Sugar Mountain Candy

I’ve been to California twice—on the way to and returning from Australia when I was 15. My experiences in the Golden State are still limited to L.A.X. My impression of West Coast style comes from reality television (Laguna Beach, The Hills, and Selling Sunset), California brands, and Meghan Markle’s casual outfits. Although my aesthetic is more East Coast than West Coast, I’ve been letting California-based brands inspire me lately. Here’s five companies I’ve been watching:

Lunya // Founded in 2014 by Ashley Merrill, Lunya designs sleepwear for the modern woman. Must buy: the washable silk sleep set.

Sotela // This Latina-owned brand offers a highly-curated selection in sizes 0-30. Frustrated with the ill-fitting clothes in her clothes, Hanna Baror-Padilla founded Sotela in 2016. My pick: the Luna wrap dress in linen.

Sugar Mountain Candy // Bianca Branaman produced the company’s first clothing line in 2015. That Spring/Summer collection featured simple designs in cream, black, grey, and navy. The brand is environmentally conscious. On my radar: the Hope top (black).

Vetta Capsule // Founded in 2015 by Cara Bartlett and Vanessa van Zyl, the brand values quality clothing over quantity. Swoon-worthy: the convertible wrap mini dress and the flutter sleeve wrap top.

Vince // Rea Laccone and Christopher LaPolice founded Vince in 2002, but they sold the company when it went public four years later. The brand exudes a sleek, chic, effortless aesthetic. Purchase of the moment: the short sleeve tie waist dress (white, black).

Works Sighted

Vince dress // Castañer Carina 60mm wedge espadrille // J.Crew clutch (old)