Even though it can feel like big brands such as Chanel and YSL are everywhere and seem to trump everything, cult brands have always remained part of the limelight. Cult branding is the science and art of creating human experiences that result in a feeling of belonging. This feeling provides a sense of mutual consciousness with others, backed by ritualistic behavior.
Cult brands are labels that are so sought-after that they do not even hang around for long on resale sites such as Vestiaire Collective or eBay. With fan bases that are so incredibly loyal, all it takes is one Instagram post announcement, and everything vanishes in the blink of an eye.
There are Average Joe and weak brands in the marketplace. There are also numerous icon brands present worldwide, which many other companies aspire to outdo. However, very few brands ever form a deep, unbreakable relationship with their customer base. These are the “cult” brands that truly win the hearts of their customers, which, in turn, leads to authentic customer loyalty. Today, we will be looking at seven such cult fashion brands that you need to know about:
1. Rixo
Two friends Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey established their very own vintage-inspired label called Rixo in 2015. At present day, wearing their dresses has become a real honor badge as every dress sells out at an incredibly fast speed. Fashion search engine called Lyst states that Rixo has remained in the top 3 popular brands over the last three months, and their searches have witnessed an increase by 72%. According to Lyst, Rixo’s Millie dress sold out completely in just three hours.
Rixo debuted in 2017 on Net-a-Porter and had already made its way in the top 5 modern brands, with some of the styles selling out in just one weekend. Besides the fact that Rixo’s products are way beyond lovable, the reason why the company associated with this shopping hysteria are its limited production runs. Not even a single style is mass produced, and one exclusive item packs only 1 to 50 units, without repetition.
Some of the other well-selling items of Rixo include their Moss blouse, and Cuba Queen, a dress that had completely sold out or preorders even before the stock had arrived at the studio.
2. Muun
Muun is a Parisian-based handbag label known for its basket bags. The square-shaped bag has easily become the favorite of many people and has sold out completely within just a matter of hours on Lyst along with all the other company’s products also presently sold out on Net-a-Porter, Moda Operandi, and MatchesFashion.
3. Staud
Staud is an LA-based label founded by a former fashion director, Sarah Staudinger at Reformation, which became a hot fashion label within just two years. This summer, Staud was stocked on Net-a-Porter, where the majority of the main items sold in a heartbeat, particularly the Moreau Macrame, a tan leather bucket bag that comes with a top net overlay handle.
4. Y/Project
Yohan Serfaty and Gillies Elalouf launched Y/Project in 2011. It is a Parisian brand led by designer Glenn Martenes, a Belgian graduate who now acts as the Creative Director of the company.
Since his arrival, Glenn has combined women’s and men’s fashion items to create collections that challenge gender categorization. Martens has re-visualized the brand with flexible designs that draw inspiration from a broad range of eras and subcultures, which is one of the many reasons why the brand is highly sought-after because it gears toward celebrating the urban attitude of their user.
5. Attico
Attico is a hot new Italian fashion label brought to you by Gilda Ambrosio and GiorgiaTordini. Launched in 2016, the collection focuses more towards the boudoir dressing for the day (or nighttime). The aim of Attico’s founders was to make thrown-together appear dressed up. The brand’s aesthetic is inspired by classic peignoirs robes, except they are more opulent velvets and embroidered silks.
6. Simon Miller
Originally launched as a denim brand for men in 2008, Simon Miller has expanded its operations to include womenswear and is now seen as the industry’s cult favorite for its “Bonsai” bucket bag. The fashion label’s collection combines American craftsmanship and Japanese fabrication, thus creating an aesthetic that is contemporary and clean yet versatile and timeless.
The collection of original denim, contemporary ready-to-wear and leather accessories are more geared towards the textural fabrics and progressive wash treatments, thereby offering a more natural and sophisticated ease. The brand draws inspiration from the American Southwest landscapes, the natural outdoors and modernism, creating collections that are well-crafted and well lived-in.
7. KITRI Studio
KITRI Studio is a small team of creative directors based in London. Having launched in March, the brand is still sparkling with under-the-radar dynamism. Haeni Kim, the spark behind KITRI, talked about how she wanted the brand to express a point of view and also keep an eye on trends. KITRI Studio aims to create dream pieces that women can enjoy without breaking the bank.
Most department stores would not know where to put KITRI, since it is less than a third of the “advanced modern “price-point that includes fashion labels like Theory, Joseph, Vanessa Bruno, and Tibi. So if you wish to discover the new affordable online fashion store that fashion gurus are in love with, you need to give KITRI Studio a try.
