slow-fashion
(5)
John Fluevog Nearly Ran Out of Money - Then Made Weirdness Its Moat
The Vancouver shoemaker survived two brushes with collapse, stopped trying to please the middle, and built a durable cult around shoes that announce themselves before their wearer does.
Frank & Eileen
Frank & Eileen is a Los Angeles-based apparel brand founded in 2009 by Audrey McLoghlin to reinvent the women's button-up shirt using premium Italian fabrics historically reserved for menswear. Named for the founder's Irish grandparents, the brand is 100% woman-owned, has never taken venture capital, and became a Certified B Corporation in 2020 with one of the highest impact scores of any U.S. apparel company. Its shirts are woven in Italy and its knitwear is made in California, and its work has been worn by figures including Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle and Angelina Jolie.
Spell
Spell is a Byron Bay fashion label founded in 2009 by sisters Isabella Pennefather and Elizabeth Abegg. Beginning as a jewellery stall at Byron's artisan markets, it grew into a globally recognised 'elevated boho' womenswear brand known for hand-drawn signature prints, dreamy romantic silhouettes, and a large, loyal online community. The company - which retired its former name 'Spell & The Gypsy Collective' - is a certified B Corporation and carbon-neutral business that has moved much of its supply chain toward organic and recycled fibres.
RUTI INC.
RUTI is a women's fashion label and boutique chain founded in 2009 by Israeli-American designer and former tech executive Ruti Zisser. Built on three rules - cool, flattering, and practical - the brand designs ready-to-wear clothing, shoes, bags and accessories aimed at women over 35, and pairs its slow-fashion boutiques with a homegrown AI platform (including opt-in facial recognition and a purpose-built retail CRM) that personalizes both in-store and online shopping. Headquartered in the Bay Area with stores across California, New York, Arizona and Dallas, RUTI raised a $6M Series A in 2019 led by Viola Ventures.
Another Tomorrow
Another Tomorrow is a New York-based luxury fashion company building timeless womenswear with a sustainability-first model. Founded by former Morgan Stanley managing director Vanessa Barboni Hallik, it pairs farm-level material traceability with a digital ID on every garment, enabling provenance tracking, anti-counterfeiting, and authenticated resale. It was the first luxury fashion brand to earn B Corp certification and frames its work around human, animal, and environmental welfare.