The world of the fashionista has just gotten more challenging.

It’s hard to put your fashion foot forward when you have to deal with the economic doldrums and the ignominy of seeing the likes of Prada, Louis Vuitton or Chanel hanging from the shoulders of the hoipolloi.

Upping the fashion ante now means stretching your luxury dollar and tracking down the right labels to boost your fashion credibility.

For this purpose, we consulted fashion stylists from Singapore to London to point you in new style directions.

1. ACNE
Available online at www.acnejeans.com

The Swedish company has long been famous for their perfect jeans, blazing a trail for the high-waisted skinny trend that continues until today.

Right now, it’s their ready-to-wear line for women and men that has people buzzing.

Several designers from big-name houses such as Chloe have decamped to the egalitarian Acne creative collective, known for its refreshing lack of snobbery. "Real fashionistas sniff out certain brands that don't have much exposure but have their own unique point of view, in terms of both marketing and aesthetics,” says Vik Lim, a freelance stylist. “Acne is one of those brands.”

Whimsical yet wearable, Acne is a favourite with models, rock stars, and all the other kids who prefer their labels on the inside.

Their recent collaboration with the legendary Alber Elbaz has given them even more cachet: his new resort collection sees traditional Lanvin shapes, such as the tulip skirt and the smock dress, in trademark Acne denim.

“It says something that Alber Elbaz, as one the most innovative and ingenious artists out there, picked Acne out of the proliferation of labels available.” says stylist Martin Wong.

2. BERLUTI

Andy Warhol, Steven Spielberg, and Pablo Picasso – along with many other
members of the world’s political and cultural elite – have been clamoring for bespoke shoes from Berluti for centuries.

While the Rue Marbeuf store in Paris was the only one of its kind for over 100 years, the brand has expanded to include 32 stores located all around the world – including one in Ngee Ann City – to accomodate their ever-growing clientele from the global cognoscenti.

Berluti’s shoes are renowned in fashionable circles for the trademark finish of the leather – which has a unique sheen that is reportedly very difficult to replicate – and for their exquisite and eclectic designs.

The extensive work that goes into the crafting of each pair means that they are not for anyone seeking everyday slip-ons.

“Like all luxury items, they require great care,” says Laurent Fabre, the Asia regional manager ofthe brand. He recommends that they be polished in a specific way – and twice weekly for 15 minutes per shoe – and that they should only be worn once a week in a humid climate. Those in the know are willing to put in the high-maintenance that the shoe demands.

“They are really rare, handmade shoes,” says Daniel Goh, former editor of Style magazine. “That, along with their beautiful finish and authentic Italian workmanship, almost makes them fetish items.

3. GOYARD

For centuries, Goyard has been the insider alternative to Hermes and Louis Vuitton.

Founded in 1853, it is the oldest trunk maker in the business: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Gregory Peck used to carry Goyard, while Madonna and Karl Lagerfeld tote the brand’s bags in the present.

Special orders from Russian, Indian and English royalty cemented the position of Goyard bags as the ultimate travel accessory.

“I’m a big fan of Goyard,” says Shabnam Melwani-Reis, director of the Jay Gee Melwani Group.

“For me, what makes it great is the personalisation of the bag. In the Paris boutique, you can customise the colours and monogram it with your name.”

For Martin Wong, Goyard’s best qualities are in the workmanship. “They are extremely well made, functional, and really light,” he says.

However, “not everyone can wear Goyard,” he adds. “You have to have a certain amount of style.

4. RICK OWENS
Available at www.netaporter.com

Anybody who says that he wants to make clothes like Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed makes music is bound to become a cult classic.

Rick Owen’s collections, noted for their buttery soft leather jackets and tissue thin T-shirts, are known to combine luxury and understated insouciance with his masterful draping. He counts rocker Courtney Love and actress Helena Bonham Carter as fans.

“He is like the new Martin Margiela” – the man behind another eponymous cult brand – “in terms of both aesthetic and ideology,” says Goh.

“His clothes define the desconstructed look, which is sexy but not traditionally so.”

With a new gig at Revillon, Owens is bringing his clandestine luxury edge to the world of fur. One of the looks is a jacket lined entirely in sable – but on the inside.

5. A.P.C
Available at Front Row on Ann Siang Road.
Also online at www.apc.fr

With their simple, no-nonsense silhouettes and price tags that don’t totally break the bank, A.P.C is antithetical to anything bling.

Partial to humble but very good quality fabrics, A.P.C has been outfitting ever-chic Parisiennes since its debut.

“They became famous for their jeans at first; other fans of the label could tell you were wearing them when you folded the cuffs, which made red inside stitching visible,” says Maya-Lynn Gilmour, a model who used to be an assistant manager of A.P.C's Boutique Femme in Paris.

“A.P.C is more about a lifestyle than anything. The founder, Jean Touitou, has his finger in every pie, especially with music."

Cementing A.P.C’s cult status is the hipper-than-thou crew that swears by the label, including bands such as 2 Many Djs, Air, and the director and fashion icon Sofia Coppola.

While A.P.C’s prices definitely fall below those of the higher-end brands, their pieces are usually sold next to cutting-edge marques like Comme des Garcons and Balenciaga.

6. TODD LYNN
Boutiques in Hong Kong, Tokyo or Seoul
Online at www.toddlynn.com

It is not enough for clothes to be expensive, they have to be exclusive as well, or so believes Todd Lynn – one of London's hottest designers who has designed clothes for Marilyn Manson, U2 and The Rolling Stones for their various music
videos.

As he says: “Anybody can buy a bag that costs £10,000. That is not luxury; it's when you can get a bag that nobody else can, regardless of how much it costs, now that’s luxury.”

Lynn’s modus operandi is limited pieces of 10 or 20, but any fashionista worth her salt will tell you that even with a hefty price tag of about £1,400 for a suit, a Todd Lynn piece is well worth your money.

Combining sharp and edgy designs with sexy and feminine silhouettes, Lynn’s tailoring is a masterclass in itself. More importantly, he insists his clothes must have “longevity” – clothes that can be worn beyond one season. And in this economic climate, clothes that last are the ones that make the best investments.

7. OLIVER GOLDSMITH SUNGLASSES
Online at www.olivergoldsmith.com

Described by the V&A Museum in London as the “originator of fashion eyewear”, the once defunct Oliver Goldsmith sunglasses was given new life by Oliver Goldsmith’s great granddaughter Claire Goldsmith who is releasing styles from the family’s private archives.

A favourite of style icons Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, it is equally popular since its relaunch with contemporary trendsetters the likes of Kylie Minogue and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Says Ms Goldsmith: “We have been hand-making the highest quality eyewear for over 70 years and we have no plans to move away from our core values of quality, craftsmanship and innovative design.”

She goes on to breathe life back into the brand by assembling a stable of new talent to carry the company forward – including avant-garde Dublin designer Brian McGinn as the company’s creative director.

You can get custom couture glasses made by Goldsmith’s master craftsmen at its showroom in Notting Hill (15 All Saints Road, London, W11 1HA) that operates on an appointment only basis.

8. IRWIN AND JORDAN
Online at www.irwinandjordan.com

With a strong following boasting London’s “It” girls Alexa Chung and Sienna Miller, Irwin and Jordan is a new label launched last year that fashionistas should look out for.

It embodies the idea of “thrown on glamour”: easy to wear clothing that looks effortlessly cool.

Classic styles maintain a distinctive and modern edge with simple silhouettes, clean lines and strong blocks of colour, for a timeless look.

Irwin and Jordan’s AW 08 collection called “The Duck Soup Collection” features clothes like the Holland Playsuit that looks like a traditional 1920s column gown but is actually a playsuit with flared trousers, while other pieces are created in unexpected fabrics.

9. MADE IN HEAVEN (MIH) JEANS
Available exclusively at The Link

The eponymous jean label of the 60s – Made in Heaven – is once again the next big thing in the “It” jeans department (see top picture).

Then worn by the coolest girls in town ala Jane Birkin and Farrah Fawcett, MIH has found favour again with the likes of Kate Moss and Nelly Furtado. At $300 - $450 for a pair, it’s a small price to pay for timelessness.

It was named “Made in Heaven” because its sole goal was to provide the most perfect fitting, bum enhancing, leg lengthening jeans out there. MIH was revived by Chloe Lonsdale, daughter of “blue jean king” Tony Lonsdale, with a view to “capturing something very unique in its British heritage that is totally different from American denim brands.”

This article was first published in The Business Times on Sep 6, 2008.