For anyone that decries that individuality in modern fashion has been eroded by mass-production methods, they need only to look to Ms Emily Adams Bode to restore their faith in the rag trade. Her design philosophy hones in on the unique: she sources, upcycles and replicates original vintage fabrics to create pieces that have true homespun character. Each garment is made with hand-applied methods in New York or Delhi, which has long been a hub for artisanal textile crafts. Intricately embroidered silk shirts, vivid quilting and tongue-in-cheek allusions to the animal kingdom are all house signatures. And in these one-off creations, there’s no danger of running into someone wearing the same thing, no matter how style-conscious your circle.

Mr Thom Browne has cemented his place in the industry with what is best described as a knack for the off-kilter. His “shrunken” tailoring composed of high-cropped trousers and jacket sleeves cut well above the wrist bone, is a singular look he has made his own. Starting out in the trade with stints and Giorgio Armani and Club Monaco, he set up his own namesake label in 2001, after finding a complete lack of personality in the casualwear market. “I feel like jeans and a T-shirt have become establishment. Everyone’s dressed down. So actually putting on a jacket is the anti-establishment stance,” he once said to New York Magazine. The tri-colour stripe that appears on all his designs is a reference to the Star-Spangled Banner – an appropriate cipher for the most quintessential of New York designers.

Initially capturing the world’s attention as Hollywood’s favourite silver-screen twins, like Ms Victoria Beckham, Mses Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen have shown that they have more than enough sartorial clout to transition from showbiz to style atelier. Established in 2006, The Row is the duo’s interpretation of the way we ought to dress now: staples in indulgent fabrics cut in fluid shapes that perfectly suit a 24/7 lifestyle, without being subject to seasonal trends. Tailoring is a key part of the offering – the label itself takes its name from London’s illustrious Savile Row – but this isn’t about form-fitting restriction. Its refined suits and separates are relaxed yet smart and will see you from boardroom to bar with ease.

For anyone that has taken a passing interest in style over the past five decades, the name Ralph Lauren looms large. It should come as little surprise then, that his nephew – and the rest of the Lauren brood in fact – are equally adept at understanding what it takes to make great threads. While Americana plays a part in Mr Greg Lauren’s design aesthetic, it’s a marked gearshift from his uncle’s preppy vision, with patchwork, deconstruction and organic, artisanal details all core design signatures. Use of imperfect and upcycled fabrics is central to the label’s ethos, while distressing and raw-edge finishes add a rugged honesty to his utilitarian-inspired separates and patchwork check shirts.

Given that street-style photographers make a living by training their lenses on some of the most sartorially fluent people around, it makes sense that they would know a thing or two about curating a decent wardrobe themselves. So, when Mr Tommy Ton, one of the industry’s most lauded street-style shutterbugs was asked by Deveaux founders Mr Matthew Breen and Ms Andrea Tsao to come on board as creative director, we knew it was worth taking note of. Designed with Ton’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the lay of the fashion streetscape, classic pieces are revised to fit the context of modern urban life, from artfully printed aloha shirts to richly textured oversized knits and wide-leg trousers that have style and substance in spades.

Initially started in 2012 as a project to create the “perfect shirt”, Alex Mill now describes its full complement of American casuals done right as “straightforward design that is still unique”. Headed by a complement of J.Crew alumni, including former CEO Mr Mickey Drexler, his son Alex and design director, Mr Somsack Sikhounmuong, a sense of easy, preppy cool remains a common thread, but subtle, eclectic details elevate it above the everyday. Plaid shirts, Breton stripe tees, expertly cut chinos and classic workwear are staples that will withstand shifts in trends and taste and make getting dressed in the morning a fuss-free but considered affair.

The brand rag & bone was set up in 2002 with a core mission in mind: designing the ultimate pair of jeans. This led British-born co-founder Mr Marcus Wainwright on a road trip to Kentucky, where he spent 18 months working with a specialist denim manufacturer to craft the perfect blues. While premium denim remains central to the brand’s offering, its merino sweatpants, louche hoodies and garment-dyed chinos are solid building blocks for any casual wardrobe. And despite its adherence to classic modes of Americana, there’s a certain transatlantic sensibility to much of the brand’s output. Tellingly, the name itself is a cultural reference to a time-honoured British profession, denoting the men who salvage long-serving discarded goods that they feel still have material worth.

Anyone who appreciates the rhythm of life in coastal locales will take to Onia like a duck to water. Appropriately meaning “ship” in Hebrew, this sun, sea and sand label was founded in 2009 by Messrs Nathan Romano and Carl Cunow. Vibrant aloha shirts cut from flora and fauna-embellished Liberty archive fabrics and tailored swim shorts that put form and function first will carry you through the day seamlessly, wherever you wind up. It’s exactly the sort of gear you want to be lounging around in while languishing over a freshly caught plate in Positano but remains smart enough to smoothly transition to an urban backdrop, too.

Ms Gabriela Hearst’s formative years spent at her family’s Uruguayan ranch allowed her to gain a deep-seated understanding of the natural fibres yielded by the animals on the estate, and luxurious wools feature prominently in her collections. What defines her label most is a commitment to sustainability: each collection utilises premium deadstock fabrics, recycled cashmere and small-batch production methods – a rarity in the high-end sphere. The elegant simplicity of her clean-cut, minimalist tailoring and knitwear belies their plush, enduring fabrics that quietly set the bar for modern, eco-conscious luxury.

Mr Matthew Williams, founder of 1017 ALYX 9SM (and current creative director of Givenchy) was raised in California, but chose to set up his label which follows an “undercurrent of ideas”, in the creative hub of the Big Apple. While his stateside aesthetic is apparent through the label’s allusion to American subculture movements, production is largely done Italy, combining the best of New World ideas with European craftsmanship. The subversive label’s hard-hitting jewellery, leather-effect separates and textured oversized knitwear tip a brim to skate and punk movements of decades past but are redefined in a decidedly 21st-century fashion.