Instagram has its highs and lows, but one thing we can’t fault the platform for is the exposure it has given to small brands – and how our style has benefitted as a result. No longer held captive by the high street or popular online brands, it’s a satisfying feeling to stumble across an independent maker and snag something that none of your friends are wearing. Especially when it’s been crafted with slow fashion ideals and quality materials, too.

But, while London is a goldmine of up-and-coming designers, we’re here to remind you to cast your net a little wider. We’re seeing so many unique fashion brands coming out of Europe, including Spanish footwear, German knits and everyday Danish pieces, that offer something a little different from what’s available here in Blighty. Keep reading for our take on the coolest European independent fashion brands to buy from, both established and recently launched, which have found their fame on Instagram.

Here, you’ll find style notes from the Scandinavians on the chicest leather goods, playful colours and patterns from a Danish supermodel and the perfect Venetian slipper, designed and crafted in Italy – and we think your wardrobe will thank us for it.

Independent brands have a certain magic – something about buying into the person behind the designs makes us hold onto those pieces with more appreciation. That’s the feeling you get finding a maker like Isabelle Mann, founder of Faible and Failure. Inspired by the craft of knitting, Isabelle set up her boutique in Hamburg’s creative quarter. Part-workshop, part-store and part-venue, Isabelle lives and works within the three-floor space, while also hosting events there. 

“After seeing the inside of the fashion industry, I became disenchanted. To me, it felt like a huge marketing machine only concerned with making money. I wanted to create a bridge between fashion, art and craftsmanship and a space that allowed me to imagine unique designs while connecting with like-minded people,” she tells Stylist. 

Bookmark Faible and Failure for handwoven investment knits that will wear beautifully and last forever.

The birth of Caro Editions last summer created such a buzz that its vibrations can still be felt now, as its founder, model-turned-designer Caroline Bille Brahe, continues to release mini drops, available online and at the new Copenhagen store that opened at the start of the summer. Bille Brahe is Danish fashion royalty, having been scouted at just 13 and walked runways for everyone from Valentino to Fendi, so you could say she’s more than qualified to start her own brand.

Caro Editions adheres to the typical Danish sensibilities of practicality and casual comfort – specifically with pieces that you can cycle around the city in – you won’t find a muted palette of greys and beiges here. With embellished waistcoats, bow-backed dresses and neon-pink city shorts, the collection exudes a happy irreverence. We particularly love the baby-pink matching legging and vest top sets that would be just as chic at home as out for dinner.  

Your feet are, well, in good hands with Cedoublé, an independent shoe brand that burst onto the German fashion scene in 2021. Founded by friends, Celine and Christina, the pair describe themselves as fashion girls through and through – both of them had been working in footwear development and marketing while growing frustrated with the lack of creative, sustainable, transparent options at the mid-market level. Enter Cedoublé. 

This is the place for the everyday, chunky shoe. Think clompy clogs, square-heeled lace-ups, the perfect fisherman sandal and edgy ankle boots. The aesthetic is cool, but versatile enough to fit into your wardrobe. And, most importantly, designs are crafted in non-seasonal, small batches using butter-soft leather. 

Speaking to Stylist, the pair explained: “We find inspiration everywhere, but in particular, we love to visit European cities and explore different street styles. Combined with a deep dive into our mothers’ and grandmothers’ closets, we feel inspired to create products with a timeless, adaptable aesthetic and non-seasonal approach that are 100% wearable.”

What would happen if we took an architectural approach to dressing? May Kaan, Rotterdam-based designer and YSL alumna, asked this question when putting together her inaugural womenswear brand, Francon Editions, in 2021. Collections are named after types of structures, and as an architect considers how a building will be used and the context of its environment, Kaan’s designs imagine specific situations and the clothes you would wear within them. The result? A curated selection of easily elegant pieces for modern living that will have you investing in a whole new wardrobe. 

Tones are complementary, fabrics luxurious and silhouettes universally elegant for a capsule feel with stand-out moments like the matching, vanilla-hued faux astrakhan jacket and skirt. “I’m designing for every woman who faces the daily challenges we all experience – perhaps professionally, as a mother, a partner. I think of it like a uniform that helps her feel comfortable and stylish at the same time, with clean, sophisticated shapes and beautiful materials, to help her excel in whatever she’s facing,” explains May. 

If you’re not an Anna & Nina fan already, where’ve you been? With three Netherlands stores and UK stockists in Selfridges and Liberty London, the brand is is by no means a secret, but it does still deserve a spot on this list. Online, you can leaf through its clothing curation, featuring bright colours, vibrant patterns and relaxed shapes. 

But, it’s the jewellery collection that gets the most attention, with regular drops of modern heirlooms given a playful twist. Think a ruby slipper pendant that Dorothy would be proud of alongside a beaded mermaid dangling earring. Here, imagination is allowed to roam free.

The brand was founded in 2012, by friends Anna de Lanoy Meijer and Nina Poot, but while it’s well known in the UK and Europe, Anna tells us the magic still happens at home: “We design everything here in Amsterdam. While we love to travel to London and elsewhere, our city is still where the heart of the brand lies.”

When was the last time a fashion item made you smile? Like, your face broke out into a big, wide grin – maybe even a little laugh? Well, that’s the effect Pardo Hats might well have on you with its incredibly joyful designs. The brainchild of founder and creative director Sol Pardo, they are full of fun and creativity with exaggerated proportions, unusual shapes and playful details. Imagine a hand-crocheted bandana trimmed with real seashells or a raffia fez, because… why not?

While Pardo Hats began in Buenos Aires, each design is now handmade to order in the brand’s Barcelona-based studio using natural materials, but if you fancy making your own from scratch, get in touch to see when the next workshop is. 

While Caro was studying for her textile business degree, she needed a way to embrace her creativity. “The classes weren’t as interesting as I’d hoped, so I wanted to do something more meaningful and productive with my time,” she explains. As a child, she had spent summers with her grandparents in Spain, collecting shells and beach treasures which, as an adult, grew into a love of jewellery making. 

An initial flurry of Etsy sales quickly turned Hola Amore into an Instagram sensation, with celebrities like Ashley Park and Kaia Gerber donning her necklaces, and it was time to embrace her own business. Just like when she was little, Caro loves the seaside and wants to design jewellery that gives you that holiday feeling. Her pearly shells, dolphin charms and glassy hearts will give a light-hearted pop to any outfit.

La Veste was founded in 2018 by stylist Blanca Miro and designer Maria de la Orden (who also has her own self-titled brand that you need to check out). The aim was to channel a vintage aesthetic with daring colour combinations and an eccentric air. Mission accomplished. If you’re searching for playful pieces that refuse to conform, La Veste is the brand for you. 

Their candy-striped suits and fringe-trimmed jeans have an almost childlike feel – wearing them is pure joy. As are their collaborations with the likes of Carel and Gucci. The perfect brand for eccentric days when you want to stand out.

We often look to our Scandinavian sisters for lessons in timeless style, and within this, the search for the perfect bag. Finding a handbag that is simple and sophisticated, just the right size and can take you from day to night is quite the feat. Well, Cala Jade, founded by Elise Kleiva Ugland and Tina Cecilie Skaar, is the answer. 

The brand launched in 2007 and four years later opened its own store in Oslo, celebrating its Nordic approach to sustainability and enduring design. The bags are handmade from carefully sourced materials, including Italian leather and Icelandic shearling. Although known for its bags, the brand delivers a curated selection of footwear and accessories well worth your attention, too. 

Starting a shoe brand within months of a global pandemic is a tough break, so it’s safe to say Spanish sisters Paloma and Cristina Rato come from hardy stock. Having both left Spain to pursue their own careers, the pair reunited in their native country to bring something different to the Spanish footwear industry and Augusta the Brand was born. 

With bold vintage-inspired pumps, mary janes and low heels, the styles were an instant Instagram hit; a credit to the sister-duo who turned their homes into a studio during lockdown to get images of their new designs out there. Quality is at the forefront of the designs, with each shoe crafted in Spain using 100% leather. A few years later and Augsta the Brand is a cult classic loved by the European set, from Belen Hostalet to Hanna Stefansson.

As cool-girl Harmony Youngs effortlessly displays, a slipper-like mary jane is the only way to go for floating around at weekends, and the perfect footwear for visiting antiques markets and coffee shops. Her brand of choice? ViBi Venezia, the quirky boutique from sisters Viola and Vera Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga. While their store is based in Milan, the name nods to their mutual favourite city, Venice, where you’ll find the original Venetian slipper. 

ViBi takes this simple idea – offering them in a kaleidoscope of colours and fabrics. As children, the sisters wore slippers like these, and since 2015 they have been recreating them using only the finest Italian artisans and materials. Pair with anything – from the low-key jeans to a feminine dress – for instant chic. 

Alexandra Kouziaki began her Plexida Knitwear brand in 2012 with the intention of celebrating and uplifting her family’s heritage, as well as supporting the local community of artisans close to her home in Greece. Kouziaki’s love of knitting is in her blood. As a third-generation knitter, her connection to the craft spans back to her great-grandmother – who was a silkworm farmer – whose techniques are combined with contemporary flair across Kouziaki’s designs. 

In winter, Kouziaki dreams up sumptuously soft jumpers, cardigans and hats, while in summer her effortlessly chic crop tops and matching sets give knitwear a modern touch. As a slow fashion brand, each piece is handmade from start to finish by the all-female team of local artisans and Kouziaki ensures only ethically sourced materials are used, following no-waste principles. 

Mass Lee is a stunning jewellery brand whose designs command you to stop for a second and just admire them. Its most recognisable pieces are arguably the brush stroke brooches, which give a lapel the appearance of having been artistically swiped with a golden brush. 

Mass Lee is the coming together of two artists, Josefine Mass and Dabin Lee, who studied together at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp before launching their eponymous brand in 2020. The two meld their heritage cultures: Mass favours Finnish simplicity in her designs while having fun with modernist touches; Lee takes aspects of traditional Korean crafts while experimenting with intricate details. 

Their atelier sits within Antwerp’s creative hub, where you’ll find them working on new designs, personally creating many of the pieces. Mass Lee is wearable art, each piece handmade with recycled, sustainable materials, just for you. 

Images: Caro Editions; courtesy of brands