10 New Designers to Watch at NYFW

Julia Kalmanovich splits her time between Moscow and New York, and her worldly outlook is reflected in the luxurious pieces she creates. While the label has been buzzing stateside for the last year, the designer is fairly established in Russia. Kalmanovich studied under famed Russian costume designer Slava Zaitsev and showed her first collection there in 2006, launching officially in 2009. While Kalmanovich is classically trained, so to say, she also takes inspiration from Russian street style.

Hellessy designer Sylvie Millstein's fascinating background is enough to pique just about anyone's interest. Millstein was born in Paris, raised in Versailles by a Japanese mother and a French father, educated at Paris' prestigious HEC business school, and went on to work as a merchant at Givenchy, Harrods, and for eight years in Tokyo, Chanel. But Millstein's luxe take on the working woman's uniform, informed by her own experiences, speaks for itself.

Spanish fashion house Delpozo has been around for exactly 40 years, but it's only been two since Josep Font took over as creative director. While he's based in Madrid, Font shows his couture-inspired creations—which have an unworldly yet approachable feeling about them—at New York Fashion Week. And each season, the anticipation grows.

Katie Ermilio's family history is well documented: She comes from a family of bespoke tailors, and therefore spends more time on fit and construction than many designers far her senior. But what's really interesting about Ermilio is her ability to make girly silhouettes and ideas work on grown women. She lets her client fulfill that fairy princess fantasy with sophistication—and just a little sex appeal.

New York-native Jordana Warmflash learned to sew at 14, and after working at such varied houses as Zac Posen, Peter Som, and Alice + Olivia, she launched Novis in 2012. The collection, which is an amalgamation of zany-cool prints on 1950s silhouettes, has a youthful vibe. Warmflash's early vision shows plenty of potential. So much, in fact, that she won the 2014 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation award.

Fashion industry insiders Ramon Martin and Ryan Lobo have developed a fast following with Tome, their thoughtful collection of slip dresses, tunics, and exaggerated shawl-collar coats. Tome's work definitely has an artsy-intellectual vibe, so it's no surprise that Lena Dunham is a fan.

Textiles-obsessed designer Stephanie Waldrip launched her label in 2012 with the help of friend and business partner Gavin Brooks and a focus on rich fabrics that elevate classic silhouettes. An off-the-shoulder wiggle dress, for instance, turns electric rendered in shiny cobalt blue silk.