11 Small Brands Exciting Me Right Now
I was trying to make a wishlist. Instead, I accidentally made a list of fashion’s most exciting small brands right now.
This was originally supposed to be my very overdue monthly wishlist. But what can I say? While I’m obviously never entirely without wants, there’s currently very little I’m truly desperate to own. With one exception – and don’t worry, you’ll still find that one in here. The truth is, I really like my wardrobe right now. I feel surprisingly well equipped. Content, even. A deeply unfamiliar feeling for someone who has made thinking about clothes part of her job.
So, when I started putting together what was still meant to be a classic wishlist, something else happened. Instead of filling up with pieces from the usual big online shops and high-street brands – where everything is currently buried somewhere between SALE banners and the last remaining size XXXS – I kept coming back to smaller, more niche brands. New names, independent labels and the kind of collections that actually made me stop scrolling.
And suddenly, the wishlist had turned into something much more exciting: a list of small brands I think you should know about right now. Many of them are from Germany, my home country, or neighbouring European countries – which makes this feel even more special. So consider this your little tour of some of the most exciting smaller brands currently on my radar.
And P.S.: Should I do a proper sale edit next? Not a “here are 147 things that happen to be reduced” kind of sale edit, but one where I dig through the chaos and find the actual treasures? Let me know.
For now, though: happy discovering.
Consider this my birthday gift to both of us. I turned a year older on Wednesday, so I’m celebrating with 50% off all paid subscriptions until next Thursday. That’s €2.50 a month or €25 for the entire year – and yes, this is the biggest discount I offer all year.
VALESQUE
This will come as absolutely no surprise to loyal More Than Beige readers, but there was simply no way I could make this list without starting with Valesque.
Founded in Berlin in 2023 by Valeska Dütsch and Sophie Berianidze, Valesque creates the kind of bags that feel both beautifully delicate and genuinely useful – made from high-quality nylons sourced from Italy, France and Japan, with slim handles, minimal visible hardware and a very distinct, understated elegance. In other words: exactly my kind of bag.
And, if I’m being completely honest, their bags are currently the only thing I feel my wardrobe is actually missing. Apparently, the people closest to me know this very well: for my birthday, I received not one but two Valesque gift vouchers – one from my boyfriend and one from my closest girlfriends. How well do they know me? And how lucky am I?
So now I’m impatiently waiting for the restock, at which point I will probably buy not one, but two bags. God save me from buying three. After that, however, I’m officially done with shopping for a while. It’s saving mode from here on out. Why? That’s a story for another day. Although, admittedly, the rest of the brands in this newsletter are making my new financial discipline considerably harder than anticipated.
MALAIKARAISS
Malaikaraiss is a Berlin-based brand that just celebrated its 15th anniversary with a return to Berlin Fashion Week – and, coincidentally, I’ve been a hardcore fan for pretty much just as long.
Now, I have a complicated relationship with Berlin Fashion Week. No one has asked me how I would make it better – which, frankly, feels like an oversight ;) – but Malaika’s shows have always been an absolute highlight for me. So I’m very happy she’s back.
And this collection? I would buy everything. And, knowing myself, I might actually try once it hits the online shop next year. The pink capri pants have already taken up permanent residence in my brain, as have the skirts. And the coats. Basically, this is not looking good for my future saving plans.
What completely got me were the ’90s references, but Malaika also has this incredible instinct for colour, texture and unexpected material combinations. Her clothes always feel interesting and distinctive without becoming unwearable – which brings me to something I think she understands better than many: fashion also has to be scalable if a brand is going to survive as a business.
There is creativity and a strong point of view, but there is also a real understanding of what women actually want to wear and buy. A surprisingly important detail that can sometimes get lost among young, idealistic designers, increasingly conceptual collections and even more conceptual price tags.
IDÉE FIXE
Idée Fixe is a new discovery for me – and yet another reason why I desperately want to go to Tbilisi Fashion Week one day. The Georgian brand was founded by three women from Tbilisi with a very simple idea: to make the kind of shoes they themselves wanted to wear. Their minimalist approach to footwear and bags is inspired by the Japanese concept of shibui – a kind of quiet, subtle beauty rooted in simplicity, naturalness and everydayness. Everything is made to order and handcrafted by local artisans in Tbilisi, which makes the rather friendly price tags feel even more impressive.
And the shoes? To die for. The woven leather bags? Also to die for. The whole aesthetic reminds me a little of St. Agni, but without the customs headache and with a slightly friendlier price tag. Unless you live in Australia, of course. Lucky you.
There is one pair of shoes in particular that has made it straight onto my wishlist. They look buttery soft, beautifully made and like exactly the kind of slightly unusual shoe that somehow works with everything. But what excites me just as much as the products themselves is discovering a brand from somewhere outside the usual fashion capitals. We spend so much time looking towards Paris, London, Milan and Copenhagen that it’s easy to forget how much interesting fashion is happening elsewhere. I want to look beyond that bubble more often – and we definitely will in this newsletter.
STELLA STANGENBERG
Just yesterday, I went to Stella Stangenberg’s pop-up in Berlin and finally got to see her bags – and her brand-new shoes – in real life. Until now, Stella’s tiny, wonderfully under-the-radar brand has mainly been known for its bags, made on request and ordered in the most charmingly old-school way possible: via Instagram DM. Very if you know, you know. But with the launch of her new Scarpa di Siren Stella shoes, the brand suddenly feels like it’s entering an entirely new chapter.
The tiny wedge mules with crochet straps, in particular, have completely won me over – and are giving Rouje some serious competition. The green and burgundy versions are my favourites. Made in Italy, they looked beautifully crafted and genuinely high-quality in person. And while we’re here: I can also very much see myself with one of Stella’s little bags next summer, preferably in a very specific, slightly unexpected colour.
ETRE
They were the earrings of Berlin Fashion Week – and seemingly every cool girl in the capital already owns a pair. I’m talking about Être. Behind the label is Berlin-based designer and creative director Laura Maria Wulff, whose background spans fashion design, buying and styling – and you can see that very particular mix of skills in Être. The pieces feel less like conventional accessories and more like tiny wearable sculptures: playful, tactile and just a little strange in the best possible way.
The brand has become especially known for its sculptural statement earrings made from unexpected materials, including deadstock fabrics and lace. They’re dramatic and romantic without feeling overly precious – the kind of accessory that can completely transform the simplest white T-shirt or black dress. More recently, Laura has added the most charming button earrings to the mix, which I am equally obsessed with. And here’s where it gets properly niche: if you want a pair, you’ll have to slide into the DMs. For now, at least.
REYÈM
My wardrobe is slowly but surely filling up with REYÈM – and I have to admit, I was late to the party. While my friend Kristina Hellhake had already recognised the potential and was wearing the now-iconic wide-leg trousers on repeat, I remained sceptical. Mainly because of the fabric. REYÈM’s signature is a soft, sculpting stretch jersey made from recycled Italian polyamide – a material more commonly associated with sportswear and swimwear than the kind of elevated, minimal wardrobe staples the brand turns it into.
Then I had a long conversation with founder Sabrina Meijer, and, well… consider me converted. Sabrina founded the Amsterdam-based brand in 2019 around the idea that dressing up should feel effortless – clothes that look polished but are comfortable, easy to care for and made to actually live in. The pieces are produced in the Netherlands and Portugal, and that slightly technical fabric is precisely what makes them so practical: lightweight, quick-drying, wrinkle-resistant and very good at holding its shape.
I am now the proud owner of three REYÈM pieces, and I have a feeling that number will continue to grow. Especially because there is a very good sale happening right now – dangerous information, I know. And I’m very curious to see what Sabrina has planned for autumn/winter. REYÈM has already convinced me that a fabric I was initially suspicious of can become one of the hardest-working things in my wardrobe. So yes, I’m officially paying attention.
RIVAGE
We’ve talked a lot about swimwear lately – and about how much wearing it has to do with confidence, comfort and, sometimes, simply letting go of all the things we’ve been taught to worry about. Which makes my latest discovery, Rivage, feel particularly well timed. The brand was born from a very relatable thought. During a family holiday in the South of France in 2020, co-founder Nadja Forsberg found herself wanting something she could wear in the water and beyond it – something that could take her from swimming to lunch without changing, covering up or compromising on how she wanted to look. Rivage launched in 2023 and has since made the swimdress its signature: a clever hybrid between swimwear and ready-to-wear.
And I am hooked. We have an old motorboat, which means that during summer weekends I spend a significant amount of my life in a swimsuit. Comfort is my number one priority – but I also love the idea of already feeling properly dressed on the way to the boat, rather than looking like I am permanently en route to a changing room.
Rivage’s swimdresses are designed exactly for that. They have a full swimsuit lining underneath, are made from lightweight, quick-drying, UV-protective fabric and are produced in Italy. The brand also makes swim skirts with built-in briefs, which might be one of those ideas that makes you wonder why this hasn’t always been a bigger category.
RHEA
At this point, I think we can officially say that I am building a small Rhea collection of my own. I currently own four pieces: a short-sleeved cotton-cashmere T-shirt, two grey cashmere sweaters and a black merino wool V-neck – which probably tells you everything you need to know about how much I like the brand.
Founded by Roos Fleuren and Bridget Cumberworth, Rhea is built around a very simple idea that feels increasingly appealing to me: fewer, better pieces. The focus is firmly on high-quality knitwear, natural fibres, craftsmanship and timeless shapes designed to become the core of your wardrobe rather than the exciting purchase you forget about three months later.
And that is exactly how the pieces have worked their way into mine. The cotton-cashmere T-shirt is one of those deceptively simple things that makes a pair of trousers or jeans immediately look more polished. The grey sweaters are the kind I know I’ll still reach for years from now. And the black merino V-neck? A perfect basic, which, as we all know, is often much harder to find than anything supposedly “special”.
And this is where the paywall enters the chat. 👀
The good news? My birthday special is still on, which means you can unlock the rest of this newsletter – and the entire More Than Beige archive – for 50% off until next Thursday. That’s €2.50 a month or €25 for the whole year. The biggest discount I offer, and it only happens once a year.
Come on in. The good stuff is waiting.
