction of high fashion and streetwear sensibility.”
Keys was born in Nairobi, Kenya to a Malawian mother and American father. As the mission statement continues, “His equal love for Malawi and New York City drives his vision and desire to bring different cultures together through fashion.”
Keys has opened up production centers in Malawi, creating jobs for the locals and a distribution flow into New York City, where Keys operates. No Access is a brand that prides itself on community and connections.
As his relationships in Malawi have taught Keys, “a project done in celebration of something bigger than yourself will always find the support of something greater.”
Tryna drip the Malawi way? Cop here.
C2H4
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C2H4 is a brand focused on the concept of chemistry. With a futuristic look that is separate from other luxury brands oozing with mad-max vibes, the brand that spells out the compound of Ethylene mixes different styles to create something explosive, just like in chemistry.
C2H4’s products look like what you’d find in an engineer’s dream. With different, exciting fabrics, and patchwork and add-ons that have never been seen before, C2H4 is about as unique as a company can get.
In a mix of being big, and also low key, C2H4 looks like a company that could soon pop.
Make sure you catch the wave, here.
MILFDAD
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MILFDAD is a brand stationed in NYC that ships worldwide. This brand focuses more on cozy, informal clothing like tracksuits, gym shorts, lingerie, and accessories like hats and headbands.
Stars such as Billie Eilish, Smokepurpp, Famous Dex, and Bella Thorne have all rocked this fly line. MILFDAD is a brand emblematic of 2019 youth: unapologetic, unwavering, and unafraid to take that next step into the wild side of fashion.
want that foxy grandpa drip? Bless yourself.
Advisory Board Crystals
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Advisory Board Crystals, created by Remington Guest, is a brand that uses colors and emblems to create beautiful clothing. ABC is relatively expensive and holds the right to be.
The company’s attention to detail is unmatched, and the combination of colors on garments further isolates ABC as its own unique brand. With actual crystals on some of its pieces, ABC has some of the hottest unseen articles of clothing out. The crystals on the garments look different depending on the angle in the light.
Look out for this brand, for real. Heads up you’re gonna need a password to access the drip.
Foreign Exchange
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Foreign Exchange, designed by Nadir Jackson, is a company that fuses fashion and environmental stability. Jackson noticed how material and textile waste affected the environment and wanted to make a change.
So, he often reuses and repurposes old textiles and clothing, in a manner of recycling that the whole world should be getting into in order to cut down on the volatile materials we produce every year.
Jackson has traveled all throughout Europe and used his experiences as inspirations for his designs. As a talented artist in many fields, Jackson created Foreign Exchange with specific goals in mind, and we can’t wait to see him reach them.
These seven brands are all only getting started. If they ever become a part of the mainstream fashion culture, we won’t be surprised. But for now, I for one like where they are.
Having an appreciation for something not in the spotlight is greater than any big trend of our time. These brands may not be low key forever, but for right now, we’re happy they are and just hope their creative visions stick with them if they ever hit it extremely big.