These Up-And-Coming Fashion Labels Do Party Dressing Right

Halpern 

What: The super-buzzy London-based label by American wunderkind Michael Halpern. Graduating from Central Saint Martins just last year, the 30-year-old has already established his signature MO: ’70s flares, vivid colours and all-over, megawatt sequins – all of which led top retailers like Matches Fashion, Bergdorf Goodman and Browns to pick up his debut F/W ’17 collection.

Why: Besides replicating the feat of design legends whose debut collections were similarly snapped up by major players (think John Galliano and Alexander McQueen), Halpern has become a favourite of some of fashion and entertainment’s most daring and influential names – and for good reason. In these play-it-safe times, his heady use of “gaudy” hues and in-your-face sequins make for an unabashedly ’70s brand of glamour that feels fresh and utterly carefree. Giovanna Battaglia wore a look from his Masters graduate collection to the British Fashion Awards last December, Marion Cotillard wore a custom ensemble to Cannes this May (his first and very early red carpet moment), and Beyonce’s commissioned one-off pieces. Perhaps even bigger a deal though: Donatella Versace hired him straight out of school to consult for Atelier Versace’s couture department – some of his own pieces feature thousands of sequins hand-sewn to couture standards, proving he’s far from simply flash. (It also explains his prices, which range from about $1,325 for a turtleneck to $4,300 for a jumpsuit.)

Attico

What: Italian fashion consultants-turned-designers Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tordini’s year-old label, adored by the street style set not only because they too are part of the pack (over 360K Instagram followers combined), but also because of its distinct look-at-me brand of lounge dressing. 

Why: In an era ruled by the second street-wear revolution, Attico (Italian for penthouse) stands out for encouraging women to dress up and have fun doing so – all while offering comfort and ease. Singling out the “peignoir” – an old-fashioned term for negligee – as their source of inspiration, the duo updates vintage-tinged slips, robes and separates (from $245 for ankle straps to $3,685 for a faux fur coat; stockists include Net-a-porter and Joyce in Hong Kong) in glamorous sequins and jewel-toned velvet and satin. Each piece can be worn as is, or layered over tees and jeans (as Ambrosio and Tordini often do), putting a modern, trendy spin on boudoir style. Considering that they helped popularise a whole new product category with those aforementioned ankle straps – decorative cuffs for the feet that come in the same vivid fabrics as the clothes, and constantly sell out – they are also accessories designers to watch.

Paula Knorr

What: The London-based eponymous label by German-born Knorr, founded in 2015 and recently inducted into the British Fashion Council’s prestigious talent-spotting/incubator Newgen programme, which helped put the likes of Christopher Kane and JW Anderson on the global map.

Why: Using innovative draping and cutting techniques, the feminist-minded Knorr puts an experimental spin on dance-floor-ready metallic fabrics such as lame. Excess cloth, for example, cascades down the legs of skin-tight pants, or protrudes stiffly from the sides and shoulders of snug sheaths, creating a futuristic, armour-like effect on what’s otherwise traditional, body-conscious raver gear. Carried by several online stockists including Matches Fashion and H. Lorenzo (prices range from US$495 or S$670 for leg warmers to US$3,079 or S$4,160 for a coat), Knorr isn’t for every woman, but the ones who get it, get it. Among them: her idol Bjork, who’s bought pieces for stage and everyday wear.

This story first appeared in Female's December 2017 issue. 

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