In a landscape saturated with shortening micro-trend cycles, newness becomes scarce, and emerging brands rise up to the surface. My top picks highlight five labels to keep a close eye on for Spring Summer time.
Yeung Chin
Avant-garde designer Yeung Chin’s shows, known across Milan, Shanghai, Beijing, Paris, New York, London and Tokyo fashion weeks, turn fashion into a spectacle under his namesake label, where he bridges art forms from film to sculpture. Disinterested in the beauty of traditional models, his collections defy aesthetic conventions of the fashion industry to show appreciation for the unusual. This ethos manifests through deconstructed materials and creative fabrics, such as raw wood. Reconfiguring body shapes with asymmetrical lines. Skull-like structures and distressed textures are reminiscent of the brand’s punk inclinations, while an emphasis on maxi-proportions draws genderless shapes.
In the same vein, the Sydney-based Hong Kong label takes fashion further awayinto a futuristic realm unbound by the constraints of reality. World-building is fundamental to the brand, acting as a manifesto permanently referenced and reinvented throughout the collections. Creative Eugene Leung becomes an architect, for the playground of fashion, where characters come to life. Uninhibited by formal fashion training, the director overrides normative rules—rendering them irrelevant in a fantasy that blends the tangible and the digital. It is his multi-disciplinary approach that imbues the label’s cinematic universe with wholeness. Fashion comes last in this multimedia scheme where CGI film and soundtracks paint the scene, providing context and latching onto the overarching theme: fearlessness. The designs—worn by influential figures like Blackpink’s Lisa—become an expression where see-through and reflective fabrics come in bright hues of red and green, combined with metallic accessories sharp enough to become weapons. This is all executed in obscene proportions with protruding shoulders or structural ribbing that maintains its shape regardless of movement.
VUNGOC&SON
Amongst the names spearheading the Southeast-Asian wave is Vungoc&Son—a brand known for iconic show locations like New York’s JFK Airport. The Vietnamese label recently hosted their latest Holiday 2026 collection, “Serenade of the Waves,” in Hong Kong—the city’s vibrant cinematic language paired perfectly with a palette of yellow, purple, green, pink, and blue. Silhouettes are elongated by thigh-highs and maxi-dresses embellished with feathered appliqués—blending brocade, organza, and taffeta with the brand’s signature knitwear tassels. By overlooking the Victoria Harbour skyline, the label positions itself at the forefront of the international scene, strutting through horizons it will undoubtedly expand beyond in the near future.
The Taiwanese Australian designer knows his fashion history—heavily influenced by film and the haute couture masters from the 1950s and 1960s. He adds the flair, sex appeal, and fervour of 70s rock—seen in the combination of flares, peaked collars, and gothic boots—as well as a touch of 80s and 90s grunge. Modernising recognisable references through his designs, he leans into a severe glamour that exaggerates silhouettes with form and eccentricity. He melds meticulous engineering with a kind of chaotic romanticism, garnering praise from the ranks of Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan, Blackpink, Victoria Monét, Yves Tumor, Julia Fox, Christina Aguilera, and Madonna. Beyond his love for corsetry—structured bodices with boning or lace-up closures—he finds beauty in the ways our clothes wear down, namely through hand-dyed silk and the illusion of decomposition. Lewis is a designer ripe with promise—and certainly one to watch out for.
The London-based label turns the Y2K extravaganza into timeless statement pieces imbued with a shameless sex appeal. Think dresses straight out of the Fifth Element and tank tops with wide slits on the sides. Worn-out leather is accessorised with metal cuffs ready to jingle at every step and tassel shawls for dramatic effect. Party at the back of the dresses offer suggestive sneak peeks as holes rip across the body. The label carries this sensual, form-fitting indie-sleaze flair reminiscent of a Kate Moss editorial, essential for a sense of laissez-faire. The colours are kept monochrome, between shades of black and brown, to let the look and allure speak for themselves. Watch out for the next it partygirl at the club, they’ll most definitely be donning Joelle.
