Since the 1980s, when Kapital founder Toshikiyo Hirata began producing denim out of Japan's famed Okayama prefecture, the label has steadily amassed a cult following across Japan. While the label was highly-regarded for its impressive jean washes and unorthodox sewing techniques, the company remained relatively niche, mostly of interest to serious raw denim enthusiasts. Then, in 2002, Hirata's son, Kiro, joined the family business. A veteran of fellow Japanese denim titan 45R, Kiro brought a more modern sensibility to the label, with a heavy focus on ready-to-wear. An avid art fanatic and a student of the hippies and beatniks, Kiro's folksy passion combined with his father's obsession with craft gave birth to the Kapital we know today. Mixing artisanal looms with patchwork bandanas, smiley faces and Bob Marley references, Kapital on paper makes absolutely no sense–which is precisely why it works. A beautiful vision of '60s-'70s Americana seen through a distinctly Japanese lens, Kapital is wondrously specific, which in this day and age often leads to widespread appeal. Though not even remotely related to streetwear, the bold colors, ample logos and limited nature of each piece are all aspects that the new generation can get behind. With seasonal collections encompassing 400 plus items—many of which are location specific—and monthly Kountry drops at various flagships, the breadth and relative scarcity of any single design is catnip for the hype generation. Although only available at a handful of stockists throughout the 2010s, a sudden explosion in wholesale partners and numerous co-signs ranging from A$AP Rocky and Lil Uzi Vert to Virgil Abloh and Kim Jones, Kapital credentials are suddenly sky high. With pieces considerably marked up outside of Japan, expect Kapital to make an outsize impact over the next 12 months.

Since 1988, Richard Stark has produced sterling silver jewelry and motorcycle-inspired clothing under the Chrome Hearts banner. While the label is more than well established at this point, with multiple retail flagships across the country and dozens of stockists throughout Asia, the company's low-brow approach and relative inaccessibility is the exact reason it is so successful. Only available in-store, with no online presence and non-existent marketing outside a charity fashion show and a quarterly magazine printed in Japan, the label shy's away from the type of behavior that lead many contemporaries to lose their "cool" factor. While the internet is the great equalizer, Chrome Hearts for the most part refuses to get with the times, which is why its vintage leather appliquéd jeans—already a hefty sum at $1,500 retail—regularly resell for nearly $3,000. A Hollywood staple, celebrities seemingly can't get enough of the stuff, and despite a relatively simple clothing collection, Chrome Hearts obsessives somehow treat $300 trucker hats like $48 limited Supreme 5-panels. The combination of prohibitively expensive, lack of availability and celebrity fandom is hypebeast jailbait. In an age where the streetwear drop model is saturated, Chrome Hearts actual inaccessibility is the only logical step forward, which is why 2020 will be a big year for the silver cross.

For a greater part of the last decade, Kim Jones was arguably at the forefront of luxury menswear. A Central Saint Martins graduate and former employee of legendary London streetwear importer Gimme5, Jones boasts both technical wizardry and deep cultural knowledge—a rare combination. One of the first European menswear designers to regularly visit Japan, Jones many relationships with some of the worlds most notable cultural icons led to a design process equally informed by strict tailoring codes as it is by the cultural zeitgeist. These two disparate forces came to a head during the designer's seven year tenure at Louis Vuitton where he not only changed the perception of what menswear at a French luxury house could be, but bridged the gap between streetwear and high-fashion, working with Hiroshi Fujiwara and, even more famously, Supreme. Then, somewhat unexpectedly, the designer left Louis Vuitton in 2018 for another brand within the LVMH umbrella, Dior.

While Kim's design pedigree alone makes Dior notable, his embrace of pre-collection fashion shows—something few women's brands even attempt—and almost outright rejection of the streetwear tropes that for years defined his work are definitive proof that we are entering a new era. Take his most recent outing, the Pre-Fall 2020 collection debuted in Miami. While many were quick to right off a Dior x Stüssy collaboration as simply Louis Vuitton x Supreme 2.0, Jones knew better and went straight to the source, bringing founder Shawn Stussy out of retirement in order to hand design graphics for the collection. Sure, the Jordan collaboration is a lackluster design and a tad too on the nose, however Kim has had his finger on the pulse for decades. If anyone can curate cool, it's Jones, and the way men are gravitating towards the newly rebranded Dior Men's, he will continue to do just that. Jones may be divisive, but his success is unquestionable.

Somewhat surprisingly, Italian-based technical brand Stone Island posted some of the most notable year over year gains sitewide. Were they due to Supreme collaborations? Perhaps a Drake association? We're not so sure.

In an era were niche rules, the quickly solidifying techwear space is gaining traction, with a wider following by the day. From Acronym to Nike's various technical-leaning projects and even Instagram accounts like organiclab.zip, men are slowly realizing how inherently stylish many of these outdoor-centric brands are. With so many men stuck in offices, clothes primed for the outdoors are no longer simply utilitarian, but aspirational. The largest—and by far the most approachable—name in the game, Stone Island has designed no-nonsense, sensible and downright attractive clothing since 1982. As style tribes reemerge and men begin searching for dependable outerwear as opposed to just another hoodie, Stone Island and its cohorts will continue to surge.

Of course, the subtle logo helps. The instantly identifiable Compass patch is more than the inspiration for Drake's latest chain, but a internationally recognized symbol of quality and taste level. While logo-mania is no doubt already in decline, streetwear's outsize effect guarantees branding will play a role in the years to come. Stone Island's removable compass may be the perfect middle ground.

What can possible be said about Virgil Abloh's Louis Vuitton that hasn't already been said. The massive collections. The intense couture-level attention to detail. The celebrity runway cameos. The luggage. No matter the category, everything Abloh touches seemingly turns to gold and his work at Louis Vuitton is clearly no exception. With reports stating that sales are through the roof and pieces selling out instantly, Abloh's culture forward, highly specific approach is clearly resonating. Yes, his appointment and its cultural ramifications are massive—but that alone is not why the brand is one to watch. Abloh ability to speak directly to Millennials and Gen Z is unparalleled, a quality fashion houses currently place above all else. When the entire industry is unsure of how to survive, the King of the Youth continues to post blistering sales numbers and just as many social media impressions. Will his reign last forever? Whose to say. But one thing is for certain. Abloh's Louis Vuitton—while at times paying homage—is in no way streetwear. Only two seasons (and various side projects) in, the clothes are steeped in cultural subtext, ranging the The Wizard of Oz to—rather controversially—Michael Jackson and The Wiz. Where future collections will go is anyone's guess, however the intense focus on tailoring, technical outerwear and bold patterns is a far cry from Off-White. Whatever the path, throughout 2020 we suggest you follow Abloh along this journey.