New York, NY
AGE: 26
BEAT: Wollens got her break working with M.I.A, and her styling has since become known for its futuristic, club-kid vibe. She’s worked on campaigns for Nike+ FuelBand and lookbooks for Opening Ceremony and Hood By Air, in addition to wardrobes for musicians like Inc. Wollens also branched out to direct and style the animated GIF-inspired Blood Orange video for “Champagne Coast,” with clothing from shredded up, dystopia-loving designers Eckhaus Latta.
WARDROBE ESSENTIALS: “Been the same since I was 14: hoops and Timbs, always.”
STYLE PREDICTIONS FOR 2013: “DIY Digital Printing: it’s amazing what you can do with iron-ons and a printer these days. People need to take branding into their own hands. Bell sleeves, because everybody wants to be pretty, witty and gay. And mixing gold with silver. It’s a hard one, but just do it. Clash of the titans.”
New York, NY
AGE: 21
BEAT: Smith styled Physical Therapy’s all-white urban cowboy look for his “Drone On” video, and worked on the Hood By Air spring 2013 presentation at The OUT NYC Hotel in which models slept in the grass on top of HBA-printed pillows. Editorially, he’s styled for DIS, Interview and Elle online. Smith is also his own best client, wearing insane handmade outfits and sporting two twisted braids in his hair that stick up straight like he’s hanging upside down.
WARDROBE ESSENTIALS: “A flight jacket is a staple. It’s unisex, it’s light enough for breezy summer nights and heavy enough for winter. Mules are a staple shoe for a lady—the perfect mix of comfort and style without losing the serious businesswoman appeal. And backpacks. They’re really convenient and have a youthful vibe. The bigger, the better.”
STYLE PREDICTIONS FOR 2013: “I think the briefcase is going to make a comeback—the effortless, unknown CEO wearing flip-flops phase is fading away. The business look is coming back. Air conditioned clothing, too. With global warming, the weather is so unpredictable, and the summers are getting hotter and starting earlier. Air conditioned clothes will keep you cool, calm and collected at all times. Anklets, because people hardly pay attention to ankles and I think giving someone an anklet is the new engagement ring. Also, men wearing colors in the pink family, like magenta, rose, lavender, lilac, puce and hot pink.”
London, UK
AGE: 24
BEAT: Josephs has become a go-to stylist for London’s streetwear-inspired, crazily colorful world of emerging designers, working with Shaun Samson, Nasir Mazhar and Cassette Playa. At the most recent men’s show for Courtney Love-adoring Meadham Kirchoff, he layered so many floral prints on top of one another that models looked like they were in a ’60s opium den. Josephs also put up-and-coming singer Twigs on the cover of i-D, wearing a Balenciaga sweatshirt and with her bangs twisted and greased to spell the word “Love” across her forehead.
WARDROBE ESSENTIALS: “Oversize white T-shirts, because they look good, though they always need to be fresh. I get mine from the one-pound stores in Dalston, in East London. Fresh white socks. Uniqlo do the best ones. Oversized shorts—Shaun Samson are my choice ones. And silver chain, black caps. Okay, maybe I’m just describing what I wear every day!”
STYLE PREDICTIONS FOR 2013: “More prints everywhere. I think Givenchy is so influential, and a big focus for the spring men’s collection was the print. You can see everyone wanting to wear it and a lot of High Street rip-offs coming. I’d like to see socks and pool shoes happen because it looks so good and has usually been seen as a style no-go. Also, pajamas as daywear!”
For Wollens, photograph by Charlie Engman for the Alexis Reyna archives. For Smith, photograph by Kevin Amato. For Josephs, photograph by Matthew Stone for i-D.