Written by Paddy Maddison in Brands on the 17th October 2016

There’s nothing better than staying ahead of the curve and finding something completely new and untapped before most other people have picked up on it, and that goes double for clothes. You’ve probably already got your favourite go-to brands but when it’s time to branch out why not try one of these great lesser-known brands and you could be ahead of the crowd when they inevitably take off.

ArkAir 

ArkAir is the civilian arm of British Military outfitters Arktis, and when we say they’re military outfitters we really mean it. Arktis have been kitting out the toughest military and Special Forces around the world for the past thirty years. What ArkAir have done is pair that durability and ruggedness with a dash of style, resulting in the sort of jackets that would look just as relevant on the runway as they would in the wilderness.

Ouur 

Formed in New York by friends from LA, NY and Tokyo, Kinfolk Magazine's apparel label Ouur was launched to create clothes that the trio wanted to wear but couldn’t find anywhere to purchase. They focus on timeless designs, the highest quality materials and robustness – making great clothes that will stand the test of time when it comes to both style and durability.

Uniform Experiment 

You may have already heard of SOPHNET, what you probably haven’t heard of is their experimental clothing project Uniform Experiment. The Japanese brand build each of their unique collections around a specific theme e.g. ‘colour chart’.

The Hill-Side 

New Yorkers Emil and Sandy Corsillo started up The Hill-Side in Brooklyn with the idea shoes and accessories using only the finest materials sourced from all over the world. Over time they have gone on to incorporate clothing into their collections too and they should definitely be on your radar.

Nicholas Daley 

After graduating from Central Saint Martin’s in 2013 Nicholas Daley launched his namesake label in 2015. Fusing his multi-cultural roots with his background in tailoring Daley manages to capture the essence of modern day multi-cultural Britain in his designs while still giving a nod to the past.

We feature Ark Air, Kinfolk, Uniform Experiment, The Hill-Side and Nicholas Daley in this guide to 5 Great Menswear Labels You’ve Not Heard Of.