This year we had our Cult Curators vote for their favorite brand of the year, and you voted for MONIKA DIMOVA.
The brand takes its name from its Creative Director and Fashion Designer – Monika Dimova. Her inspirations are driven by vintage fashion films and old glamor. Monika’s goal is to bring back the femininity and elegance of these women in unique contemporary designs that will be cherished forever.
Monika’s designs are made-to-order, made-to-measure, and designed in North Macedonia. She works with local seamstresses that exclusively work with the brand to create unique pieces that require embroidery skills. By employing local hands, the designer supports her community and builds a close relationship with the team. Monika implements made-to-order and made-to-measure garments to avoid overproduction and waste as she strongly believes in demand-led fashion encouraging conscious shopping behavior.
In addition to that, as a values-driven platform, we also voted internally as to who best represented each of our Cult Causes:
CULT ECO: The brand that best represents environmental sustainability.
CULT POWER: The brand that strives to empower minorities.
CULT CONSCIOUS: The brand that best represents social consciousness.
CULT LOCAL: The brand that strives to protect local heritage and craft.
The Votes are in, and here are the winners:
CULT ECO: BLIKVANGER
With sustainability at the core of our agenda, we love supporting brands that are reducing their carbon footprint. Blikvanger makes all of their styles made-to-order, in an effort to minimize production waste and dead stock that ends up in a landfill. A Georgian label established in Tbilisi, Blikvanger was founded in November 2016 by Ana Odishelidze and Ani Tsintskiladze. The concept of the brand is to bring together a variety of styles and blend them into a single concept to emulate fierceness and confidence.
CULT CONSCIOUS: NUÉ STUDIO
We care about the people making your pieces. Our brands do too. Nué Studio exemplified this in 2022. As a brand based in Ukraine, they were heavily affected by the war. Forcing them to relocate to protect their designers and production team. In spite of this, Nué Studio donated 10% of their sales this year towards Okhmatdyt to support children in Ukraine.
The brand aesthetic issues timeless and seasonless collections of jewelry-based clothing. A mix of tailoring and jewelry techniques ensures that every NUÉ piece is both comfortable and destined to be the center of attention. Each NUÉ piece is crafted by Ukrainian tailors and jewelers and can transform a casual daily outfit into a party one.
CULT POWER: NAIIA
As an all-female team, we are constantly promoting and supporting minority-owned businesses, from female to LGBT and Black-owned. NAIIA, run by Nicky Shemain, was created in hopes of creating a fine jewelry line that empowers and inspires women to feel elevated and bold. Nicky's designs are one-of-kind and diverse, from stackable rings to layering necklaces and chains. Each piece is carefully designed, combining elements of strength, timelessness, and femininity. NAIIA donates a portion of every purchase to "Ladies Who Launch", a non-profit organization devoted to educating, inspiring, and providing women in the entrepreneurial community access to resources that will help launch and grow their businesses.
CULT LOCAL: FILKK
As a global platform, we honor the local craftsmen behind our pieces. Each piece tells a story and takes you on a journey. All of F.ILKK's garments are locally made-to-order in Istanbul, Turkey. They offer a curated range of one-of-a-kind pieces with unique silhouettes blended with rich colors and details for women who are not afraid to express their individuality.
