Three of the most exciting fashion labels for 2024 are helmed by women whose determination is as powerful as their designs.
BY BROOKE BOBB.
COURTESY OF TORISHÉJU DUMI
It’s always been the case, but it might be even truer today: It’s tough to be an independent fashion designer. With the cost of raw materials and labor rising in the U.S. and across Europe, not to mention the dominance of well-established brands and conglomerates in the luxury and fast-fashion sectors, scaling a retail business on your own is a hustle. It’s especially daunting for women of color, who are often overlooked for lead design roles by the fashion-industry powers that be. And yet, despite the slim odds, the Spring 2024 season offered a window on the tremendous creative power, drive, and vision of three female independent designers who made headlines for their incredible collections: Torishéju Dumi, based in her hometown of London; Karoline Vitto, Brazilian but currently living in London; and Rachel Scott of Diotima, an LVMH Prize finalist who is based in New York by way of Jamaica.
COURTESY OF TORISHÉJU DUMI
COURTESY OF TORISHÉJU DUMI
Some of her pieces have a monastic quality, inspired by her Catholic upbringing, but all of the clothes, even the more artful, Louise Bourgeois–esque looks, are wearable. Twisted fabric and draped detailing are derived from the traditional wrap clothing worn by those in her family’s native Brazilian and Nigerian cultures. You can clearly see Dumi’s skills in the garments, namely in the strong, thoughtfully off-kilter construction that was likely learned during her time at London’s Central Saint Martins, where she graduated with a focus in menswear. The sharp tailoring is impressive too, done with a technical hand she honed while interning for designers like Ann Demeulemeester and Phoebe Philo, during the Celine years.
LIAM LESLIE | Backstage details of Dumi’s spring 2024 collection
“I’ve never had very much available to me,” Dumi explains when discussing the growth of her brand. “I think I create better when I’m in a tight box. If I were given all the materials in the world, I don’t think I could create something as thought-provoking.” While her designs are certainly that, Dumi is a rare breed of artist who balances her creativity with pragmatism. “Success happens when preparation meets opportunity,” she says.“Especially nowadays, you can’t just let it unfold organically. I think you have to work for anything you want, and I want this.”
COURTESY OF DOLCE & GABBANA
COURTESY OF DOLCE & GABBANA | A look from Vitto’s spring 2024 collection
Karoline Vitto
COURTESY OF DOLCE & GABBANA
Vitto, who currently sells direct to consumers on her website, is focused on building a brand that is authentically size-inclusive; her pieces are available from small up to 4XL. “We started off with the goal of being as representative as possible,” she says. “For me, it was always about trying things on myself and on my friends.” Growing up in Brazil, Vitto often had a hard time seeing curvy women like herself in fashion, especially during a time when there was the rise of local supermodels like Adriana Lima and Gisele Bündchen. “That’s very much not the body type that the average Brazilian woman has,” Vitto notes. “I’ve always had an issue with that.”
As much as Vitto is passionate about addressing representation in fashion, she also wants it to feel natural, not something forced by a “size-inclusive” marketing agenda. “I’m aware this conversation comes as a result of what I do,” she says, “but I don’t think I ever set out to be this hero of body diversity. For me, it’s really about wanting to dress people’s bodies.” In addition, she’s dedicated to building a sustainable brand, figuring out how to expand her line while still using deadstock materials. “We also have the desire to show in Brazil at some point in the next year,” Vitto says.
COURTESY OF DIOTIMA
DEIRDRE LEWIS
Details of Diotima’s spring 2024 collection
Rachel Scott
In a system that still operates according to a traditional retail model, upcycling, sizing, and artisanship are all challenging components of a small brand hoping to scale up, but they’re certainly not impossible. Rachel Scott of Diotima is proof that one can achieve commercial success with craft-based clothes. Born and raised in Jamaica, Scott launched her label in New York in 2021 with the intention of giving more space to her culture and its history, as well as to the creativity that was born there and continues to thrive locally. “I knew that this brand needed to be something that would bring awareness to Jamaica and the Caribbean culture at large,” she says. “The style has been referenced in fashion in so many ways throughout history, but it was never in a way that was related to the people living there, and I found that problematic.”
Scott, who came up through Central Saint Martins and New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, works with local craftswomen in Jamaica who collaborate with her on her spectacularly beautiful doily-inspired crocheted pieces. Her tailoring is loose but distinct, and all of her ready-to-wear is intentionally tactile and sensuous, with elements like embroidery, layering, and macramé.
COURTESY OF DIOTIMA
