Our 9 Favorite Custom Fashion Artists on the Internet Right Now

Who doesn’t want to own something that nobody else can?

It’s why Dapper Dan and his luxury-infused bootleg jackets became iconic in the ’80s. It’s why the Shirt Kings’ airbrushed T-shirts and hoodies were a must-cop for rappers in the ’90s. The Shoe Surgeon has made a career out of his custom sneakers chopped and screwed with premium leathers and exotic animal prints.

Custom fashion is nothing new in the world of streetwear, but thanks to the wide reach of social media, we’ve seen a creative renaissance . Every corner of the internet is filled with torchbearers that are putting their own spin on DIY and one-of-one fashion. Below, we highlight nine of our favorite artists and designers making the best custom apparel and accessory pieces right now.

Better With Age

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_TnNk5y6h0/?hl=en&img_index=1

Active since: 2015
Based in: Los Angeles, CA
Price range: $212 to $2,250

Since starting in 2015, Better With Age has evolved into a full-fledged brand stocked at some of the world’s best retailers like Union and Dover Street Market. Founder Remy Milchman reworks vintage items like denim, snapbacks, and T-shirts into vibrant, one-of-a-kind pieces with a punk edge that he describes as “Jackass meets RRL.” “Fuck” and “Shit” might be printed across and old trucker caps. Work jackets and denim are covered in a variety of old photographs and magazine cut-outs. No matter what he makes, Milchman’s pieces are beautiful chaos.

Nigel Xavier

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAUALGgSjOd/?img_index=1

Active since: 2012
Based in: New York and Los Angeles
Price range: $325-$1,650

Nigel Xavier made a name for himself when he won Season 2 of Netflix’s Next in Fashion competition. His bright upcycled creations are inspired by late ’90s and 2000s pop culture that the 28-year-old grew up on. Denim is his specialty. He wraps Nike sneakers in panels from old Girbaud jeans and creates bucket hats using vintage Levi’s. Pants are remixed with tapestry blankets featuring iconic pop culture figures like NSYNC or Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Xavier’s work isn’t limited to clothing. He’s also flipped vintage NFL jerseys and True Religion jeans into upholstery for couches. Big brands like Dr. Pepper and Gushers even came calling for their own one-of-ones.

Tony Tafuro

https://www.instagram.com/p/CS28cgIDpIp/?img_index=1

Active since: 2018
Based in: Miami, FL
Price range: $300-$5,000

Tony Tafuro is a photographer and painter with a studio art practice, who began customizing T-shirts because he couldn’t find what he wanted to wear. Initially, his idea was to illustrate clothing to resemble all-over tattoos. His colorful garments conjure both childlike innocence and grungy grit, with intricate sketches and carefully placed pigment dyes that seem at once raw and obsessive.

His work gained attention when he customized blanks for Kim Kardashian and her children around 2017. In 2021, HBO tapped Tafuro to design a shirt for Hunter Schafer to wear on an episode of Euphoria. Now, Tafuro is pivoting from making one-of-one shirts to focusing on his brand and creative collective, Morse .

SLUMS

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-F-u3-OmkR/

Active since: 2020
Based in: New York, NY
Price range: $350 to $700

Customized caps became a big trend in 2024. One of the creatives doing it best is New York City’s SLUMS. The brand takes styles like Yankees fitteds and vintage dad caps and hand stitches a random array of pearl brooches and pins on the crown. Think of the type of things you may see on your grandmother’s dresser collecting dust. SLUMS is using them to create must-have headpieces. Its work has already attracted an impressive list of co-signs like Bloody Osiris, ASAP Nast, Rapsody, and more. SLUMS says that its dream client is also its biggest inspiration, Kanye West.

Although the hats have gotten the most attention thus far, the brand is also starting to rework jackets, shirts, and pants. Expect a full collection before the end of the year. Everything is one-of-one, so if you cop from SLUMS, you’re guaranteed to get something nobody else can have.

SASHIKO GALS

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAVup7eTHvf/?hl=en&img_index=1

Active since: 2024
Based in: Otsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Price range: $1,400 to $1,900

The most wholesome inclusion on this list are the Sashiko Gals. These 15 women aged 40 to 80 initially formed a group to help recover after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. The “gals” have been raising funds through Sashiko, the traditional Japanese embroidery method of reinforcing clothing with decorative stitches. Over the years, the group has become one of the leading Sashiko professionals in Japan. They formally launched the Sashiko Gals brand in 2024.

One of the team’s specialities is repurposing fabrics to craft plush dolls of iconic characters like Hello Kitty and Pikachu . Our favorite lineup from them is a series of upcycled New Balances like the 990v4s and 991s that were restored with colorful stitches and fabric panels. By using these traditional techniques on modern products, the Sashiko Gals hope to continue expanding the appreciation for Sashiko around the globe.

nil00

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5Y2_xXqo6-/?img_index=1

Active since: 2022
Based in: Liverpool, UK
Price range: N/A

Zip hoodies and T-shirts covered in bubbly airbrushed bleach and paint make up nil00’s thriving business. Shoes, hats, and bags will be available soon. The whimsical designs have caught the attention of stars like Rosalia. You can DM or email if you’re interested in something for yourself, but her slots are limited and are on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you can get your hands on a custom piece, consider yourself lucky.

Proleta Re Art

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_0wuI4zUJ_/?hl=en&img_index=1

Active since: 2021
Based in: Tokyo, Japan
Price range: $1,200 to $6,000

Boro is a traditional Japanese practice of upcycling garments made from vintage textile. Proleta Re Art makes some of the best boro items you’ll see today. Plenty of fashionable individuals have taken notice and gotten their own customs— Odell Beckham Jr. and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , to name a couple. Proleta Re Art has even created tour looks for 21 Savage. While most customs run between $1,200 and $6,000, the most expensive piece he’s ever done cost $30,000.

Whether he is using striking patterns like paisley or covering jeans in Kirby and the Super Mario Bros., Prot’s work is guaranteed to turn heads. If you haven’t yet, check it out for yourself. You won’t be able to look away.

Metagirl

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_yE9FvOrH2/

Active since: 2019
Based in: United States
Price range: Starting at $1,000

Caterina Mongillo, or Metagirl as many of you may know her as, is breathing new life into classic footwear silhouettes. She’s covered a pair of checkerboard Vans slip-ons in flower-shaped pink and blue beads. A generic pair of grey New Balance 990s was transformed with clumps of freshwater pearls. Vans Knu Skools were embellished with jewels and given a giant B.B. Simon-esque belt buckle to create the perfect Y2K fever dream. The next time you’re ready to send a pair of sneakers to the graveyard, send them to Metagirl instead—if you have cash to spare on something special, that is.

PoorLilRichGirlz

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_L2tCNSCgq/?hl=en

Active since: 2014
Based in: Detroit, MI
Price range: $375 to $475

Chances are, you’ve seen ASAP Rocky repping his fitteds made by Detroit’s PoorLilRichGirlz on more than one occasion. According to owner Shaykera Benning, he discovered the brand on TikTok after a video of her caps went viral, and reached out about commissioning his own piece. “He changed my life,” Benning tells Complex. Her list of high-profile clients has continued to grow. Usher, producer Wheezy Outta Here, and NBA star Jalen Williams also have their own PoorLilRichGirlz caps.

Benning’s customs stand out thanks to their intricate floral-shaped embellishments that wrap around half of the hat’s crown. Fitteds and snapbacks for the Yankees, Detroit Tigers (her home team), and Pittsburgh Pirates are currently available. If you rep another team, don’t fret—any franchise is available upon request.