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• January 8, 2009
• Profiles

Shooting Stars

Erik Hart

Who He Is: For fans of Morphine Generation's brooding romantic hoodies and tees, rocker-turned-designer Erik Hart has branched out once again, and this time into slightly more fanciful territory.
Why He's Hot: His namesake line, Erik Hart: Factory of Aesthetics & Dreams, may sound dark, but one look through his spring '09 collection reveals a pleasant surprise. Think pretty silk blouses tucked into black tiered skirts, or a gray knit dress shot through with a bold yellow belt. The tiny rainbow in this mean economic storm? You bet.

Gar-de

Who They Are: Pronounced "garde," this design collective (Ken Li, Chris Viggiano, Jonathan Delagarde, and Jiminie Ha) has all the pedigree of a star in the making, including a combination of design stints at Gap, Missoni, and Calvin Klein, and even an MFA from Yale.
Why They're Hot: Think that resume is impressive? Wait 'til you take a gander at the clothes: leather jackets with oversized hoods, bombers lined in winter-ready plaid, and jersey dresses with impeccably clean lines. These are clothes meant for braving the urban jungle, all done with a mission in mind: The leather comes from small Italian producers in an effort to encourage local sustainability. Looking good and feeling good? Now that's a New Year's Resolution we're willing to keep.

Bodkin

Who They Are: A Brooklyn-based line created by partners Samantha Pleet (who has her own adorable line of jumpers and sweet dresses) and Eviana Hartman (former features editor at Nylon).
Why They're Hot: It's eco-chic with an adventurous streak. You may think you're sick of all these new environmentally friendly lines popping up, but their dresses and minis—surprisingly sexy, refreshingly hip, and, of course, ethically sustainable—might just give you a reason to go green (if you haven't already). Did you ever think you could help out the planet by wearing a cool and seductive bustier? Yeah, us neither.

Rad Hourani

Who He Is: A Canadian-born stylist-turned-designer with just three collections underneath his belt and a killer video for Mode Models that sky-rocketed him to cult-like status within the fashion elite.
Why He's Hot: Already garnering comparisons to Helmut Lang and Ann Demeulemeester, Hourani turned out an epic all-black third collection, proving that, though Canadian, New York might be where his heart is. Angular, sleek, intense, and did we mention unisex? These clothes prove that no matter what the season, true style (and solid talent) is timeless.

Eight designers you need to know in 2009.