Five American fashion designers defining the country’s creative landscape
Wallpaper* meets the American fashion designers putting the country’s style scene centre stage, from Bode to Christopher John Rogers

We meet the American fashion designers putting the country’s style scene centre stage, taken from Wallpaper* August 2023 – a celebration of creative stars of all stripes across the USA.
Alongside a series of images by New York and London-based photographer Davey Adésida, the designers behind Commission, Willy Chavarria, Bode, Christopher John Rogers and Area tell us what it’s like to be a designer living and working in America today.
American fashion designers putting the country’s style scene centre stage
Commission
Formed in 2018, Dylan Cao and Jin Kay’s Commission has built a cult following for its gently subversive collections that riff on corporate attire, 1990s sportswear and vintage Americana. The label presented its tenth collection this year, a play on the New York archetypes spotted around its Times Square studio.
‘American fashion is an ever-changing concept as it’s been historically shaped by the many cultures and subcultures arriving from elsewhere’ – Dylan Cao and Jin Kay, Commission
Jacket, £2,400; top, £500; trousers, £520, all by Commission
Bode
The work of Emily Adams Bode Aujla celebrates intimate American stories, forging a design language that is rooted in a history of familial craft. The latest addition to Bode’s growing empire is womenswear, traversing eras in its inspiration and combining homespun technique with moments of embellishment and glamour.
‘At the foundation of Bode are American themes: preservation of craft, the domestic space, and emotion’ – Emily Adams Bode Aujla, Bode
Top, £570; trousers, £790; shoes, £745, all by Bode
Area
Founded by Piotrek Panszczyk and Beckett Fogg in 2014, New York label Area is known for its poppy 1980s-tinged motifs. The duo’s designs have become a popular choice for celebrities seeking outré attire – from Michelle Obama to Beyoncé – with their most recent collection featuring surrealist designs evoking bananas and watermelons.
‘American fashion is less about the institution and more representative of the opportunity, the people here, and their culture’ – Piotrek Panszczyk and Beckett Fogg, Area
Jacket, £2,615; trousers, £734, both by Area. Shoes, price on request, by Area x Sergio Rossi
Christopher John Rogers
Born and raised in Baton Rouge, and a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Rogers is perhaps best known for outfitting US vice president Kamala Harris in a violet tailored coat and matching dress for her 2021 inauguration. Such vivid swathes of colour have become a signature of the designer, who deals in bold, feminine silhouettes that he hopes encourage the wearer to ‘take up space’.
‘I feel like my individuality as a designer, and my focus on that, feels ostensibly American’ – Christopher John Rogers
Dress, $908, by Christopher John Rogers
Willy Chavarria
The son of a Mexican immigrant, the California-born Chavarria worked for an array of US fashion brands before starting his eponymous label in 2015. He has since become one of New York Fashion Week’s most distinct voices, marrying the voluminous forms of streetwear with the austerity and elegance of ecclesiastical dress.
‘American fashion has guts. New York is a tough place, and to make a brand here means blood, sweat and tears’ – Willy Chavarria
Shirt, $750; skirt, $2,738, both by Willy Chavarria
Models: Angelina Artemeva at The Lions, Hazem Aly at The Society. Casting: Svea Casting Hair: Anton Alexander using Fekkai. Make-up: Alex Levy. Photography assistant: Daren Thomas.
A version of this article features in the August 2023 ‘Made in America’ issue of Wallpaper*, on sale 6 July, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*. Having previously held roles at 10, 10 Men and AnOther magazines, he joined the team in 2022. His work has a particular focus on the moments where fashion and style intersect with other creative disciplines – among them art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and profiling the industry’s leading figures and brands.
-
Hella Jongerius named Honorary Royal Designer for Industry 2023
The Dutch designer received the Honorary Royal Designer for Industry 2023 accolade alongside creatives from different disciplines
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
London restaurant and tequila bar Ixchel brings Mexico’s timeless flavour to every sip and bite
On London’s King’s Road, Ixchel offers an unmissable fusion of Mexican art, cuisine and atmosphere
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Matthew M Williams is leaving Givenchy
American designer Matthew M Williams is set to exit his role as creative director of Givenchy after a three-year tenure
By Jack Moss Published
-
This season, men’s outerwear is defined by bold shapes and seductive textures
The voluminous silhouettes of the season’s finest men’s outerwear, captured in the Wallpaper* September 2023 Style Issue by Umit Savaci and David St John James
By Jack Moss Published
-
Inside the travelling exhibition celebrating 125 years of luggage brand Rimowa
From celebrity suitcases to rare special editions, Rimowa’s ‘Seit 1898’ exhibition catalogues over a century of the German luggage brand, making stops in Tokyo, New York, Shanghai and Cologne
By Jack Moss Published
-
Watch this La Jetée-inspired fashion film by Melanie + Ramon, captured on the streets of Paris
Taken alongside the Wallpaper* September 2023 cover shoot, this fashion film by Melanie + Ramon draws inspiration from Chris Marker’s experimental 1962 French science-fiction movie La Jetée
By Jack Moss Published
-
American designer Willy Chavarria on his lifelong love of Dickies
Featured in the Wallpaper* USA 300, Willy Chavarria is part of America’s new wave of fashion designers. On the launch of his collaboration with Dickies, he talks utilitarian design, authenticity, and buying his first pair of Dickies at Kmart
By Jack Moss Published
-
First look at Paul Smith and Mulberry’s colour-soaked bag collaboration
British stalwarts Paul Smith and Mulberry have united on colourful new bags that riff on the latter’s classic ’Antony‘ messenger style
By Jack Moss Published
-
The evolution of Rabanne
Once known for its futuristic couture, 1960s-founded fashion house Rabanne is evolving under the creative direction of Julien Dossena, but remains true to its founder’s avant-garde legacy
By Jack Moss Published
-
Introducing Wallpaper* September 2023: The Style Issue
Discover the looks of the season, Hedi Slimane’s new Celine store in Paris, Silvia Prada’s saucy take on beauty and more in Wallpaper* September 2023, on sale now
By Sarah Douglas Published
-
The Glossary: Unpacking A/W 2023’s extra-ordinary looks
As seen in the Wallpaper* September 2023 Style Issue, Dal Chodha explores A/W 2023’s defining looks through the writings of Georges Perec, a French author who studied the minute magnificence of everyday life
By Dal Chodha Published