The Indie Kids

Know what's awesome? Small businesses. Know why? They tend to be more ethical, do more for their communities, and give the consumer a better idea of where their money is going. Know what the fashion equivalent is? Independent designers!

I love indie designers, not only because I have more confidence in their business ethics, but also because you get far, far more unique pieces from them. Because they're not the mainstream trendsetters, they don't spawn mainstream imitations. Furthermore, they're not mass-produced on the same scale as that adorable Marc Jacobs dress you want. So, without further ado, here's my pick o'the independent designer litter:

I do even need to say that I love Built by Wendy? Well, I do. The shapes of her pieces are modest and even a little conservative, but still somehow ridiculously sexy and stylish. Her clothing isn't trendy, and in my humble opinion, it's all the better for it. Her spring season is almost too good to be true--unique, well-cut, simple, interesting, and cohesive despite a lot of variety. I can't buy it all--dammit--but I probably would if I could. Check it out at her online store, and see my picks below.


Imitation of Christ is a way cool one-off line by Tara Subkoff. Now, you could argue that she's not technically an independant designer because of her collaboration with Easy Spirit, but then, you could also bite me. I don't mind at all that she does the collaboration, because her clothing is stellar anyway. Obviously, it's pretty hard to find her revamped vintage line, but her denim line, Imitation Jeans, can be found online, as well as at Barney's Co-op. And even the shoes, which I admit are not so independently produced, are pretty awesome, so. . . fine. You can find her clothes at Kirna Zabete in NYC, and the jeans and the shoes should be easy to find just by googling "Tara Subkoff," or "Imitation jeans." I could link you, but it's Saturday, and I'm feeling so lazy. . .


If I could afford it, I would live quite a bit of my life in Grey Ant. I would have to leave room for Built by Wendy, but I adore Grey Ant's quirky, unique, clever pieces. Unfortunately, Grey Ant does cost a chunk of change, but I'm hoping that I can save up for one of their tops (on sale!) soon. Why? Well, as I said before, Grey Ant's clothing is quirky and unique, and it just doesn't look like anything else. Things like off-kilter buttons and strange, almost ugly (but not!) prints are just perfect in Grey Ant's pieces. It's always eye-catching, but it's never too much. Catch them online here, and also at a quite a few other retailers!