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Home / Archive / The Future is Here: Indie Brands To Look Out for in 2016

The Future is Here: Indie Brands To Look Out for in 2016

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Each year, the  fashion and streetwear industries makes their way to the Agenda Tradeshow showcase their latest collections. From established, globally recognized brands like Adidas, Stance, Tom’s, and Herschel Supply to newcomers in the US markets like EDWIN watch and Twins for Peace.

After two full days cruising the show floors in the Long Beach Convention Center, we’ve collected the companies to watch in 2016. These are the most stylish, exciting, and well-designed products that we’re hoping to get our hands on this year.

 

KOMONO

Sleek, minimalistic, and beautifully designed watches is what I look for in a watch. Komono Watches executes that criteria masterfully with their Fall/Winter 2015 line, however, there’s a slight catch to their products… THEY’RE OUTRAGEOUSLY INEXPENSIVE. Compare other brands with similar aesthetics and you’ll pop a cool $200 – $500 for a Fossil or Nixon watch—they’re either affordable but not satisfying to the eye or they’re beautiful not easy on the wallet.

Komono watches combines the luxurious aesthetic with a less exorbitant price point. They have also collaborated to curate special collections featuring Happy Socks, Andy Rementer, and the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

For the ladies, the collection to watch this season is the Estelle collection which features a Japanese Quartz Movement, a Glossy Metal Case, and a Genuine Leather Wristband.

Estelle Classic - Seashell copy

Estelle Monte Carlo - White Croc - pack copy

 

Dudes, cop one in every color: The Winston Regal. I’m a sucker for all red anything but another amazing colorways in this collection is the Cognac.

Winston Regal - Red copy

Winston Regal - Cognac copy

 

Stay tuned as they are yet to release a new line of watches to add to their amazing collection.

 

 

Twins For Peace

With established market presence in Europe and the east coast, the twins Alexandre and Maxime are now eyeing on the west coast.

Their shoes are not only manufactured entirely in Europe, but their brands strives to Be Cool, Be Good by collaborating with innovative artists and designers while donating a portion of their sales to education and healthcare programs in South America, Africa, and India.

Favorites from their current line: the Alex line and the Raphael Lugassy Collaboration.

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Moleskine

My preconceived notion of Moleskine is that they make awesome notebooks that I write in for personal journaling and brilliant(?) ideas, that I occasionally lose—if you found my notebook and you’re reading this, the $100 reward still stands!

In 2016, Moleskine is evolving the accessibility of their brand by curating an ecosystem of products that safeguards and protects this centuries’ most prized possessions; whether it’s your laptop carrying precious, irreplaceable files (shame on you for not backing up) or your phone that holds your precious contacts and photos or your wallet carrying credit cards/IDs; Moleskines’ got you covered, literally.

They’re newest line will feature laptop and phone cases, wallets, phone cases and much more! No longer just makin’ your favorite notebook, oh no, times are changing, and our valuables are no longer stored in physical notebooks anymore.

moleskinebackpack

Moleskinecase1

moleskinephonecase

moleskineevernotenotebook

 

 

 

NATIVE

We here at LA CANVAS appreciate great design and our good ol’ pals over at Native Shoes are no exception to that mentality.

Focusing on a creative, minimalistic design, Native Shoes creates shockingly light(#keepitlite), beautiful shoes at an accessible price. There is no doubt that I will never buy a shoe from an other brand ever again (well, maybe after I get my hands on a pair of Yeezys).

My world was turned upside down when I picked up a pair of their Jimmy boots, my mind and body was braced to lug up a heavy hunk of a boot, but they were almost as light as a pair socks! –Think, bracing yourself to pick up a 50lb dumbbell only to realize that you’ve been pranked, almost tossing the thing at the roof because it actually weighs 5lbs.

Aside from the insanely light boots, they also make a beautiful pair of low-cut boots with their cutting edge treknology, the Fitzsimmons. For 2016, expect some exciting, beautiful new lines like the Apollo Mocs that are expected to be released in February! Make sure to be on their mailing list.

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Appolo Mocs

Hotshot

Created by a pair of pro-skateboarding brothers, Gantry and Garrett Hill, the San Fernando Valley duo officially began their venture by successfully raising $22,982 with 453 backers on Kickstarter.

The Hotshot Handle is a multipurpose, fully adjustable smartphone handle that can be easily attached to a dolly, bike handlebars, a tripod, or the windshield of a car. The Hotshot Handle is currently on sale in two different colors (red and black) on their website and shipping in 40 countries.

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hotshothandle

 

PEG AND AWL

With humble beginnings dating back six years ago, Walter and Margaux Kent set up shop on an Etsy account shorty after Walter Kent returned from the US Army in Iraq.

Peg & Awl makes artisanally crafted bags, homegoods, jewelry, notebooks, and other home & office goodies with up-cycled material.

The raw materials—wood, metal, leather, finishes, rope, decoupage—that is used to create these products is gathered from the most likely places that items considered useless would end up: flea markets, yard sales, torn-down buildings, abandoned houses, construction sites, and old shoppes.

Personally, I’m a sucker for a good-looking notebook and the Peg & Awl team goes above and beyond that by hand crafting all their goods with abandoned material with the occasional masterfully designed illustrations from their on-site illustrator Søren Kent.

Aside from that you can find almost anything handy that would be needed at home or in the office from cutting boards and reusable lunch bags to chalkboards and desk organizers.

P&Lnotebook

P&Lbag

P&Lbackpack

 

Frenemy Clothing 

From snapbacks to hoodies, Frenemy Clothing’s got you covered—you know, literally. Don’t let their aggressive graphics and symbols fool you, these guys are all about peace, empowerment, open-mindedness, and you guessed it, skateboarding. A favorite of OFWGKTA, this brand’s message, function, and swag is donned by hip-hop heads and skate kids alike.

fremey

 

frenemy 2

 

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