Ones to watch: The new fashion and grooming brands to know this season

Founded by high school friends Megan Balch and Jaime Barker in 2016, Flagpole NYC has quickly become something of a cult favourite among women thanks to its stylish, sporty aesthetic, colour block designs and flattering cuts. Having recently expanded into cover-ups and beachwear, in summer 2018 the brand took things one step further by releasing its first collection for men.

The an initial offering of two swim short designs - one drawstring and one tailored - is available in sophisticated but simple colourways that emphasise quality and fit. All crafted from fine Italian fabric that boasts SPF50 sun protection and chlorine resistance, the core collection is designed for all-day wear from city to shore and hints at great things to come.

Visit flagpolenyc.com

Norton can’t exactly be described as new as it was founded in Birmingham in 1898 and the British business grew to be one of the most famous names in motorcycles. But by the 1970s Norton was in trouble and passed through the hands of various owners until British businessman and bike enthusiast Stuart Garner secured the rights in 2008, and the legend was reborn. Garner himself broke the land speed record for a rotary powered machine at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah the following year.

Garner has now branched out into bike-inspired fashion and Norton’s retro-styled leather jackets have proved to be a big hit. It now boasts three collections – British Heritage, inspired by traditional British style; Urban Heritage, which is more street in feel; and Mechanic Workwear, which marries biking heritage with modern Japanese workwear. The pick is the butter-soft Spindle leather jacket, which is designed to look hard enough to hit the road while still being cool enough to wear anywhere.

Visit nortonclothing.com

The Upside founder Jodhi Meares certainly lives her brand, with a schedule that includes shuttling between Hawaii and New York and practising yoga every day. Meares started her career as a model and singer, and it was this lifestyle that led her to identify a gap in the market for a label that makes activewear with a strong fashion twist for the perfect marriage of function and style. To ensure the latter, Meares has been inspired by 1970s French leisurewear translated into a more beach-and-boating feel. Matty Bouris, a veteran of other sports labels, designs the men’s collection, ensuring that performance is always firmly at the forefront.

Visit theupsidesport.com

Some of the world’s finest shoes have been made in the Marche region of Italy. But the designing, cutting, sewing and finishing skills honed over centuries will be lost forever if a new generation of craftspeople isn’t encouraged. Crafted Society’s Lise Bonnet and Martin Johnston travel around Italy, seeking out the best craftspeople to build up a collection of shoes, scarves and knitwear. The company donates five per cent of its revenues to organisations that support the training of the next generation of these artisans.

Visit craftedsociety.com

The north of England was once a fashion powerhouse, with factories in cities such as Manchester and Leeds exporting clothes around the world. By the end of the 20th century those factories had all but disappeared. One survivor was Cooper & Stollbrand, in Salford, Manchester, that produced garments for Aquascutum, Burberry – even Virgin Atlantic – and it was here that Private White VC was born.

Jack White was the grandfather of the founder of Cooper & Stollbrand and a previous owner of the factory. In 2008 his great-grandson James Eden realised that making garments for third parties was a mug’s game so he decided to produce for himself.

His great-grandfather had won the Victoria Cross in 1917 in the Middle East and in his honour Eden named the new label Private White VC. One of his first moves was to recruit Nick Ashley – formerly of Kenzo and Tod’s, and the son of Laura – as creative director. Ashley’s aesthetic – a sharp take on utilitarian – has been a hit. Today the label’s store in London’s Mayfair is a destination for men who want to look good without taking risks.

Visit privatewhitevc.com

Watching your waistline at sea can be hard, especially with Michelin-starred restaurants to visit, but serious scientific help is at hand for those seeking the ideal body. Genetic Pure Lifestyle is a new DNA kit that can be delivered to pretty much any port in the world.

The test comes with foolproof instructions: you simply swab your mouth with three cotton buds provided and send the samples back in a pre-paid box for a genetic nutrition analysis (£850). Within two weeks you are sent an in-depth nutrition and exercise plan. More than 1,000 food types are evaluated based on your genes and the subsequent report, detailing optimum foods to eat and equally importantly those to avoid, helps you get to your target weight with menu plans that take the guesswork and frustration out of yo-yo dieting.

For those looking for a deeper dive there is a genetic health analysis (£1,550) that looks at your risk of suffering any of more than 35 disorders and diseases, from diabetes and IBD/Crohn’s to Alzheimer’s and arthritis. This test also answers questions such as: is it fat or carbohydrates that make you overweight? How effectively can your body detoxify heavy metals, chemicals and smoke? And what relationship between strength and endurance sports is recommended for you?

Visit puregeneticlifestyle.com

American Kelly Slater has been surfing world champion 11 times and has been both the youngest and the oldest person to hold the title. Away from the waves, he has also been an actor, writer, model and musician. But now Slater has hooked up with fellow surfer and fashion designer John Moore to launch Outerknown - one of the top fashion and beauty brands helping save the oceans.

The range mixes casual surf wear and cool counterculture with a more rigorous design approach, all informed by a strong belief in sustainability – think sophisticated hippy. The result has more than a passing feeling of romance, conjuring up days of freedom in search of the perfect wave but with a sense of style, one that is as at home on Bondi Beach as it is in Jimmy’z. Not surprisingly, an early investor in Outerknown was Kering, the parent company of Gucci.

Visit outerknown.com

Absolutely Fabulous’s Edina Monsoon once wailed: “I don’t want more stuff, I just want nicer things.” A pretty good wardrobe philosophy, one where new British brand Sørensen comes in. Founder Wayne Sørensen was formerly the design director of Orlebar Brown and he has brought the latter’s pared-down-but-perfect aesthetic to his new venture. The feel may be utilitarian workwear but the result is far from functional.

Taking six archetypal professions – driver, engineer, painter, dancer, butcher and officer – as his starting point, Sørensen offers a collection of reworked menswear classics to build into a perfect wardrobe for the modern man. He says that everything he creates goes through a filtering process based upon his three key design rules: “quiet, precise and confident”. Personal favourites are his shirts, from a reworked bib-fronted artist’s shirt to a denim number inspired by French abattoir butchers in the 1890s.

Visit studiosorensen.com

It can sometimes feel as if tailored swim shorts have swept every other style out to sea, but high-end swimwear designer Dan Ward is determined to show some different strokes – from body-hugging swim briefs with a retro twist to classic board shorts. Brilliantly designed polo shirts, sandals and other beach accessories are thrown in for good measure.

Ward hails from the US but was brought up in Japan and has spent the past 25 years living and working in Europe. He gained a degree in chemistry but began his career in menswear in the marketing department of Hermès. This was followed by stints at Dunhill, Bally and Calvin Klein.

He is now based in Zurich, where, in 2012, his love of the sea and his frustration at having long been unable to find cool swimwear inspired him to found his eponymous brand. Today, Dan Ward is on the crest of a wave with his perfect mix of luxury and wearability – just what you want when the water’s fine.

Visit danwardwear.com

New York designer John Elliott always knew he wanted to work in fashion – he submitted designs to top brands such as Nike when he was only eight years old. So he never doubted that he would one day start his own label. In spring 2012 he did just that, launching John Elliott with his best friend and business partner Aaron Lavee.

From the outset, it focused on function by creating brilliant basics that form the building blocks of a man’s wardrobe, such as sweat pants, bomber jackets and parkas. Elliott sources the finest fabrics and components from around the world; for example, he uses the world’s best zips, made by Riri in Switzerland. Already one of the biggest names in American fashion, Elliott looks set to conquer the world by producing what some claim will be tomorrow’s classics.

Visit johnelliott.co