In the ever-evolving world of fashion, where trends come and go like fleeting moments, a select group of designer denim brands are making an impact and leaving their mark on the fashion set. We live in a world where personal style is defined by how timeless you are—think quiet luxury. And if this hasn’t inspired you to invest in the pieces you wear daily, I don’t know what will. Your denim drawers deserve an update.
Celebrities and fashion people own dozens of pairs of jeans. But there are a few brands they’re constantly returning to, so let’s discuss them. Below, find the 10 popular denim brands fashion girls are all over.
Let me take you down memory lane for a second. Can you remember the first bag you ever owned that you loved? What did it look like? Why was it valuable to you? It’s safe to say that almost everyone who loves fashion can remember their first handbag—mine was a labelless crescent shoulder bag made of silver chain mail. And while everyone’s first handbag varies, the sentimental value that the first bag holds for us all remains. Of course, placing a value beyond memory on your vintage handbag requires in-depth knowledge of the luxury space. Not all bags are created equal, and they’re not all sound investments for the long-term. I still love my little chain-mail bag to this day (and I’ll never pass up the chance to test-drive a new handbag trend), but I know that investing in a designer bag is the grown-up scenario when shopping for purses.
In fact, designer handbags are arguably the best thing you can buy for your wardrobe for multiple reasons, one being that they are a great way to get your hands on luxury labels for less. Secondly, they’re easy to shop secondhand and resell if you’re making space in your wardrobe. Plus, designer bags surpass the sentimental value and gain monetary value with time. Securing a designer handbag is the best thing you can do for your future self. But if you’re like me and find it difficult to decide which designer handbag is worth buying, don’t fret.
I spoke with The RealReal’s merchandising manager, Kelly McSweeney, about why investing in a Valentino handbag is the move right now, and she shared the five best Valentino bags that have managed to retain their value over the years. They may not be your first handbag, but they’re bound to be just as valuable.
And lastly, it would not be a roundup of the best JW Anderson bags if we didn’t mention one of the most exciting drops to come out of the British fashion house in recent memory. Drumroll, please… meet the Bumper Bag. Despite making its debut on the S/S23 runway, this bag style quickly garnered cult status among the celeb and fashion set—fans include Dua Lipa, Emrata, and Rina Sawayama for the record. But it’s not just this bag’s meteoric rise in popularity that makes it such a sound purchase at this moment and beyond. Instead, the bag’s idiosyncratic shape encapsulates Andreson’s entire design perspective—i.e., he can take the seemingly “mundane” and transform it into something magical.
For this bag, Anderson drew inspiration from inverted travel pillows, hence the dramatic bumper edge, which is filled with tubing, to create this bag. The bag comes in multiple silhouttes (including a baguette, clutch, and crescent shape), numerous sizes, various colorways, and textures. Of course, the style is eclectic; it’s not your run-of-the-mill designer bag, but that’s what makes it a worthwhile purchase. So much of Anderson’s work taps into our collective imagination, and a single price tag can’t fully encapsulate the added value of that type of creativity.
You were born and raised in New York. Which neighborhood did you grow up in, and where do you call home now?
I grew up in Bayside, Queens, and now, I’m in the Lower East Side. My mom still lives in Bayside, and my dad lives in Flushing, so I visit them a lot.
These days, where do you find yourself spending the most time?
I live in the Lower East Side and work there, so I spend the majority of my time there. On the weekends, we’ll go wherever our plans take us. I don’t know if I have a favorite neighborhood in Manhattan—they all do different things for me depending on the time of year and how I’m feeling. I love a classic museum day uptown. I also love visiting my parents in Queens and feeling like I’m back in my childhood.
You chose the Lower East Side as the home to your first brick-and-mortar location. What is it about this area that embodies the Sandy Liang girl?
I chose this area primarily because I have family history here. My dad has worked here, and my grandparents have lived here ever since I was little. I grew up going to school in Queens but came to the city in high school, so that’s when I really started to explore this area. When I was younger, the Lower East Side was just where my dad worked and where we would visit my grandparents, but not necessarily a destination. When I started having a bit more independence, I remember thinking it was just the coziest and warmest neighborhood with small shops. It made me so happy to walk around.
What does a typical day off look like for you?
I wake up and have coffee and try to take a walk either across the bridge (when I’m feeling bold) or around the neighborhood, typically around Seward Park with my dog Tim Tam. Then I walk two minutes to my office and hang out there until 5. Then it just depends on what’s happening! I love going to Essex and watching movies there. I love doing Pilates at Good Time. I like meeting up with friends and getting dinner at our little spots. Most of all, I love eating in front of the TV with Tim Tam and my husband Dorian.
If you had to create the perfect afternoon for someone visiting the city with a limited amount of time, which area would you send them to, and what would their afternoon entail?
I would have them start their morning in the LES for a coffee, then walk through Chinatown (stopping by Elizabeth Center) to Nolita and then take the train uptown and have a museum day and eat a hot dog in front of the Met.
Below, we’ve tapped her to share a curated selection of her favorite NYC institutions, from where to get the best slice of pizza in the city to the underrated vintage store with plenty of hidden gems to the touristy thing that’s actually worth it. Welcome to Sandy Liang’s New York.
Not so long ago, it may have been inconceivable to imagine how much social media would influence the world, yet we’ve now reached a point where it’s just as unimaginable to think of life without it. Love it or hate it, social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest have changed how we view every aspect of our lives—especially our personal style. There’s no more straightforward example of this than the various fashion aesthics, popular brands, and micro-trends that have become viral sensations overnight.
Admittedly during the summer, there seems to be no shortage of buzzy things to adopt—from swimwear trends to travel trends, the list goes on. But none are more important (in my mind) than the clothing brands everyone is wearing. The benefit of keeping up with buzzy fashion brands is that it is a great way to tap into the cultural moment in a way that’s tailored to your sartorial preferences. You don’t have to buy into every single trend on the internet, but rather just the brands you’re most excited about.
Which leads one to wonder, what fashion brands are trending right now? In search of that answer, I combed through social media and our editorial slack channels to identify the seven most popular summer clothing brands. You’ve likely already seen these brands without realizing it, but I’m breaking down why they are the best for the summer. Trust me when I say there’s something ahead for everyone…
I think it’s important to recognize that the fashion industry is often perceived as gay-friendly due to the presence of women and gay men. But this perception overlooks the issue at hand: the privileged position held by gay cis men, particularly in the fashion world. They often become the gatekeepers and tastemakers for bodies that do not align with their own. It is crucial to acknowledge this disparity, as it is all too easy for a list of LGBTQ+ designers and brands to be dominated by gay men who already hold significant platforms in the industry. While it warms my heart if you can easily name open lesbian, bisexual female, and gender-nonconforming designers, I recognize that many struggle to do so. As a queer woman working in fashion, even I find it challenging to think of more than a handful.
Writing this article honestly may inadvertently offend some individuals, but it is also disheartening that such an article is necessary. I wish there were more businesses run by marginalized identities because they often have the most profound emotional impact. These brands tend to be more inclusive in terms of size, body positivity, gender-fluidity, racial diversity, and eco-friendliness. They take real stands for change and help those with marginalized identities feel represented and celebrated.
If you speak with any fashion historian, you’d know that androgynous clothing is not a trend that’s emerged these past few years. Though, the uptick in nonbinary dressing by celebrity couples and men donning jewels doesn’t hurt. Some of the most prolific designers (Coco Chanel, Yohji Yamamoto, and Phoebe Philo) built their reputations on challenging the gender binary through crisply tailored clothing. Of course, any designer can create clothing that challenges the rules of gendered fashion—suiting has stayed trending on the runway for a few seasons now, and unisex clothing can be, well, anything. But what makes nonbinary clothing great moves beyond just labeling it as such. It requires true skills.
Any brand can drop a collection of “androgynous” sweatpants and say it’s inclusive, but that doesn’t mean it’s stylish. I’m not trying to be gauche or bash anyone’s love for sweatpants (you do you), but the point is that dressing in a nonbinary way doesn’t mean you don’t want crisp tailoring, luxurious fabrics, or sultry pieces. And luckily for us, there is a wave of contemporary fashion brands that understand just that. These 14 androgynous fashion brands continue to move beyond the boundaries, one garment at a time.
Visibility has always been a double-edged sword. On one side, it’s been incredible to witness how the world, and by extension, the fashion industry, has begun to advocate for change. From the call to action to support LGBTQ+ brands to ensuring the next generation of talent has a chance to get in the door, the industry has made immense strides in the right direction over the past few years. But on the flip side, there’s the boom of often inauthentic marketing tactics for Pride Month. Every brand wants to stay relevant, so they’re willing to drop rainbow-adorned pieces to be a part of the conversation without making regular contributions to organizations such as The Trevor Project and ACLU or supporting legislation that protects our civil liberties.
Don’t get me wrong. I love a color moment just as much as the next person and will always be an ally waving that flag. Still, I’ve found that most brands’ special Pride Month collections teeter into that cheesy territory and don’t always benefit the communities they’re targeting. So what’s the best way to actually support the community? In my mind, there’s no chicer way to do so than by first making regular donations to organizations and then supporting LGBTQ+ fashion designers. You don’t have to buy another cliché T-shirt (unless you want to); there are so many fabulous designers creating great pieces that can be worn and shopped year-round.
So in that vein, I’ve rounded up the chicest finds from 30 LGBTQ-founded fashion brands. From campy-inspired cocktail dresses to androgynous button-downs, these pieces remind us that supporting the LGBTQ+ community isn’t just about wearing a rainbow for one month of the year; it’s about putting your money where your values are. And what’s more stylish than that?
Courtesy of Anna Irving; Courtesy of Tory Burch; Launchmetrics Spotlight/ Ludovic de Saint Sernin; Courtesy of Proenza Schouler
Here’s a harsh truth: Breaking into the fashion industry is no easy feat. There are numerous hurdles for designers, especially those from marginalized communities, including finding funding, carving out a niche in an oversaturated market, and getting stock-listed at major retailers. Even if you overcome every challenge, that doesn’t mean overnight success or long-term relevance. So many small labels have gone viral overnight, only to shutter a few years later because they couldn’t keep up with the fast-paced production or create a profitable business model.
But one retailer is trying to change that harsh reality for new designers. Since its inception in 1867, Saks Fifth Avenue has been one of the pinnacles of high fashion. Generations of creatives have aspired to see their designs in the windows of the retailer’s iconic Fifth Avenuelocation. That dream is now within reach for a rising crop of designers, thanks to the New Wave accelerator program at Saks. Launched in 2021, the initiative was created in partnership with Mastercard to provide talent with the tools to build long-lasting luxury labels. Of course, other retailers have diversified their stockists in recent years to address calls for systemic change, but this isn’t a fluff PR move for Saks. The program is buying budding designers’ work and setting them up for long-term viability by sharing knowledge and resources.
That distinction has made the program unique. It has reached its aim of not only giving a platform to the most exciting talent of our era but, in the process, has made Saks the place to watch and shop for new designers. However, success, especially in this industry, isn’t achieved without the work of people behind the scenes. One of the driving forces behind this program has been Saks’s SVP, GMM Women’s Designer Ready-to-Wear Anna Irving. So, of course, we had to speak with Irving about her work, and luckily, she obliged. Ahead, you’ll hear from Irving about her buying career, the importance of the New Wave program, and which trends and brands will define the rest of 2023.
Certain designer pieces have a way of making it into every fashion girl’s closet at one point or another. One peek at the picks that make any list of luxury items we round up, and you’ll come to learn they all have a few things in common: They’re top quality, they’re timeless, and they’re quite pricey (we know, the latter may not be exactly what you want to hear). But each makes for a worthy investment piece that you’ll have hanging in your wardrobes for years to come.
The same can be said about the 10 most popular designer shoes of all time. It’s a hard title to earn, especially when you take into account the sheer number of standout shoes that flood the vast footwear market, but every style we found below has made the list for a particular reason. Each pair has a can’t-miss element to it, whether it be a unique heel, a specific pattern, or an all-around iconic silhouette. Read on to see and shop the designer shoes that are a part of fashion set’s forever wardrobes.
There is a popular saying that a woman carries her life in her handbag, but in my case, that’s not entirely true. I carry my life in my wallet. From the obvious items, such as my ID and credit cards, to my very important Cha Cha Matcha stamp card that provides a free drink with every 10 purchases, I often resort to simply carrying around my wallet instead of my entire handbag when I’m seeking convenience. That being said, when I do choose to carry my Chanel bag with me, there is a simple pleasure to be gained from reaching inside it to pay for my matcha latte and pulling out… a matching Chanel wallet. The devil is in the details, and in this case, that detail is a finely made, exquisitely stitched leather wallet.
Often providing an affordable access point to a luxury brand, a classic designer wallet is an elegant and easy way to upgrade your accessories. As young adult women living in the fashion world, it’s high time we ditch the bulky wallets (often bursting at the seams with coins and receipts) we’ve kept since college and replace them with sleek, compact wallets that only carry the necessities. Below, we’ve rounded up the best designer wallets so you can make the transition faster than your friends will compliment you on your new purchase.
Don’t judge me for what I’m about to admit: At least once a week, I’ll fall into a rabbit hole, where I’m sifting through Nordstrom, Ssense, and Shopbop in search of one thing: handbags. I am a sucker for a designer handbag in every form—it doesn’t matter if it’s secondhand, covered in shearling, or if it’s the It bag of the season. I am a proud bag lady, but I’m well aware of the fact that while I may live for finding the best vegan designer bag of the moment or searching for a sustainable handbag, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Luckily for them, I’ve taken the liberty of rounding up 54 vegan designer handbags at every price. Whether you’re an obsessive bag collector like me or are just looking for one great bag to invest in, I’ve got you covered.
Mowalola Ogunlesi isn’t keen on being put in a box, or at least that’s what one can deduct after deep diving into the designer’s career. The Nigerian creative first made her foray into fashion by attending (and dropping out of) Central Saint Martins. Though she’s openly discussed how she disliked her experience there, she accredits the school with landing one of her most influential internships with Grace Wales Bonner. Cutting her teeth under the tutelage of one of our time’s most revolutionary female designers inspired Ogunlesi to start her eponymous label, Mowalola, in 2017.
She debuted her first collection at London Fashion Week in 2018 with the philanthropic organization Fashion East. The non-profit is dedicated to fostering new talent and has some of the most esteemed veterans in the program, including Maximilian, Jonathan Anderson, Nensi Dojka, and Mowalola. While Ogunlesi stopped showing with Fashion East in 2020, that first collection (and the subsequent ones after that) cemented her as a rising star in the industry.
That newly attained star status was partly due to the celebrity set that quickly took to her work—fans include Kim Kardashian, Naomi Campbell, and Drake. Additionally, Ogunlesi landed some of the buzziest collaborations quickly (with Nike and Gap). But don’t be fooled by the hype; at the end of the day, the fandom surrounding her work all goes back to her out-of-the-box approach to fashion.
The most important thing to consider when investing in a designer bag is to know the purpose it will have in your life. Do you prefer an everyday carryall? Then maybe the Sac de Jour is for you. If you’re one to throw your bag around and are a bit rougher, then you should probably steer toward the Sac de Jour duffle because it has a zip closure, organizational pockets, and canvas lining.
If you are one to keep your bag organized without the help of added pockets and compartments but need something more spacious to fit a laptop and gym clothes, then maybe the Shopping Tote is right for you. If you’re somebody who likes to show off for a night out, then consider the Classic Monogram Quilted Leather Shoulder Bag, the Loulou, or the Sunset Bag (which is most similar to the wallet on a chain). These differ slightly in depth and style, but they are all perfect for any night out.
If you’re still feeling overwhelmed with options, visit a store and bring everything you’d like to fit inside it. Make sure your accouterments fit comfortably with room to grow, just in case.
In honor of Black History Month, the Vanity Fair fashion team is celebrating some of our favorite Black-owned fashion brands. From streetwear to evening wear, investing in Black businesses means building a continued legacy for Black creators. Below, we’ve curated a list of 20 Black-owned fashion brands that are making an impact. Shop and support these brands, not just this month, but every day of the year.
All products featured on Vanity Fair are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Maybe it was just me, but the 2019 Grammy outfits truly solidified my love for Olivier Rousteing at Balmain. How could one not still be in a tizzy over Béyonce’s iconic look, Jorja Smith’s stunning gold sequin number, or even Kylie Jenner’s avant-garde look? I know he’s been the creative director quite some time (which means I was high-key sleeping on him), but something about the documentary Wonder Boy made me fall in love with him all over again. Maybe it’s his couture, or maybe it’s him, but either way, this a brand and a designer to buy into.
Designer Vivienne Westwood, who galvanized British fashion and brought elements of punk and new wave style to the mainstream with her designs beginning in the 1970s, died in Clapham, South London on Thursday, according to a tweet from her eponymous fashion label’s official account. She was 81. A cause of death was not disclosed, though the statement said she died “peacefully and surrounded by family.”
“The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better,” the tweet continues.
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Her husband and creative partner, Andreas Kronthaler, released a statement, saying, “I will continue with Vivienne in my heart.”
“We have been working until the end and she has given me plenty of things to get on with. Thank you darling,” he added.
Born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Cheshire, England on April 8, 1941, Westwood moved with her family to Harrow, Greater London, in 1954. She took a metalsmithing course, but soon dropped out and began working in a factory, and then as a schoolteacher. She also made jewelry that she sold in a stall on London’s Portobello Road. After a brief marriage to factory apprentice Derek Westwood, and the birth of their son, Benjamin, the chapter of Westwood’s life that made her a provocative public figure in the decades to follow began: She met Malcolm McLaren, manager of the punk band The Sex Pistols. She began designing clothes with McLaren, which the band wore, and the two ran a boutique called SEX on London’s King’s Road. It closed in 1976, but the shop was a meeting place for prominent punks, and its wares were attention-grabbing fashion statements unlike anything street fashion had seen.
Viv Albertine, guitarist for the punk band The Slits, once wrote that “Vivienne and Malcolm use clothes to shock, irritate, and provoke a reaction but also to inspire change.” Sweaters knit so loosely that they were see-through, seams and labels visible on ripped-up, defaced t-shirts, an insouciant attitude, translated sartorially. Punk, as demonstrated through pants. “These attitudes are reflected in the music we make,” Albertine wrote. “It’s OK to not be perfect, to show the workings of your life and your mind in your songs and your clothes.”
Vivienne Westwood in February, 2018 in London.by Ki Price/Getty Images.
As the person who dressed the Sex Pistols, Vivienne Westwood, who died on Thursday at the age of 81, was synonymous with 1970s punk rock, a rebelliousness that remained the hallmark of an unapologetically political designer who became one of British fashion’s biggest names.
“Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London. The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better,” her fashion house said on Twitter.
Climate change, pollution, and her support for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange were all fodder for protest T-shirts or banners carried by her models on the runway.
She dressed up as then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher for a magazine cover in 1989 and drove a white tank near the country home of a later British leader, David Cameron, to protest against fracking.
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The rebel was inducted into Britain’s establishment in 1992 by Queen Elizabeth who awarded her the Order of the British Empire medal. But, ever keen to shock, Westwood turned up at Buckingham Palace without underwear – a fact she proved to photographers by a revealing twirl of her skirt.
“The only reason I am in fashion is to destroy the word ‘conformity’,” Westwood said in her 2014 biography. “Nothing is interesting to me unless it’s got that element.”
Instantly recognizable with her orange or white hair, Westwood first made a name for herself in punk fashion in 1970s London, dressing the punk rock band that defined the genre.
Together with the Sex Pistols’ manager, Malcolm McLaren, she defied the hippie trends of the time to sell rock’n’roll-inspired clothing.
They moved on to torn outfits adorned with chains as well as latex and fetish pieces that they sold at their shop in London’s King’s Road variously called “Let It Rock,” “Sex” and “Seditionaries,” among other names.
Vivienne Westwood’s son Joe Corre burns over $8 million worth of punk memorabilia
They used prints of swastikas, naked breasts and, perhaps most well-known, an image of the queen with a safety pin through her lips. Favourite items included sleeveless black T-shirts, studded, with zips, safety pins or bleached chicken bones.
“There was no punk before me and Malcolm,” Westwood said in the biography. “And the other thing you should know about punk too: it was a total blast.”
“BUY LESS”
Born Vivienne Isabel Swire on April 8, 1941, in the English Midlands town of Glossop, Westwood grew up at a time of rationing during and after World War Two.
A recycling mentality pervaded her work, and she repeatedly told fashionistas to “choose well” and “buy less.” From the late 1960s, she lived in a small flat in south London for some 30 years and cycled to work.
When she was a teenager, her parents, a greengrocer and a cotton weaver, moved the family to north London where she studied jewelry-making and silversmithing before re-training as a teacher.
While she taught at a primary school, she met her first husband, Derek Westwood, marrying him in a homemade dress. Their son Ben was born in 1963, and the couple divorced in 1966.
Now a single mother, Westwood was selling jewelry on London’s Portobello Road when she met art student McLaren who would go on to be her partner romantically and professionally. They had a son, Joe Corre, co-founder of lingerie brand Agent Provocateur.
After the Sex Pistols split, the two held their first catwalk show in 1981, presenting a “new romantic” look of African-style patterns, buccaneer trousers and sashes.
Westwood, by then in her forties, began to slowly forge her own path in fashion, eventually separating from McLaren in the early 1980s.
Often looking to history, her influential designs have included corsets, Harris Tweed suits and taffeta ballgowns.
Her 1985 “Mini-Crini” line introduced her short puffed skirt and a more fitted silhouette. Her sky-high platform shoes garnered worldwide attention in 1993 when model Naomi Campbell stumbled on the catwalk in a pair.
“My clothes have a story. They have an identity. They have character and a purpose,” Westwood said.
“That’s why they become classics. Because they keep on telling a story. They are still telling it.”
The Westwood brand flourished in the 1990s, with fashionistas flocking to her runway shows in Paris, and stores opening around the world selling her lines, accessories and perfumes.
She met her second husband, Andreas Kronthaler, teaching fashion in Vienna. They married in 1993 and he later became her creative partner.
Westwood used her public profile to champion issues including nuclear disarmament and to protest against anti-terrorism laws and government spending policies that hit the poor. She held a large “climate revolution” banner at the 2012 Paralympics closing ceremony in London, and frequently turned her models into catwalk eco-warriors.
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“I’ve always had a political agenda,” Westwood told L’Officiel fashion magazine in 2018.
In our experience, winter coats are one of those wardrobe staples that really pay dividends when you invest a little more money in them. Of course, that doesn’t have to mean four-figure sums. Rather it could mean hand-selecting premium brands that know how to deliver time-tested designs. Some of fashion’s most famous outwear icons include the Max Maracamel coat, which dates back to 1981, and the iconic Burberry trench coat that boasts an impressive 100-year history. But there are also plenty of new entries making their presence felt in the market right now, including the oversized luxury of Raey and Saks Potts’s statement-making big-collar energy. They’re classics in the making, for sure.
So if you’re on the lookout for an investment coat, be it a trench or a puffer, we’ve created a rundown of the nine iconic styles that we personally love. Top tip: If your budget is a little tighter, we would definitely recommend checking out sites such as Vestiaire Collective for pre-loved iterations that still have all the elevated designs and quality fabrics but with purse-friendly prices. You’re very welcome. Scroll down to see and shop our edit.
So you’ve reached the moment where you want to invest in a designer handbag. Congrats! A well-chosen luxury handbag is truly one of the best investment pieces you can buy. It will see you through a lifetime of wardrobe crises, serve as a trusty travel companion, and even become a valuable heirloom after you’re gone. So where do you start in the bag-buying process, and what kind of bag is really worth the investment? It is, of course, crucial you choose a style you love, but there are several other factors to consider before making the big purchase. For example, will the brand hold its value? What color should you choose? What silhouette will never go out of style?
Investing in what we like to call the holy trinity of luxury handbags—Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès—is a no-brainer when looking at the resale value. The fashion crowd has also put designers like Chloé, Céline, Gucci, and Loewe on the It-bag fashion map with styles that have become classics in their own right.
If you’re ready to dip into the world of designer handbags, scroll below to see our curated list of power purses that are timeless, desirable, and make for some incredibly elusive arm candy.
