For those of you who haven't heard of indie fashion yet, it's basically indie designers' way of describing themselves - indie, indie, indie.
Don't misunderstand indie fashion for indie clothing though, because in this case indie doesn't mean "not mainstream". There are some indie fashion brands that are completely underground and only sold in the dark corners of second hand clothes shops, but most indie fashion is actually designed by indie designers.
What indie design is all about can be practised by anyone who wants to make some clothes and sell them online, on Etsy for example. Of course indie fashion isn't for everyone - it's young, hip and cool (very indie) - but that's how fashion should be: Individual!
In indie fashion, indie means "not mainstream". There are indie designers who design clothes and sell them at indie stores. This is different from indie fashion which is made by indie designers and not sold in stores like these. For people who want to make their own clothes and sell them, they can do it on platforms like Instagram these days. Indie fashion can be cool or not depending on what you think of the style.
The indie fashion movement will continue to benefit from increasing interest in sustainability. The indie fashion community is at the forefront of this trend, and indie brands are committed to environmental responsibility in a way that mainstream brands can't match.
Here are a few examples of indie designers who have garnered a great deal of popularity on Instagram:
Ksenia Schnaider is a fashion designer duo based in Kiev, Ukraine. She specializes in jeans and has been featured in magazines like Vogue and Elle.
Their jeans are known for their unique designs and high quality. Ksenia often uses unusual cuts on well known materials like denim and leather to create her pieces.
Her collections have a strong focus on sustainability, and she is committed to using environmentally-friendly materials and processes.
Their work has been very well-received by critics, and she has a large following on social media. Ksenia Schneider jeans are popular with celebrities and everyday consumers alike.
Xiao Li is an alumni of the Royal College of Art. Her 2013 collection got a lot of attention when she presented it. She created garments from knitting and other plastics in pastel colors. The incorporation of knit with plastic gives her outfits that dreamy, fluffy quality. Since graduating in 2013, she has continued to be listed on BOF's 500.
In 2009, she completed the Fine Arts program at Nur University (Bolivia) and ModArt International School of Fashion's fashion design course. She worked as an intern in Paris for Gerard Darel's in 2010.
Mozhdeh Matin focuses on the fundamentals of recovery, revaluing and interpreting world-wide textiles and symbologies. She was inspired to rebuild a new skin using contemporary technology in Pima cotton and Alpaca, working with peruvian artisans and indigenous people in the Andes to create her designs.
She holds a bachelor's degree in Business from the Universidad San Marcos in Peru, as well as studies textile preservation and restoration at the San Marco program in Perú. She has worked with the Peruvian government to develop sustainability initiatives with various villages as a consultant fashion designer, and she is also an instructor at ModArt School and works with several companies.