The Hypebae Best: Top Fashion Brands, Emerging Designers and It Items of 2024

Another year has passed which means another opportunity to look back on 2024's biggest brands, it items and most memorable fashion moments. As a result, we're back with a new instalment of our annual series Hypebae Best, where we round up some of the biggest brands, designers and collaborations in fashion this year, according to our editors.

This year, we kissed "Quiet Luxury" goodbye and instead paved the way for trends like animal print and electric blue to take center stage, while changing footwear trends saw us swapping our Sambas for the Speedcat. Elsewhere, 2024 saw it-items like rhode's lip tint phone case doing the rounds on TikTok, plus major launches from brands like Coach and Samsoe Samsoe.

Elsewhere, we're also highlighting a range of new and up-and-coming names within the fashion space, from emerging designers to rising labels. This year, it's names like Kitschy Couture, Namilia and Jawara Alleyne (aka Rihanna's fave designer) who top our list.

Continue scrolling to see the top fashion brands, designers and collaborations of the year, and stay tuned for more from our Hypebae Best 2024 roundups in footwear, pop culture and music.

BEST FASHION BRANDS

Miu Miu

Miu Miu was named Lyst's Hottest Brand in Q3 this year, after a slew of impressive collaborations with New Balance, campaign talent like Little Simz and "It" items like its striped polo tops. Similarly, according to HBX data, searches for Miu Miu on the platform increased by 300% in 2024 compared to 2023, suggesting that Miuccia's reign is as powerful as ever. 

Diesel

Since Glenn Martens took the reigns at Diesel in 2020, the brand has become famed for its sex-positive designs, democratic showcases and playful campaigns -- each of which continue to make it one of the best fashion brands around. This year, in particular, we saw the likes of Christine Quinn and Damiano David in Diesel campaigns, plus a sultry collaboration with Rihanna's Savage X Fenty.

LOEWE

In 2024 LOEWE continued to captivate our minds with its surrealist campaigns, collaborations with renowned artists and ties to modern-day it-girls like Ambika Mod and Ayo Edebiri. Year after year, the brand finds a way to tap into the most culturally relevant names in art, music, film and fashion. Its celebrity-filled showcases are always the talk of the Paris Fashion Week circuit, with this year's shows attended by Baby Reindeer's Jessica Gunning along with Pharrell and Josh O'Connor.

Coach

It's no secret that Coach has had an incredible year. From its Tabby bag resurgence to the viral New York Fashion Week show, one thing is for sure in 2024: Coach is back, baby. Through the rise of its Coachtopia project, affordable it-items and involvement in 2024's major bag charms trend, the brand has become one of the most talked about of the year, also moving up in Lyst's recent index by five places.

Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta's popularity has only increased this year, thanks in part to its stellar campaign stars like Jacob Elordi, Kendall Jenner and A$AP Rocky. Elsewhere, its viral showcase at Milan Fashion Week was one of the most talked about of the season thanks to its unique set design and impressive list of attendees. Outside of celebrities, Bottega's unique approach to materials in its seemingly subtle collections -- frequently made entirely of leather even though they never seem like it...

BEST UP-AND-COMING BRANDS

LUEDER

For LUEDER's Spring/Summer 2025 collection, the mastermind behind the brand, Marie Lueder, delved into the medieval era and the concept of alchemy. In the context of the "Albedo" collection, alchemy referred to a spiritual transformation, as well as unique prints and patterns created in partnership with artist Thomas P. Grogan. The collection also saw the debut of a new PUMA collaboration, making Berlin-based LUEDER one to watch in 2025.

Kitschy Couture

Kitschy Couture has become a mainstay at Berlin Fashion Week, consistently exploring the balance between contemporary and traditional. Founded by German-Tamil designer Abarna Kugathasan, the brand utilizes her unique upbringing, fusing Tamil customs with her Western environment and as a result, is easily one of the most exciting brands on the schedule. After a unique showcase this season, the brand was also chosen by BLACKPINK's Jennie for her solo music video debut.

Namilia

Similarly, Namilia also made a name for itself in Berlin. Founded in 2015 by Nan Li and Emilia Pfohl, the brand was created with a foundation of female empowerment and political freedom, now known for its unapologetic approach to fashion design. Namilia aims to celebrate the female form and all body types through inclusive silhouettes, playful printed leather styles and slogan accessories. The brand was also the first to collaborate with Kylie Jenner's Khy and has since teamed up with the label for a second time.

Jawara Alleyne

Jawara Alleyne rose to fame in 2024 after a video of Rihanna wearing his clothing and citing him as her favorite designer went viral. The accolade is well-deserved, too as Alleyne has come a long way since his Fashion East days just two years ago. The London-based, Caymanian designer has since presented a slew of collections at LFW under his own steam, with his boundary-breaking FW24 collection exploring the tragic effects of 2004's Hurricane Ivan.

Jane Wade

Brooklyn-based designer Jane Wade has become known for her approach to functional yet feminine fashion designs. Her designs stemmed from the realization that typical work clothing suppressed personal expression and as a result, decided to create clothing that fought against societal dress codes and instead allowed personality to flourish.

IT FASHION ITEMS

PUMA Speedcat

2023 was the year of the Samba and in a short few months, PUMA's Speedcat began to make its case for the 2024 crown. After the shoe was spotted on the streets of Paris during fashion week and in the hands of brand ambassadors Dua Lipa and Rosé, it quickly became one of the most sought-after sneakers and through new colorways and launch events across the globe, it continues to maintain cult status.

rhode Lip Tint Phone Case

Probably one of the most simple yet innovative releases of 2024, rhode's lip tint case was the perfect blend of a viral product, great marketing and creating something that was genuinely useful for its consumer. Similarly, its affordable nature and complementary colorways made it an easy way for fans to access a bit of Bieber's brand.

Coach Brooklyn Bag

As part of Coach's resurgence this year, its slouchy, suede Brooklyn bag became Bella Hadid-approved on multiple occasions. It was the perfect combination of a trending silhouette with an it-girl stamp of approval and continued to demonstrate our desire for bigger designer bags that can double up as everyday uniform.

Samsoe Samsoe Cowhide Jacket

Cowhide came back in a big way for 2024 too, with Samsoe Samsoe's Salylo leather jacket going viral on TikTok for its cropped, boxy fit and desirable cowhide print. Spotted on all the it-girls during Copenhagen Fashion Week, the sleek silhouette very quickly became a must-have.

Gentle Monster Gentle Jelly Glasses

Finally, Gentle Monster has long been the gift that keeps on giving but 2024 was an especially big one for the South Korean eyewear label. From collaborations with Mugler and Maison Margiela to BLACKPINK's Jennie, it's easy to see why, but one of the brand's biggest launches of the year was actually not a collaboration at all. Going viral for its unique, candy-inspired packaging, the Gentle Jelly collection tapped into our childhood nostalgia in the best possible way.

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