Global Fashion Rising Stars: The Designers Shaping Style’s Future

By Happiness 360 Beauty®

Opening Notes from Traciana

The great fashion houses remain timeless, but the future of style is being defined by a new generation. These designers were selected by our team not only for their talent, but for how they embody the shifts reshaping fashion today—global, conscious, and unapologetically original.

-Traciana

Why Rising Stars Matter

Chanel, Dior, Prada—these names anchor fashion’s legacy. Yet fashion thrives on evolution. Today’s rising designers carry cultural narratives, experiment with sustainability, and redefine beauty standards. They push where established houses cannot, turning clothing into commentary on how we live now.

At Happiness 360 Beauty®, we spotlight these voices because they address a universal tension: the desire for originality in an era of sameness, for empowerment in an industry that has often constrained, and for style that outlasts trends.

Alice Fresnel (France), ALFIE

Paris-born Alice Fresnel launched ALFIE as a quiet revolt against fashion’s long disregard for comfort. Growing up with brothers, she borrowed their oversized shirts and loose trousers—silhouettes missing in women’s departments. That absence became her calling, shaping her belief that women deserve clothing that liberates rather than restricts.

Her studies in Milan refined her craft. Immersed in the traditions of Italian tailoring, Fresnel learned to merge precision with fluidity.

It is important to understand the broader picture and not focus on one theme only if you want to draw inspiration from a period in time.

ALFIE’s aesthetic is relaxed tailoring, crisp shirting, and fluid silhouettes—clothes that breathe with the body. Natural fabrics like poplin, wool, and silk dominate her collections, reimagined into pieces that transition seamlessly from boardroom to café.

Fresnel’s genius lies in elevating essentials. Already stocked in concept boutiques across Europe, ALFIE appeals to women who crave elegance without compromise.

Quick Take

• Signature Aesthetic: Relaxed tailoring, crisp shirting, and fluid silhouettes rooted in Parisian chic with Milanese craftsmanship.
• Cultural Anchor: French elegance fused with Italian precision; redefines comfort as sophistication.
• Why She Matters: Positions comfort as the new luxury, proving women don’t have to choose between ease and elegance.

Nia Thomas (Mexico/USA), NIA THOMAS

Mexico City–based Nia Thomas is a designer, storyteller, and activist in one. By 2018, she was staging fashion shows fused with live performance art, signaling her intent to create a brand that was as much about empowerment as aesthetics.

Her collections are rich in knitwear, draping, and jewel tones, echoing the vibrancy of her global travels.

My design inspiration usually comes from many of my muses—such as Donyale Luna, Solange Knowles, and Donna Summer—but also my travels in places like Morocco, Costa Rica, Peru, and Hawaii.

At the core of NIA THOMAS is a commitment to eco-conscious production. Every piece is made in small batches from natural fibers, ensuring minimal waste. Her use of hand-knits pays homage to ancestral practices, while her silhouettes—fluid dresses, bold separates, sensual tops—embrace the body with both strength and softness.

Her collections stand out for their duality: seductive yet sustainable, glamorous yet grounded.

Quick Take

• Signature Aesthetic: Knitwear, draping, and bold colors inspired by muses and global travels.
• Cultural Anchor: Afro-diasporic muses + Latin American craftsmanship + eco-conscious production.
• Why She Matters: Proves eco-fashion can be sensual, daring, and glamorous without compromise.

Cynthia Merhej (Lebanon), RENNAISANCE RENNAISANCE

From Beirut, Cynthia Merhej channels the contradictions of her city into her label RENNAISANCE RENNAISANCE: a blend of decadence and decay, resilience and fragility.

Raised in her family’s atelier, she grew up surrounded by pattern-making and fabrics. Yet it was Beirut’s chaos that shaped her vision.

There is a constant juxtaposition of decadence and decay that is very unique to us here, and which inspires my outlook on life and my work.

Her collections juxtapose luxurious fabrics with experimental cuts: corseted tops paired with deconstructed trousers, sweeping gowns trimmed with raw edges. Each piece carries a cinematic quality, as if pulled from a story that’s still unfolding.

Her work reminds us that luxury is not static—it is survival reimagined.

Quick Take

• Signature Aesthetic: Cinematic garments blending structure and fluidity, luxury and raw edges.
• Cultural Anchor: Beirut’s resilience—decadence and decay intertwined.
• Why She Matters: Transforms instability into beauty, showing that resilience itself can be luxury.

Gabriela Comella (Spain), GABRIEL FOR SACH

Barcelona’s Gabriela Comella never planned to be a designer. A journalist by training, she grew frustrated at not finding functional yet beautiful bags. So in 2015, she began creating them herself. What started as necessity grew into GABRIEL FOR SACH, a brand now defining the future of accessories.

I hate that fashion has to be linked to temporality and expires every season. That’s why I defend pieces that last over time.

Her bags are multi-purpose, minimalist, and Mediterranean. Designed and produced locally in Barcelona, they reflect Catalonia’s artisanal traditions while embracing contemporary utility. A GABRIEL FOR SACH bag might function as a tote by day, a clutch by night, and remain relevant for decades.

She reminds us that true luxury is not excess—it is endurance.

Quick Take

• Signature Aesthetic: Minimalist, multi-functional bags designed for longevity.
• Cultural Anchor: Barcelona’s artisanal heritage meets Mediterranean pragmatism.
• Why She Matters: Redefines accessories, proving that utility and endurance are the truest forms of elegance.

Rui Zhou (China/USA), Elevated Shapewear

Born in Hunan and now based between Shanghai and New York, Rui Zhou is rewriting shapewear into art. Her collections are known for their delicate separates, sheer fabrics, and sculptural lines—pieces that embrace, rather than conceal, the body.

A garment is like an installation; when I do draping or sketching, I always think of the body shape as a frame.

Zhou draws on Chinese design traditions of form and void while channeling New York’s avant-garde energy. The result: garments that are intimate yet unapologetically bold. She rejects the idea of shapewear as corrective, instead framing it as expressive.

Her work proves that sensuality comes from authenticity, not correction.

Quick Take

• Signature Aesthetic: Avant-garde, sheer, body-conscious separates that celebrate imperfection.
• Cultural Anchor: Chinese concepts of form and void blended with New York’s avant-garde edge.
• Why She Matters: Reimagines shapewear as expression rather than correction—turning lingerie into art.

Akpos Okudu Nwokekoro (Nigeria), Akpos Okudu

From Nigeria, Akpos Okudu is redefining ready-to-wear with femininity and function. Launching her label in Port Harcourt, she quickly became known for fluid dresses, tailored separates, and pieces that highlight the strength of modern African women.

For me, fashion is not just about looking good—it is about creating clothing that empowers women to step confidently into every role they play.

Her collections draw from Nigeria’s cultural vibrancy: bold colors, flowing fabrics, and silhouettes designed for both movement and elegance. At the same time, they reflect global appeal—garments that feel as natural on Lagos’s runways as they do on international red carpets.

Her designs prove that local craft can shape international style.

Quick Take

• Signature Aesthetic: Feminine, functional, ready-to-wear infused with bold color and fluid movement.
• Cultural Anchor: Nigeria’s vibrancy and rising global influence in fashion.
• Why She Matters: A leading voice in African design, showing that local craft can drive global style.

A New Fashion Frontier

Together, these designers prove that fashion’s future is not about discarding tradition but transforming it. Each carries heritage, conscience, and innovation into the global conversation—where elegance meets ethics, and individuality becomes the new luxury.

For us, featuring them is more than recognition. It is a statement: the next generation of icons is already here.

About Happiness 360 Beauty®
Happiness 360 Beauty® brings together industry professionals, cultural historians, and wellness experts committed to redefining contemporary beauty standards. Our contributors span global markets and diverse specialties, from color theory to sustainable beauty practices. We believe in celebrating beauty across all spectrums through sophisticated, research-driven content

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