Thee Watchful Five Vol 5
Like a Drugg
My first interaction with this brand was religiously scrolling through Creepyyeha’s Instagram, wishing my pockets were fatter to afford her top-quality garters lingerie. I stopped at this pastel dream arrangement filled with lavenders, lemons, mints, and sky blues, but this time, the focus wasn’t just on her leather belts. My attention went to the fur and sheer trench jacket. I had to know more. Like a Drugg is a fresh and eclectic fashion studio that handmakes every garment. Their current collection features softer colors with a mix of faux leather. Their Faux fur coats are high-pigmented leopard and cotton candy festival, revisited with soft mints, blues, pinks oranges, and yellows. My personal favorite? The black faux leather top with a triangular bandeau cut in the front and laced in the back. Sexy.
IG: official_likeadrugg
Raw Grey
Black and white can be tiresome, but this new brand gives it a swift kick. Inspired by Black and white motifs, Raw Grey uses digital prints on sheer fabrics, giving a very high couture matrix feel. The garments shapeshift between scoop tops to cropped trousers to knitted two-piece sets. This designer has found her comfort in asymmetrical shapes and silhouettes. Her backless top demonstrates her versatility in the efforts of style and direction with the design. She features it individually, with an overside top and doubled layer. A special shout-out to the unlisted vest she featured on her Instagram. It was no regular vest; patchwork detail and cropped, it was literally everything and more. Her work can be found on Depop, but it’s currently sold out. Here’s to a new collection coming soon.
https://www.depop.com/tasha_ge/
IG: tasha_ge
Ai Mei Li
Where to start? It’s like an explosion of colors, designs, braids, and cuts. That’s the perfect description. It’s fun and quirky and sexy and for the confident individual. The creator of Ai Mei Li, Emily, started her debut in the game fairly recently. The quarantine shifted things for everyone, including Emily, giving her time to make designs. She uses second-hand garments for sustainability purposes but also the edge that brings to mix and match different materials and styles. She always aims to create something truly dynamic. Personally, I’m in love with her dresses. One, in particular, was the jester dress. It features a low v cut with a pink layer and blue overlayer. It’s long sleeves with braiding up and down the arms and on the front side of the dress. It’s giving! The next drop is on January 24th, so be prepared!
IG: ai_mei__li
CM Studios
What did Megan say? She’s giving body-ody-ody-ody-ody! My first impression of the new brand is sex appeal. The way that each design sits on every curve is almost criminal. So, let’s get into it. CM studios are created and designed by C. Monaco, based in Miami, Fl. Her styles match the flair of the city with its bold silhouettes. Y’all know I love pants. Her Doma Pant features a dark blue and black landscape with russet grey clouds. The cut of the pants features a diamond shape, narrowing in at the waist. The framed memoir of the creator, the Monaco dress, hits all the right spots. The blue-grey coloring sinks in with the sheer fabric, and the one-arm cut adds a sexy pull to the top half of the dress. The last drop is sold out but be on the lookout for what’s sure to become.
IG: c.mstudios
The Label Muse
The first thing you feel when hitting their page is a breath of fresh air. The colors are so pigmented they bleed through the screen, drawing you in to feel that exotic freedom. The creator, Eleanor, stands on her clothing as being long-lasting quality for intentional garments. Hence, her resort collection is her first drop. She wanted to bring the inner colors of who she was to the pieces. The newest collection MOYO, in pre-order, features a magnetism of yellows and deep blues. The Mosi top is a one-shoulder cropped top with a mosaic brown piece in the middle for adjustment. It accentuates the bust and leaves room to tighten or loosen. My favorite is the Monaco skirt, blazing yellow and turquoise, mint, and grey additives. Its ruched side gives it that leg action, perfect for when the weather warms up.
IG: thelabelmuse