It’s that time of year when all the bricks-and-mortar stores start putting up ‘sale’ signs in their windows. And sure, nothing tastes quite as good as a bargain. But do you know what else is good? Ultra-cool brands that don’t need to go into sale.
It’s a fascinating phenomenon, actually. Perhaps driven by the warped speed of Instagram and our insatiable appetite for newness, these brands seduce us with spontaneous new pieces as and when they feel like it. All of their stock is limited edition. Rather than following the old, outmoded concept of seasonal drops (once in Jan then again in summer with perhaps a mid-season collection for good measure), they restock regularly.
We’re talking brands that are hot on Instagram, that don’t create identikit customers. Fashion soul food. Fast fashion respite. The fashion equivalent of a Twitter feed you keep refreshing.
Everything we once knew to be true about shopping is dead. The high street is closing, department stores are failing and luxury labels are collaborating with little-known skater brands. It can feel like it’s all gone to pot. Although we still have a very special place in our hearts (and wardrobes) for quick fix labels like Zara, Topshop and ASOS, these ultra-cool brands are staging a coup on our closets.
With bubbling excitement, we at Grazia have been referring to it as the ‘8-week itch’. That craving for something to update our wardrobe. It doesn’t happen monthly (we have a little self-restraint, thank you very much) but it does happen routinely at about the eight-week mark, which is ideal because by then these ultra-cool brands have updated their websites with lots of new options.
8 week itch brand
1 of 81. Ganni
New Stock: Every Six Weeks. Bookmark For: Neither influencers nor celebrities can seemingly get enough of Ganni's reinvention of Scandi Chic. Ganni's inimitable wrap dresses, printed smocks and brightly coloured denim has forged countless trends, but no one does this kind of personality-driven fashion quite as well as this Copenhagen label.
2 of 82. LOÉIL
New Stock: Every Eight Weeks.Bookmark For: The sort of pieces you'll be stopped in the street and asked, 'where is that from?' Make a point of checking in on LOÉIL's regularly updated website to find architectural shapes, textured coats and modern takes on wardrobe icons, like Aran sweaters with cut-outs and quilts with raw hems and oversized buckles.
3 of 83. Kitri
New Stock: Weekly Drops. Bookmark For: If there is such a thing as slow fast fashion this is it. Every Kitri piece sings from the same hymn sheet and thus never looks last season even when it legitimately is. We like their bright blouses, glamorous jumpsuits and unapologetic sequins.
4 of 84. Miista
New Stock: Weekly Drops. Bookmark For: If there is such a thing as slow fast fashion this is it. Every Kitri piece sings from the same hymn sheet and thus never looks last season even when it legitimately is. We like their bright blouses, glamorous jumpsuits and unapologetic sequins.
5 of 85. TOAST
New Stock: Each Month.Bookmark For: Muted colours and expensive textures suited to the modern women's daily life. We like TOAST for its printed dress and plush velvet tops that give our workwear wardrobe an immediate luxe injection.
6 of 86. Rixo
New Stock: At the whim of the designers (but usually most weeks)!Bookmark for: Pattern-clashing party dresses and slinky blouses. Rixo don't exist within a seasonal structure, all year round they create pieces that can slip into winter or summer wardrobes. Founder Henrietta Rix explains that they, 'tend to just re-stock timeless prints as these are coded as continuity and fit into each season seamlessly.'
7 of 87. Finery
New Stock: Once a month. Bookmark for: Workwear! If your officewear is ever in need of a boost head to Finery for items that will seamlessly lift your 9-to-5 hours and elevate your weekends too.
8 of 88. Nanushka
New Stock: Every 12 weeks.Bookmark for: High-quality, high-style design-led pieces you want to wear everyday and for special occasions. Inspired by data, they are driven by what the customer wants and know how to deliver it in the form of sculptural bags, midi-skirts and silky dresses.