Our Insta-edit dives headfirst into the world of online shopping, where influencers, “It”-girls and ultra-engaged customer bases are redefining the rules of fashion retail and e-commerce. Here, we highlight the biggest digital age fashion labels that found success on social media, filling a gap in the market for effortless ready-to-wear designs and setting new standards for direct-to-consumer marketing. These majority female-owned and operated brands address what real women want to wear today — effortless designs that flatter and celebrate the female figure — delivered at accessible price points with the ease of international shipping.

House of Sunny

 

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The sustainable east London brand House of Sunny has been cultivating a holistic and loyal community since 2011, seeing a recent rise to fame through celebrity fans including Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner. The studio produces a twice-yearly collection of around 40 ready-t0-wear pieces, created in limited batches. While the process was intended to create a sustainable production line, it makes the limited products that much more desirable. The brand’s AW20 Hockney dress was coined by British Vogue as the cult dress of Summer 2020, which is now on its fourth drop after selling out three times.

Rat & Boa

 

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That perfect slip dress that you have seen dominating your feed may just have come from cult-famous Instagram brand Rat & Boa. Founded by Valentina Muntoni and Stephanie Cara Bennett, the brand is best known for its refined silk, slip dresses that offer a timeless appeal, flaunted on the likes of Kaia Gerber, Kylie Jenner and Adwoa Aboah.

Susan Alexandra

 

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Susan Alexandra Korn creates accessories that speak to the inner child. Every item is handmade by Korn and her small team, with the most popular bag, the box-shaped Merry, made from approximately 1,500 beads carefully strung together. The bags come in a variety of vivid colourways, some with playful fruit prints, some spotted, others striped, but all evoking a sense of childish joy.

Zazi Vintage

 

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Zazi Vintage is a celebration of culture and colour, with one-of-a-kind pieces that empower both the wearer and the team behind its construction. Founder Jeanne de Kroon strives to create pieces with soul and personality, the coats and dresses made from high-quality vintage textiles, sourced from areas such as Uzbekistan and Tadschikistan. Zazi Vintage’s latest collection of coats are handmade by a partner family in Afghanistan, where vintage Suzani textiles are handpicked and constructed into thick, luxurious outerwear pieces lined with upcycled sheepskin. Zazi Vintage works to give back to the communities responsible for constructing each piece in order to support the livelihoods of women and artisans in rural and developing countries.

Tank Air

 

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Bangkok-born Claire Robertson-Macleod saw a need for elevated, high-quality closet essentials that wouldn’t break the bank. And thus, Tank Air was born. The ethical and sustainable brand creates intentional pieces that have been sampled and resampled until the fit and proportion is just right. The resulting edit of clothing was received to worldwide acclaim: Japanese actress and model Kiko Mizuhara was pictured wearing the Silk Ruched Top, while supermodel Bella Hadid snapped a mirror selfie for Instagram wearing the Hand Painted Sheer Silk Dress. Most recently, TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio were photographed for the cover of Highsnobiety wearing white and green iterations of one of Robertson-Macleod’s most popular creations, the Romeo Bodysuit.

Paloma Wool

 

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Initially created as a project that spans graphic design, art and photography, Paloma Wool creates inimitable apparel that speaks to the art of getting dressed. The pieces are locally produced and are often designed in collaboration with artists, for a shifting edit of clothing that frequently incorporates unique, photographic prints on timeless yet relaxed silhouettes. The unorthodox label refers to itself as an “online creative platform,” keen to create artistic pieces of the moment, with a recent collection of  comforting, quarantine-appropriate pieces that Kaia Gerber was seen wearing on her book club live stream.

With Jéan

 

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Launched in 2017, With Jéan is an Australian-based label that rose to Instagram stardom with the intent to create the most perfect denim. The duo behind the brand, Evangeline Titilas and Sami Lorking-Tanner, have since expanded their line to include easygoing dresses and matching sets with an aesthetic that merges Parisian chic with the attire of relaxed, Australian summers. With Jéan has been worn by the likes of Lily-Rose Depp, Bella Hadid, Elsa Hosk and Emily Ratajkowski but, most recently, you have likely seen the brand’s Andy dress in a sunset orange or a muted sage whilst scrolling through your Instagram feed.

Sleeper

 

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Sleeper is the hit sleepwear line that gives elegant and chic nightwear a wearable, day-to-day twist. The Ukranian brand was founded in Kyiv in 2014 by two former fashion magazine editors, Kate Zubarieva and Asia Varetsa, who have described their line as “walking sleepwear.” The loungewear-to-daywear pieces are easily recognisable for their pastel linens, statement sleeves, and silk slips – feather-trimmed for added flair.