Here are the nominees in no particular order:
1. Laverne Cox
The Alabama-born actress has been in the game for quite some time, but she truly made a splash as character Sophia Burset on Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black. That garnered her global praise in not only the entertainment industry, but fashion as well—flaunting her chic yet bold style on a multitude of red carpets.
She hit the Emmys in Calvin Klein, covered Entertainment Weekly as the new Lady Liberty, and smoldered at the White House Correspondents Dinner.
2016 will bring two new films for Cox: a drama named Freak Show and a TV movie, Doubt. We can also expect to see Cox on more red carpets flexing her style prowess, at press conferences for the aforementioned projects and those that haven’t even been added to the agenda yet, photocalls, and stylish parties—where she can wear pieces from Tom Ford, alice + olivia, Whistles, and Elizabeth and James as she did this year. We’re also hoping to see her land the solo cover of a major glossy and front row at not only NYFW, but perhaps PFW as well.
We can’t wait to see what she has in store for the new year! Check out more examples of why Laverne is on the list here.
2. Kendall Jenner
The model captured our attention this year by hitting the runway for the biggest brands on the globe, as well as showcasing her off-duty style in the world’s fashion capitals.
She earned her title as a new super in pieces from Kardashian-Jenner favorite Balmain, graced the pages of Vogue more times than we can count, and even launched her own capsule collections with younger sister Kylie.
With 2016 comes Kendall’s continuation of her contract with Estee Lauder, a recently-debuted Vogue Brasil January 2016 cover, and perhaps another assortment for Topshop. The year is already off to a great start for the brunette beauty and we know her star is going to shine even brighter than it did this year.
Monica Rose has been doing an amazing job styling Kendall and if she keeps up the good work, she’ll be high atop the year’s Best Dressed lists yet again.
3. Teyonah Parris
The actress put in a lot of work this year on both the big and small screens. Her time spent on Mad Men, Survivors Remorse, and starring in Chi-raq meant that she hit more red carpet premieres, photocalls, press conferences, and fashionable fêtes than ever before.
Her embrace of the unexpected and statement-making natural hairstyles captivated a whole new legion of fans after the popularity of Dear White People.
Teyonah is truly unafraid of prints, color, embellishment and head-turning silhouettes. This year, she wore pieces from Lie Sang Bong, Marchesa, Pedram Couture, and Francesca Miranda.
We know there’s much more where all of this came from! We can’t wait to see more behind-the-scenes pics on Teyonah’s Instagram page and a strong presence at NYFW. Her face should already be at the helm of a makeup brand’s next ad campaign and we would love to see a fun brand make her a brand ambassador.
Teyonah has already demonstrated that she’s one of the best young actresses in the game and her foray into fashion has just as much promise. We cannot wait to see which brands she tries on for size in 2016 and what risks she takes.
4. Dascha Polancho
The OITNB cast is strong in this category this year! Dascha Polanco is another one of the show’s stars, truly exploding onto the scene in the style department in 2015.
With the expertise of stylist Sharif Jackson, she smoldered on the red carpet, NYFW, fashionable celebrations, and other events. She never played it safe, but always played it chic: a woman after our own hearts!
Aside from the hit Netflix show, she also has a role in Joy: coming out on Christmas Day and starring Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley, and Robert Deniro. In great company, we’d say.
Next year, she’ll be starring in Billie Woodruff’s The Perfect Match—alongside Terrence J, Cassie, Lauren London, and Paula Patton. We can’t wait to see it!
She’s taken quite the liking to Jay Godfrey this year, though she’s also donned pieces from Calvin Klein, Houghton, Zac Posen, and House of CB.
We definitely have our eyes on Dascha and who knows: perhaps she’ll be in the running for Fashionista of the Year next year!
5. FKA Twigs
FKA Twigs was on fire this year! She released EP M3LL155X and directed its accompanying music videos, as well as getting engaged to actor Robert Pattinson.
She walked away with the British Style – Fashion Innovator award at the 2015 British Fashion Awards. And it was no surprise, as she was clad in pieces from Atelier Versace, Christopher Kane, and Alexander McQueen this year.
FKA Twigs graced the covers of Paper Magazine, Complex, and V all in one year: no small feat for any artist and a clear indication of fashion’s love for the singer.
We may see her wedding take place in 2016, but we can’t say for sure. We know it will be a beautiful occasion and we think the bride-to-be will wear McQueen…but we’ll all just have to stay tuned for that.
There’s truly nothing more that we can ask of FKA Twigs, than that she continue embracing high-fashion brands and the kinds of looks that push the envelope: things she already does better than anyone. We would of course love to see her starring in an ad campaign for a big British brand as well.
So was your favorite style newcomer of the year?
