Meet America's Best New Menswear Designers

A tradition since 2007,  fashion title GQ each year crowns four unknown brands Best New Menswear Designers in America. The winners then design a capsule collection in conjunction with GAP for the proceeding fall, which last year sold out in just 48 hours. From streetwear to surf, suiting to athletic gear, the longstanding menswear magazine doesn't choose its winners based on the label's style so much; more the brand aesthetic and the craftsmanship put into their pieces.  In 2015, four lucky labels have been chosen: NSF, The Hill-Side, Stampd and David Hart. 1. The Hill-SideSelf confessed fabric junkies, The Hill-Side started out after seeing a need for quality materials and manufacturing in mid-luxe menswear. Inspired by selvage denim craftsmanship and Japanese utilitarianism, brand co-Founder Emil Corsillo, was in college when he hooked up denim-freak, Hisashi Oguchi, before recruiting Corsillo's brother Sandy. Designing square-bottom ties in hard-to-find Japanese textiles sourced by Oguchi, the trio launched their first line as a label. Today, The Hill-Side have the whole man covered; offering chambray shirts, linen ties, tweed herringbone jackets, and sneakers made from blanket-striped wool. "Our approach to making garments comes from our approach to making ties, which for years was: we make the same object every season but offer it in thirty or forty materials," Emil told GQ.This simple approach to design - repeating their fail-proof blazer cuts and relaxed chino fits - allows the boys to experiment with fabric play (take the Jean Cloth Heavy Duty Tote Bag in wool and denim-blend instead of typical canvas or leather). Meanwhile, all fabrics are sourced from the US or Japan.Selling out of their Brooklyn-based store Hickoree's, which also serves a reclaimed vintage store, the brothers and Oguchi continue to build a solid brand and retail presence in their beloved New York.2. NSFFounded in 2005 on boyish LA charm, NSF are fabric manipulators, destructive even. Run by Nick Freidberg and Jamie Haller, each flannel shirt and light-wash jean is purposely worn-in before being sold. The design duo hand-shred and dye their pieces from LA, using sandpaper on denim to perfect that distressed look, followed by hand washes."Our approach to denim has been to design what we love without worrying about whether or not it was going to be accepted," says Haller on the NSF website. "Our denim is classic, straightforward, with a little dirt and a slouchy straight tomboy fit. Stemming out of their love for vintage, NSF's collection reflects the local design scene sweeping the West Coast: Americana style rich in texture, softness and largely about comfort and being laid-back."I think we have the ability—living here, working here—to constantly be in a more casual environment," Friedberg told GQ. "Versus New York, where there are certain environments where you still have to wear a suit or tuck your shirt in."3. David HartAfter seven years under Anna Sui, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ralph Lauren, designer David Hart left the nest to explore his own version of tailoring and American sportswear. Starting with a material-focused tie line, he went on to produce his first line in 2013."At that time there wasn't a lot going on in neckwear that was interesting," Hart told GQ. "It was all those shiny silk ties. And I was really interested in wools and tartans."Hailing from Maryland, Hart's ready-to-wear designs ooze hometown historical references and nostalgia, but with a hip, New York vibe thrown in, from where he is now based. Not limited by the more structured silhouettes pertained to menswear - the jacket, shirt, trouser and blazer- Hart prefers to keep shapes traditional; experimenting with pattern, color and printed fabrics to achieved a style point-of-difference.Hart is big supporter of Made in New York too, tapping family-run textile mills in the US to make his garments. All his fabrics are sourced from the United States, Italy, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. 4. StampdFounded in 2011 by Chris Stamp, Stampd follows an 'avantstreet' design ethos, taking inspiration from the West Coast, East Coast and the urban chic of Paris. "Stampd is at the forefront of a new movement that at once embraces modern youth culture and the timeless appeal of high quality product mixed with simple form," reads the Stampd website.This luxe streetwear line offers snapback caps, big graphic tees and satiny nylon bombers in monochromatic color schemes. "I don't like to use the word streetwear, ever," Stamp told GQ. "But at the core I make luxury streetwear. It's something casual and modern. There's an understated arrogance about the line. Things aren't crazily overdone, but when you look at the details and you look at the cut and you look at the color palette, it feels elevated."Stampd's signature adding luxury to urban style - via fabric choice. Comfortable cotton jersey shorts, polka dot synthetic fibers and lambskin grey cap, proving best-sellers.And gathering a global presence, Stamp is stocked in 120 stores worldwide.