Small Labels Are the New Fashion Stars

Women of all ages are springing for trendier clothes from newer labels, and the fashion industry is scrambling to keep up, the Wall Street Journal reports. The fastest growing segment of the industry is small risk-taking labels that have elevated casual pieces like jeans, t-shirts and  cotton dresses to edgy fashion statements.

The rise of celebrity marketing has played a role: Instead of expensive runway shows, small designers score by getting celebs to wear their stuff. Retailers, in turn, are watching the stars like hawks. "It's important for anyone in a retail position to know who the starlets are wearing," says a fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman. (More fashion stories.)