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<\/div>\nThe menswear world has often been touted for its slow pace, favoring more timeless silhouettes, traditional and artisanal techniques, and less trend-led collections over womenswear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the sheer number of catwalk shows \u2013 let alone the 750 stalls at trade fair Pitti Uomo<\/a> \u2013 undertaken across Milan<\/a> and Paris<\/a> last month proves that the menswear industry is a bustling one, and shouldn\u2019t be dismissed as any less buzzy.<\/p>\n While new brands may spring up all the more regularly in the sister sector, new collaborations, pop-ups, and brand expansions mean there\u2019s plenty of reason to keep your eyes on what\u2019s happening in menswear<\/a>. On that note, find the five brands we\u2019re watching this year for good reason.<\/p>\n Since launching in 2018, Rubato has quickly established itself as the brand to shop for Ivy League designs instilled with Scandi sensibility. The founders, Oliver Dannefalk and Carl Pers, take inspiration from 1920s to 1960s workwear for their refined, timeless collections, which are gaining momentum outside of the brand\u2019s Swedish homeland via pop-ups in London<\/a> and New York<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unfortunately for the menswear heads who like to gatekeep, the brand’s growth in international retail guarantees plenty more fans. Quality and desirability are confirmed when trying their products for the first time; lambs wool crewnecks or classic cut chinos are the type of garments you\u2019ll become addicted to wearing.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite a decade in business, only in the last few years has Auralee started to hit the mainstream \u2013 and by mainstream, I mean the style crowd that elevates IYKYK brands into international successes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, Auralee is one of the star events on the Paris Fashion Week<\/a> calendar, as season after season, founder Ryota Iwai presents unpretentious clothes in a variety of wondrous pastel hues. Luxury retailers immediately put in their orders, and critics continue to marvel at Iwai\u2019s talent for making simple pieces feel special. Such demand has seen Auralee partner with New Balance, Tekla, and Kith on sell-out collaborations. I suspect the brand\u2019s popularity will be that of The Row within womenswear, garnering a cult-like following.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n While you still could describe this brand as fledging, its traction is growing. The founder, Luke Derrick, graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2021, and has become a name on the London Fashion Week scene for his contemporary, practical, and utilitarian approach to tailoring.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite training at the likes of Brioni<\/a>, Dunhill, and Savile Row<\/a> institutions, his suits have taken a gorpcore direction, designed for the man who wants to dress smartly but without too many traditional connotations. Celebrity fans come in the likes of Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Matthew Goode.<\/p>\n Sometimes, knitwear brands can feel a bit antiquated, as if their focus on exquisite craft has stopped them from remembering that they\u2019re marking pieces for a contemporary shopper. That\u2019s certainly not the case for Ghiaia. While pieces are still made in a family-run facility in Italy, Ghiaia knits have a touch of Californian flair.\u00a0<\/p>\n Davide Baroncini founded the brand in 2019, and it\u2019s now stocked at luxury retailers like Mr Porter, has its own bricks and mortar store in San Marino, California, and has been endorsed by celebrities like Kevin Costner. The brand has expanded to present a full ready-to-wear offering, including cashmere blazers, suede hiking boots, and cotton sweatshirts.<\/p>\n In 2019, Franco and Giacomo Loro Piana decided to start a lifestyle brand that would combine the luxurious quality synonymous with their surname, with performance pieces made for the slopes and sea.\u00a0<\/p>\nRubato<\/h2>\n
![\"Rubato\"](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/01\/rubato.jpg\")
Auralee<\/h2>\n
Derrick<\/h2>\n
![\"Derrick](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/01\/derrick-ss26-menswear-brand-1707x2560.jpeg\")
Ghiaia Cashmere\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Sease<\/h2>\n
![\"Sease\"](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/01\/sease-2560x1707.jpg\")