Ghost

Ghost's appeal is its fabric: it became known for heavily processed viscose (rayon) crepe that, once shrunk and dyed, takes on a crinkled texture reminiscent of vintage crepe. That treatment makes the clothes drape beautifully yet stay easy to care for. If you value pieces that feel quietly luxurious but survive real life, the cost tends to make sense.

The brand built its reputation on cloth that is genuinely hard-wearing despite looking delicate. Ghost garments were famously sturdy enough to be screwed up in a rucksack without needing ironing, which made them a favorite of travelers. Founded in 1984, the label has had decades to refine that signature fabric craft.

Founder Tanya Sarne chose to heavily process ready-cut viscose crepes and georgettes so they were pre-shrunk and easy to care for. The result mimics the cling and movement of vintage crepe while being far more practical than delicate silk. It's a deliberate trade that prioritizes wearability without giving up that fluid drape.

The name reflects how Tanya Sarne ran the label. She employed a team of in-house designers who would ghostwrite the collections linked to her name, under her supervision, so the work was created by talents working behind the scenes. Ghost nods directly to that quietly collaborative way of designing.

A remarkable roster passed through the studio. Andrea Sargeant created the original look, Nicholas Knightly later designed for Mulberry and Louis Vuitton, Suzanne Deeken went on to Marc Jacobs, and Amy Roberts introduced knitwear in 2001. Even Ossie Clark, celebrated for his fabric cutting, helped out at Ghost in the early 1990s.

By design, the pieces are modified slightly each season to keep them up to date, but do not follow trends. They were conceived as versatile, interchangeable separates that could be worn from one year to the next without looking dated. That deliberately steady approach is why a Ghost piece can stay in rotation for ages.

Very much so. By 2006 Ghost was a globally recognized brand, and back in 1996 the London department store Liberty gave it more floor space than any other designer thanks to its popularity. Style figures like Grace Coddington praised the pieces as clothes that women like to wear.

Ghost was founded in 1984 by Tanya Sarne, together with designer Katharine Hamnett. From that London beginning it grew into an internationally recognized label over the following two decades. The founding partnership helped set its distinctive fabric-led direction from the very start.

That practicality is part of the brand's DNA. The clinging viscose garments were easy to wear, easy to care for, and could be worn by women of all ages and shapes, while the crinkle-textured fabric shrugged off creasing. Their reputation for surviving a rucksack made them especially attractive to tourists and travelers.

Tanya Sarne resigned in May 2006, following the sale of a controlling interest to Kevin Stanford and the Icelandic group Arev. Two years later, in 2008, the company went into administration amid the Icelandic banking crisis, and was then bought out by Touker Suleyman of Hawes & Curtis. The label's signature fabric identity carried through those changes.