URBAN OUTFITTERS

Emerging designers are thriving in New York City. Update your wardrobe with pieces you won't find anywhere else.

In New York, up-and-coming designers have a chance to succeed.

Chloë Sevigny. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Sarah Jessica Parker. It's hard to think of the celebrities who inhabit New York City without noticing their distinctive styles.

That's because the city offers something most places only dream about: a bevy of up-and-coming local designers who have yet to burst onto the national scene. So on your next trip to New York, make it your mission to discover fashion's next big thing.

Amid throngs of name-brand and tourist shops in SoHo, finding collections from a progressive designer can be a tall order. Enter São (www.saonewyork.com). The designer, who has more than 15 years of experience in the New York wholesale industry, picked up her own needle and thread just three years ago. The result: simple, high-quality designs that celebrate individual style.

While São's shop features the creations of just one designer, nearby Opening Ceremony (www.openingceremony.us) offers a completely different experience. In addition to its own line, the store supports many budding New York labels, including Alexander Wang and Vena Cava, that cater to both men and women.

"Opening Ceremony is a store that highlights young emerging designers, celebrates established designers and reintroduces heritage brands that have made an impact in today's fashion," co-owner Humberto Leon says.

The shop also carries fashion from a different country each year. According to Leon, "We were inspired by the Olympics and how [they] bring anticipation and nationalistic pride to sports. We felt that fashion needed a similar excitement." This season, Opening Ceremony features an array of hard-to-locate, up-and-coming Japanese designers.

An ensemble is not complete until it has a few accessories to go with it. So after a jaunt in SoHo, head a few blocks north to the design mecca of Edge*ny (www.edgeny.com). Located on the ground floor of the landmark Louis Sullivan building, Edge*ny showcases more than 65 accessory and fashion labels, each with its own display case or makeshift closet. You'll find everything from cutting-edge pieces by Cristina Taranu Jewelry to quirky men's ties by Squiddledee.

The whimsicality of downtown Manhattan is easily found in the Lower East Side's shop (www.iloveshop.com), where you can find a wall dedicated to denim under the same roof as Dickensian-inspired dresses.

Inspiration is simple for owner Lydia Burd: "Every season is really about a story. It could be the beach, the woods, a time period, or an activity such as going on safari," she says. "Whatever represents that in a way we haven't seen before is exciting to me. It's like finding an old friend, but updated so that it feels completely fresh."

Burd carries more then 75 lines, most of which are small and New York based, including Generra, Mint, Siwy Denim, Fremont, Lamb, Lewis Cho, Matiko and Jeffrey Campbell shoes. "Some designers that started out in my store have gone on to sell nationwide," she says. "And all of my jewelry designers are local, and many of their designs are exclusive to shop."

Next, head to the West Village and seek out Mick Margo (www.mickmargo.com), named for owner Nadine Ferber's maternal grandfather, on Commerce Street; many people on the island don't even know this tiny street exists. Those lucky enough to find the '30s inspired boutique will discover lines from rising New York designers such as Deere Colhoun, Catherine Holstein, Sari, Gryson and Jerome Dreyfuss. Although it's only a few years old, Mick Margo has already established itself as the place to go to discover that next great designer.

Edgy designer clothing isn't exclusive to downtown Manhattan-sometimes it's right over the bridge. Brooklyn's Pieces (www.piecesofbklyn.com) stands out for its support of local designers. "Our most successful designer is Adeleke Sijuwade, who creates one-of-a-kind Nigerian dresses made from Ghanaian fabric," owner Latisha Daring says. While the dresses are imported, the designer is from and still lives in Brooklyn.

Wall-to-wall windows drench the space in light and illuminate the versatile styles for men and women. "I am really all about color right now," Daring says. "I think it's a fresh outlook on the traditional New Yorkers who wear black."

New Yorkers might be best known for wearing dark colors, but the city's designers offer a vibrant mix of fashion lines, allowing shoppers to create truly distinctive ensembles. So, don't let the movie stars have all the fun-explore the Big Apple's most progressive boutiques and create your own signature style.

NEXT BIG THINGS

Take note: These emerging New York designers are on their way to becoming household names.

ALEXANDER WANG
www.alexanderwang.com
Wang's designs are fun and flattering-and he's not afraid to take some risks. At 23, he's silently taking over New York-and soon the rest of the world.

JASON WU
www.jasonwustudio.com
Two words: Michelle Obama. Although his first collection only debuted a few years ago, Wu recently hit it big when Mrs. Obama wore his design to the inaugural ball. You can find his flirty, feminine, first lady-worthy fashions in boutiques all over lower Manhattan.

VENA CAVA
www.venacavanyc.com
After meeting at and graduating from Parsons the New School for Design, Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai-both Californians-started making clothes on the living room floor. Today, their Art Deco take on vintage looks can be spotted all over the city.

PUBLIC SCHOOL
www.publicschoolnyc.com
The brand's name may remind you of biology class, but it's actually a men's line from the original designers of Diddy's imprint Sean John-Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne. Look for a mix of hoodies, jeans and jackets to be the standard uniform when class is in session.