Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
After turning the page on 2016 — a year that saw a lot of big changes in both the fashion industry and the way we shop in general, and a year in which the Racked staff bought many, many, many things — we’re switching gears and looking forward to all the things we’re excited to shop in the year ahead.
Here, we’ve pulled together a few of the brands we’ll be watching in 2017. Some of them are newcomers, some of them are labels that have just hit their stride, and some are well-established brands we’re psyched to watch under new direction. Differences aside, all of them are likely to claim some of our dollars in 2017.
Acler
I was bummed to miss Acler's trunk show on Moda Operandi, so I’m looking forward to buying a few pieces when they become available this spring. Kathryn Forth and Julia Retort are the duo behind the Australian brand, and while some on team Racked have bid elevated shirting adieu, a tied and twisted menswear-inspired thing remains my favorite. —Britt Aboutaleb, editor-in-chief
Alexander Digenova
You could probably scroll through newcomer Alexander Digenova's entire e-store in the time it takes to say his many-syllabled name, but the dozen or so pieces released by this 19-year-old designer are impressive, and have garnered him a ton of press already. Think cool-kid staples like biker jackets, T-shirts, and hoodies in all black, often printed with cheeky slogans like "That's Cool Baby" and "Roses Are Red, Fuck You." —Cam Wolf, menswear editor
Calvin Klein
On the other end of the spectrum, February’s fashion week will be the debut of Calvin Klein under Raf Simons' creative direction, and that's a pretty big deal. Simons will be overseeing all branches of the line — from the main runway collection to the affordable stuff you can buy at stores like Urban Outfitters. I'm excited to see if there could possibly be something more culturally significant from Calvin Klein than those ubiquitous bralette and underwear sets. —Tanisha Pina, associate market editor
CF. Goldman
Though I first spotted CF. Goldman on Instagram, I got a better, more shoppable look on Moda Operandi — a site I always thought fell into the “way too expensive to even consider” category, which seems to now be making an effort to include fresh new designers at a more contemporary price point (see Acler, above). Again with the shirting and the loose pants, but throw in military inspiration and a pink satin corset and this is pretty much all I want to wear year round. —Britt
Doen
There’s no time better than now to support women making cool things who support other women. That’s the mission behind Doen, which launched its flowy, ’70s-inspired, bohemian women’s line last February. Every production partner has a female owner or co-owner and shares in the brand’s efforts to support women working at every step in the supply chain. Oh, and the clothes are really cool, too. —Cory Baldwin, shopping editor
The Frankie Shop
The boutique formerly known as the Lower East Side’s best-kept secret finally launched its e-commerce site for Black Friday. This is a huge deal considering the store’s (very popular) Instagram was essentially just a big tease for anyone not able to visit the shop IRL. I’m excited to watch the brand's in-house line develop in the new year. —Tanisha
Good American
What sold me on Khloe Kardashian's Good American jeans was that four different women I know with very different body types raved about how well they fit. I love when any brand eliminates the barriers between straight sizes and plus sizes and just decides — hey, why don't we just be normal and sell everything in the same place? (Hopefully, this will become less novel in 2017). I'm looking forward to what the new year will bring for the brand as it continues to expand. —Tiffany Yannetta, shopping director
Khaite
Khaite debuted in 2016 exclusively at The Line — a fact that in itself sort of sums up the brand, in that it's both perfect and yet largely unattainable to me. I find the aesthetic of the brand so beautiful, and it's exactly the type of way I'd want to dress if I had a ton of money. Khaite is actually one of the few brands I follow on Instagram on my personal account (I don't like to clog my feed with fashion stuff — that's for my dupe account) because I just love the photography so much. Anyway, I'm excited to see how it continues to evolve over the year. —Tiffany
Laura Lombardi
Jewelry line Laura Lombardi launched in 2010, but totally hit its mark this year. The Curve Earring was pretty much on every Kinfolk-type blogger this year, has sold out a few times, and is currently on back-order. The label is stocked at all the right indie spots, too, like Of A Kind, Local Eclectic, and other tastemakers. —Tanisha
Mackintosh (0001)
It's not often you think "I'm really excited to see what this iconic brand does during its 193rd year in business." But that's where I am with Mackintosh after the UK heritage label launched the 0001, a "designer-focused" line, and placed menswear wunderkind Kiko Kostadinov at the helm. It's not what I would have expected from either party, which only makes the move more fascinating. —Cam
Noah
This menswear brand is firing on all cylinders right now. Come for its desire to change the world through activism and stay for the really well-done clothing. Graphic and logo tees sit right next to fuzzy striped Shetland sweaters; it’s truly is the best of street and prep brought together. —Cam
Reformation
I should note that I sort of loathe Reformation — half the stuff I order from the brand winds up looking truly ridiculous, I can barely fit one thigh into the majority of the dresses, and they are the enemy of all bras. But. Ref is the ultimate (and relatively affordable) purveyor of the look I am going for in 2017, which is what I’m calling “cozy-slutty.” I want a low back, but on a comfy T-shirt; I want the deepest of deep Vs, but like somehow it's also a matching set of pajamas? I can't pretend to understand Reformation's machinations but right now, as the world spirals ever more out of my control and all I want is to feel somehow both reckless and secure at the same time, I’m embracing them. —Alanna Okun, senior editor
Style Mafia
I think I’ve finally hit Zara fatigue. Everything I bought or tried on at the store in 2016 ended up being horrible (and this horrifying mouse arm lawsuit didn’t help its case, either). So this year, I’m planning to get my trend fix instead from Style Mafia, a small Miami-based brand that makes similarly fashion-forward, but still affordable, pieces. —Cory
Uniform
Uniform is another socially-conscious basics brand (which is usually enough buzzwords to be a turn-off). But the story behind the label is really cool, and not one item from its debut collection costs more than $100, from T-shirts to bomber jackets to jumpsuits. TL;DR: the brand funds uniform production for school children in Liberia (where the founder is from) and surrounding countries. It had a really quiet launch, but will probably be everywhere soon enough. —Tanisha
Victoria Beckham for Target
It won’t be out until April, but the former Spice Girl’s first collaboration with Target, which will include 200 pieces for women and children, is shaping up to be great. The spring collections for both of Beckham’s own lines are laid-back and girly but still pack Beckham’s signature polish, and bringing the same sensibility to a $40 price point will be welcomed by so many women. —Cory