We love e-commerce site Of a Kind because its founders, Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur, have a sharp eye for under-the-rader, emerging fashion designers—specifically ones from outside the usual suspects of New York and L.A. Here, Erica and Claire share six American brands who are doing it right, right now. Watch out for them on your next domestic travels.
If you’re in: Austin, Texas
Look out for: Miranda Bennett
Miranda Bennett is big into keeping things simple: Her silk tops and cotton dresses have the kind of easy fit that gets minimalism-loving girls excited. More impressive still, she cuts, sews, and even dyes the pieces by hand from her Austin studio.
Get the look: Miranda Bennett anthology top, $115; ofakind.com
If you’re in: Chicago, Illinois
Look out for: Winifred Grace
Itching to be stacked and layered, Winifred Grace Gundeck’s bronze jewelry is both clean-lined and personal—think cuffs stamped with constellation patterns and pendant necklaces engraved with map coordinates. Bonus: If you’re in Chicago, you can visit her shop in the city’s Andersonville neighborhood!
Get the look: 3/4″ Leo cuff, $145; winifredgrace.com
If you’re in: Boston, Massachusetts
Look out for: Artemis Design Co.
After falling hard for kilim rugs while vacationing in Turkey, Milicent Armstrong decided she had to find a way to transform them into fresh-and-modern handbags and loafers. Her brainchild: Artemis Design, named for the Greek goddess of the hunt who inspires her sourcing trips.
Get the look: Artemis Design Co. Annabel baby duffle, $268; ofakind.com
If you’re in: Charleston, South Carolina
Look for: Proud Mary
Working with local artisans in places like Guatemala, Mali, Niger, Morocco, and Peru, Harper Poe creates polished, statement-making raffia loafers, stamped leather rucksacks, and shibori caftans—the pieces you always hope to find on your own travels but so rarely do.
Get the look: Proud Mary black raffia loafers, $125; ofakind.com
If you’re in: Denver, Colorado
Look for: Topo Designs
The good-looking and hard-working backpack was a bit of a unicorn until Mark Hansen and Jedd Rose came along. But now that they’ve mastered that, the adventure-minded duo is tackling work shirts, camp blankets, beanies, and, of course, fleece jackets—all made in the U.S.A.
Get the look: Topo Designs Klettersack 22L, $169; topodesigns.com
If you’re in: Portland, Oregon
Look for: Better Late Than Never
Maybe it’s her Oregon locale, but the jewelry designer Sara Dudzinsky sure knows how to make stones and crystals look their best. She sets tiny earrings with green tourmalines and rough diamonds and showcases snowflake obsidian on long, unfussy chains.
Get the look: Better Late Than Never Aurora earrings, $167; ofakind.com
Want more?
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