discoWe compared 26 brands like Julius, the closest alternatives on fit, price and aesthetic — 2 cheaper and 4 more premium, led by Rick Owens and Carol Christian Poell.
If you appreciate the avant-garde aesthetics of Julius, you'll also find a compelling selection among brands like Rick Owens, Ann Demeulemeester, and Yohji Yamamoto. These brands share a similar ethos with Julius, embracing deconstructed silhouettes and luxurious fabrics that embody a rebellious spirit. Whether you're drawn to Rick Owens' gothic inspirations or Ann Demeulemeester's poetic flair, you'll discover that brands like Julius not only challenge conventional design but also resonate with those looking for a unique fashion identity.
Independent avant-garde label founded in Los Angeles in 1994 and now based in Paris, known for draped monochrome tailoring and chunky sneakers.
Why it's similar. Both brands embrace an avant-garde aesthetic with a focus on deconstructed silhouettes.
What changes. Far larger range, higher price, cult designer branding
Milan avant-garde label founded in 1995, making small-run experimental tailoring, leather outerwear and footwear sold through a handful of specialist, appointment-based stockists.
Why it's similar. Exceptional alignment in avant-garde style and dark palette, with both brands embracing deconstruction and innovative materials.
What changes. Tiny production runs, research-driven, much pricier
Tokyo avant-garde house founded in 1972, known for black oversized tailoring and asymmetric draping, plus the long-running Y-3 line with Adidas.
Why it's similar. Both brands embody the avant-garde style, emphasizing relaxed and deconstructed silhouettes.
What changes. Tailoring-led, less street/leather, larger house
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Antwerp-founded avant-garde house, owned by Claudio Antonioli and designed by Stefano Gallici, known for black romantic-gothic tailoring and drape.
Why it's similar. The shared avant-garde style and dark, moody aesthetic position Demeulemeester close to Julius.
What changes. More romantic and feminine, lighter construction
Rei Kawakubo's Tokyo label, founded 1969, known for avant-garde pattern-cutting, a family of sub-labels and the heart-logo Play diffusion line.
Why it's similar. Both share a commitment to avant-garde designs, pushing fashion boundaries through unique silhouettes.
Italian-made, bottoms-focused label founded in 2022, known for loose jeans and cargo pants with raw edges, whiskering and paint-splattered washes.
Why it's similar. Brand shares an avant-garde style with a dark palette and relaxed fit, similar to Julius's edgy aesthetic.
Milan-based avant-garde label from Croatian designer Damir Doma, known for draped, sculptural garments in muted natural fabrics.
Why it's similar. Doma shares an avant-garde vision with underlying minimalism similar to Julius' aesthetic.
What changes. Muted neutral palette, less strapping and leather
Jun Takahashi's Tokyo label, founded 1990, mixing punk, horror and art references with deconstructed tailoring in Paris-shown menswear and womenswear.
Why it's similar. Jun Takahashi has shown UNDERCOVER in Paris since 2002, sharing JULIUS's Tokyo base and deconstructed cutting while pulling toward punk graphics rather than pure black drape.
Kering-owned London luxury house, now branded McQueen, pairing dark-romantic tailoring and skull motifs under creative director Seán McGirr.
Paris luxury house founded in 1988, known for deconstruction, blank numeric labels and Tabi split-toe boots; now led by Glenn Martens.
London label by sisters Faye and Erica Toogood, making unisex, size-inclusive clothing built on sculptural volumes and British workwear archetypes.
Kering-owned Parisian luxury house, founded in Spain in 1919, now led by Pierpaolo Piccioli after a decade under Demna.
Barcelona avant-garde menswear label known for hand-treated leathers and dark layered tailoring; ceased operations in July 2025.
What changes. Higher price, obsessive hand-finishing and object-dyeing
French house known for conical corsetry, Breton stripes and gender-fluid tailoring, now led by creative director Duran Lantink under majority owner Puig.
Japanese house founded in 1970, known for engineered pleating, A-POC construction and Bao Bao bags across its Pleats Please and Homme Plissé lines.
Dormant Paris label of Colombian-born designer Haider Ackermann, known for fluid draping and lean tailoring; he is now Tom Ford's creative director.
Stockholm fashion house founded in 1996 by Jonny Johansson, known for oversized tailoring, mohair knitwear, denim and the Musubi bag.
Antwerp house known for clashing prints, embroidery and relaxed tailoring, now designed by Julian Klausner under majority owner Puig.
Paris-founded label led by Guram Gvasalia, turning workwear, merch and uniform codes into oversized, logo-heavy runway collections.
Paris house by Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran, known for minimal, modular tailoring, relaxed androgynous silhouettes and curved leather bags.
London brand founded in 2015 by Samuel Ross, pairing brutalist industrial design with technical outerwear; owned by Frasers-backed Four Marketing since late 2024.
Hiroki Nakamura's Tokyo label applies heritage craft and natural dyes to Americana-rooted "future vintage" clothing and footwear such as the FBT moccasin-sneaker.
Kering-owned Paris luxury house, founded 1961, led by Anthony Vaccarello and known for sharp tailoring, leather outerwear and Loulou and Kate bags.
Tokyo avant-garde menswear label founded in 2001 by Takahiro Miyazaki, known for dark, garment-dyed layering and asymmetric tailoring.
Why it's similar. Like Julius, this Tokyo label launched in 2001 and builds near-black, asymmetric layered menswear from garment-dyed cotton, linen and coated cloth at comparable high prices.
Italian leather house from Pescia, Tuscany, known for hand-dyed, reverse-construction boots and soft unstructured bags.
Why it's similar. The Tuscan tannery's hand-dyed, reverse-construction horse leather boots are the standard footwear for Julius's black layered drape, sold through the same avant-garde retailers at high prices.
DEVOA is Daisuke Nishida's Osaka label making anatomically patterned, muted-palette garments in Japanese fabrics for the avant-garde end of menswear.
Why it's similar. Another Japanese avant-garde menswear label like Julius, Devoa cuts ecru, grey and black drape with anatomical patterning, articulated sleeves and treated leather at similar mid-high prices.
Disco ranks brand alternatives using style overlap, category overlap, price tier, fit, colour palette, and cultural context. Read the full methodology →
| # | Brand | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rick Owens | Avant-garde | More premium |
| 2 | Carol Christian Poell | Avant-garde | Similar |
| 3 | Yohji Yamamoto | Avant-garde | Similar |
| 4 | Ann Demeulemeester | Avant-garde | Similar |
| 5 | Comme des Garçons | Avant-garde | Cheaper |
| 6 | DARKPARK | Avant-garde | Similar |
| 7 | Damir Doma | Avant-garde | Similar |
| 8 | UNDERCOVER | Punk deconstruction | Similar |
| 9 | Alexander McQueen | Similar | |
| 10 | Maison Margiela | Similar | |
| 11 | Toogood | Similar | |
| 12 | Balenciaga | Similar | |
| 13 | Boris Bidjan Saberi | Cheaper | |
| 14 | Jean Paul Gaultier | Similar | |
| 15 | Issey Miyake | Similar | |
| 16 | Haider Ackermann | More premium | |
| 17 | Acne Studios | Similar | |
| 18 | Dries Van Noten | Similar | |
| 19 | VETEMENTS | Similar | |
| 20 | LEMAIRE | More premium | |
| 21 | A-COLD-WALL | Similar | |
| 22 | visvim | More premium | |
| 23 | Yves Saint Laurent | Similar | |
| 24 | The Viridi-Anne | Similar | |
| 25 | Guidi | Similar | |
| 26 | Devoa | Similar |
Rick Owens is the most similar brand to Julius. Its avant-garde aesthetic and focus on deconstructed silhouettes align closely with Julius's distinctive style.
For more budget-friendly options, consider Comme des Garçons, with prices ranging from $$ to $$$, and Boris Bidjan Saberi, known for offering $$-$$$ pricing. These brands maintain an avant-garde style at lower price points.
Rick Owens excels in architectural design and gothic themes, which contrasts with Julius's rebellious tone. However, both hold high standards for quality and materials, appealing uniquely to different avant-garde aesthetics.
Julius is celebrated for its avant-garde, dark aesthetics, edgy silhouettes, and unique textures. Its rebellious and contemporary designs offer a significant appeal to those who dare to defy conventional fashion.
Consider brands like Ann Demeulemeester, Yohji Yamamoto, and UNDERCOVER for luxury alternatives. These brands offer exquisite styles and luxurious fabrics while remaining within the avant-garde sphere Julius occupies.
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