The Glossy 50 celebrates individual changemakers. Explore other honorees in The Accelerators, The Changemakers, The Dealmakers, The Heavy Hitters, The Icons, The Innovators, The Leaders, The Newsmakers and The Trendsetters.
It was a breakout year for these founders, designers and TikTokers.
NYC-based Melitta Baumeister, known for its voluminous garments, first gained traction when Rihanna wore a jacket from its first fashion show. This year, the brand’s Parsons-trained namesake designer won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, joining former winners including Phillip Lim and Telfar Clemens. Heading into 2024, she plans to build on the brand’s success with physical activations, including fashion shows and pop-ups.
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Colm Dillane wants to be the Andy Warhol of our time. Based on his accomplishments this year alone, the 32-year-old designer behind the 13-year-old KidSuper brand is bordering on icon status. In January, as Louis Vuitton’s first and only guest designer to date, he showed his fall 2023 menswear collection for LV at Paris Fashion Week. That led to a CFDA nomination for the Menswear Designer of the Year award.
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Has anyone had a crazier year than Alix Earle? The 22-year-old TikTok star and podcaster started rapidly amassing followers in January 2023. That was largely thanks to her relatability while taking followers along for the ride as she got ready for nights out as a University of Miami senior. Her candor about her struggles with acne and her journey taking Accutane also contributed to her climb. To date, she’s accumulated 5.9 million followers on TikTok and 3.2 million on Instagram.
Emily Oberg’s women’s sportswear brand, Sporty & Rich, expanded in more ways than one this year. In addition to launching beauty in September, the brand also opened its first flagship store in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood in July.
Despite being less than 3 years old, Hally has managed to insert itself into youth culture by taking a diversified approach to connecting with college-age students. In February, it became the first beauty brand to officially collaborate with universities on a beauty product. It’s also built an ambassador program of over 1,200 students and hosted tailgates at Taylor Swift concerts, all led by its founder and CEO, Kathryn Winokur.
While the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream catapulted the brand’s awareness, Sol de Janeiro’s expansion into the perfume mist category is what really boosted the brand’s bottom line, said Heela Yang, the brand’s co-founder and CEO. According to its parent company, L’Occitane, which bought the company at the end of 2021, Sol de Janeiro experienced a 174% sales increase to $454 million in the six months ending September 30.
Explore all of the 2023 Glossy 50 honorees here.
