7 New Brands To Know Now On NET-A-PORTER
Fire up your wish lists: Thank You Have A Good Day, Sonia Petroff, Maison Mayle, Call It By Your Name, Tohum, Amanu and Lido are the new names to know now, says COLLEEN ROSS
Hoping to score bragging rights by becoming an early adopter of fashion’s burgeoning new talents? Well, you are in exactly the right place. Ready and waiting to launch seven special labels onto your style radar, our roundup has something for everyone – from boho loyalists to swimwear obsessives. Read on to discover the seven new names to know now – and find out more about each of their stories.
Thank You Have A Good Day
“We started the brand during the pandemic, as a project to keep us working in a moment when we had to shutter our brick-and-mortar shop,” explains Thank You Have A Good Day co-founder Alicia Yates. But what started as a lockdown project soon became a fully-fledged business. It was an opportunity for Yates and her partner Gary Smith to share their passion for vintage and antique fabrics with the world in a way that felt authentic to them. “If we were not able to create the collection in a thoughtful and responsible way by using exclusively existing textiles, it would defeat our purpose,” she says. “Quality is also very important to us – many of the early textiles we use were made by hand with a level of craft and skill you cannot find anymore.”
With a treasure trove of fabrics in their atelier to pull from, choosing the right materials for each collection (produced once a month in small batches) is becoming more intuitive. “As we continue to learn and develop our process, the fabric pairings tend to come together more organically,” says Yates.
For their first NET-A-PORTER capsule, the duo has created a selection of limited-edition pieces, including coats, blouses and lounge pants in a patchwork of colors and prints. “We are very excited to launch with a fall collection as coats are our métier,” says Yates. “The shapes are inspired by very classic, iconic, utilitarian silhouettes, then given a little shake up with unexpected details and textile pairings – our interpretation of a gentleman’s overcoat,” she explains.
When describing a typical day for the pair, Yates says it always starts with an espresso, followed by a meeting to review what’s on their worktable. “Inevitably we are either working on a custom order or creating a collection, so days are spent pairing textiles and choosing silhouettes, sewing, and playing with fit and finishing details such as pockets, collars and closures,” she says. “We are a team of two and our process is firmly rooted in conversation – a consistent back-and-forth exchange of ideas that eventually becomes a beautiful garment.”
Sonia Petroff
Born in Budapest in 1933, designer Sonia Petroff created jewelry for some of the world’s most prestigious fashion brands, including Valentino Garavani, Nina Ricci and Balmain, as well as designing her own collections. All of this came as a surprise to Maria Leoni-Sceti, who inherited her aunt-in-law’s collection after she passed away in 2015. “I was overwhelmed by its sheer beauty. It felt like uncovering a hidden treasure and I wanted to tell Sonia’s story to a new generation,” she explains of her decision to relaunch the brand.
“Her inspirations, whether it was the Mediterranean, her home in Patmos, Greece, or the vibrant European social scene of the ’60s and ’70s, play a huge role in shaping our designs,” says Leoni-Sceti, who is passionate about bringing Petroff’s original pieces back to life – and with that same timeless, vintage feel. “They are as beautiful and powerful today as they were over 50 years ago,” she says. As well as the brand’s archive, Leoni-Sceti is constantly inspired by nature and her own travels. “Similar to Sonia, I’ve lived in several different countries over the years and the different cultures and landscapes fuel my creativity,” she says.
All the brand’s pieces are made entirely by hand and with impeccable attention to detail by artisans in Tuscany. “Every step, from selecting the materials to fine-tuning the details, is about maintaining the essence of Sonia’s legacy while ensuring they feel fresh and relevant for today’s world,” she adds.
The collection, which includes statement earrings, oversized cuffs, brooches and belts, is steeped in symbolism. “Many of our motifs, such as the snake or scarab, carry deep meaning and act as forever-symbols, emblems of strength, transformation, and protection that resonate across time and cultures,” explains Leoni-Sceti. One of the standout pieces is the brand’s ‘Aries’ belt, which draws inspiration from rams’ heads. “This piece is almost an exact replica from the archive, with only a few modern tweaks, and it perfectly embodies Sonia’s bold, independent spirit.”
Maison Mayle
It’s impossible to mention Maison Mayle and not immediately feel nostalgic for the early noughties. When founder Jane Mayle closed her beloved store after 10 years in New York’s Nolita district in 2009, it marked the end of an era – one that saw the likes of Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kirsten Dunst and Carolyn Murphy pass through its doors in search of heirloom-worthy dresses, blouses and jackets, which have since become sought-after collector’s items.
After an eight-year hiatus to explore other creative projects, Mayle relaunched her label in 2016 thanks, in no small part, to a need for new clothes: “My own Mayle classics were being worn into the ground, and nothing has been a stronger dictate than me (selfishly) needing to outfit myself,” the designer explains. Inspired by those archival pieces, the collection includes an abundance of ruffles, lace and floral prints that speak to the brand’s vintage sensibility – and coincidentally, fashion’s current obsession with all things boho.
Describing her design approach as a form of storytelling, Mayle wants to create clothes that feel as though they’ve been worn on an adventure – or for one they are about to embark on. “The pieces might look delicate, but they can’t be too precious; they must work in real life and take into consideration the varied – and ever varying – needs of the wearer,” she explains. That sentiment extends to the jewelry in the collection, too. “It’s meant to be used in a way that it becomes your own,” she adds. For NET-A-PORTER’s exclusive capsule, Mayle has reworked some of her most iconic silhouettes in beautiful fabrics detailed with embroidery, jacquard patterns and signature mixed prints.
“The women who wear my designs and I have ‘grown up together’ – to the point where the first pieces they might have saved up for when starting out in their professions and held on to are now being handed down to their daughters,” says Mayle of her loyal customers. “It’s a very beautiful, very full circle.”
Call It By Your Name
For Colombe Campana, starting her own brand wasn’t on the cards until the pandemic hit. The designer, who studied at Studio Berçot in her native Paris, was freelancing for fashion brands when the world went into lockdown in March 2020.
With more time on her hands, she resumed a personal creative project she had started a year earlier – embroidering her three children’s names onto bandanas to hang in their bedrooms. She soon began making them for friends who shared her designs on Instagram. Within days, Campana was inundated with hundreds of commissions from new followers and Call It By Your Name was born.
A reflection of Campana’s passion for craft and handmade textiles, the brand’s unique accessories and ready-to-wear is crafted using traditional bandanas, which are either sourced directly from US factories in South Carolina or upcycled from vintage styles. “I think bandanas talk to every generation and all genders. Most of all, they’re timeless,” says Campana, who prefers to work directly with the fabric instead of sketching out designs. Each piece is assembled and embroidered entirely by hand in Paris and is truly one-of-a-kind.
The NET-A-PORTER edit includes patchwork totes, pouches and bucket hats, as well as jackets, shirts and shorts in an array of colors. One of Campana’s favorite styles is the brand’s ‘Cabas’ tote: “It’s perfect for carrying baby essentials, a laptop or sports attire, plus it’s so easy to fold away into luggage for beach holidays,” she says – a modern essential indeed.
Tohum
“Tohum is ‘To Be Human,’” says designer Verda Alaton of her award-winning jewelry brand. Turkish for ‘seed’, the name symbolizes growth and individuality – qualities reflected in every design. Bold and expressive, each collection is inspired by Alaton’s lifelong fascination with nature and African art – a love affair that began when she lived in New York in her early twenties and worked at a gallery specializing in tribal artefacts. Trips to the continent soon followed, where she spent time with different cultures and gained a deeper understanding of their relationship to body adornment, craft and the natural world. “Artefacts in all primitive cultures are created to be part of daily life. My wish is to remind [people of] this powerful connection and bring it back in a modern expression,” says Alaton.
Entirely self-taught, her very first designs were pieces she made for herself, friends and family using materials she had collected while traveling, long before she thought about launching her own brand. That sense of experimentation and playfulness still underpins each piece, which are all handcrafted by talented local artisans in her native Istanbul and highlight the natural beauty of gemstones and seashells in their purest form. “I collect my materials instinctively. Most of the time it’s the materials that guide me to the design,” Alaton explains.
Tohum’s ‘Concha’ collection is made up of cowrie shells, while ‘Lumia’ celebrates the natural radiance of rock crystals. Other highlights from the NET-A-PORTER edit are ‘Dunya’ – a conceptual take on knotted forms – and ‘Terra’, which “pays homage to magical natural formations and mystical lands”.
Amanu
LA-based founder and former Hollywood stylist Anita Patrickson’s upbringing in South Africa – she grew up on a farm among a family of conservationists – has helped shape her vision for Amanu, one that puts mindfulness, resourcefulness and human connection front and center. An appreciation for people and the planet informs every aspect of Patrickson’s design process and fuels her passion for slow, considered craft. “I was raised surrounded by the incredible craftsmanship that exists [in South Africa] and the huge pool of talent that is largely untapped,” she says. “I also saw first-hand how much good can be done from up-skilling communities and job creation.”
It’s this personal experience that led her to partner with artisans in Nairobi and Cape Town to make the hardware for every Amanu design; she hopes to shine a spotlight on their exceptional skills in everything from brass casting to stone cutting. The sandals are then assembled by hand – either in the South African capital or at the brand’s design studio in Los Angeles – using responsibly sourced leather from esteemed factories in Italy (all hides are a by-product of the food industry, in-line with its zero-waste approach).
Of her creative process, Patrickson finds inspiration everywhere, admitting that she’s constantly taking screenshots and collecting tactile objects to reference in her designs. It’s then that a clear picture of the shapes and mood of a new collection will start to emerge. “I love clean forms and very bold but simple design,” she says, counting artists such as Constantin Brâncuși, Henry Moore, Abdus Salaam and Chris Soal as her biggest inspirations: “They all have an unexpected take on the ordinary.”
Lido
Founded in 2016 by self-taught designer Daria Stankiewicz, Lido is named after (and inspired by) a picturesque barrier island in Italy’s Venetian lagoon, and holds the beach close to its heart. “I think there is nothing more therapeutic than a day at the beach, lying in the sun, listening to the waves, and swimming in cold water,” says Stankiewicz.
Produced in Northern Italy by local artisans, each collection comprises sleek swimwear made using high-quality materials that are durable and long-lasting, and come in beautifully minimal, timeless shapes. “The perfect swimsuit or bikini should make you feel so comfortable that you forget you’re even wearing it. It should allow you to move, swim, dive, sleep, and do whatever you feel like doing on your holiday without any restrictions,” Stankiewicz explains. A color palette ranging from earthy bronze to orange and pink, teal to bright green evoke the tropical landscape and vibrant sunsets of coastal settings.
“My team and I draw inspiration from various sources, including contemporary art, design, and cinema. We blend a lot of references from what we see around us. Starting this year, we plan to create more thematic collections based on holiday destinations around the world, so we will be doing more research in that direction,” reveals Stankiewicz.
As for her favorite styles in the NET-A-PORTER edit? “The most archetypal and essential swimsuits: ‘Venti’, ‘Uno’, and ‘Due’. I always prefer swimsuits that are the most understated yet look very good on,” she says adding that she loves to wear hers with an oversized shirt. “I wish I could wear them all year long!”
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The models featured in this story are not associated with NET-A-PORTER and do not endorse it or the products shown