When you’re on your way to work and it’s 4ºC and barely light outside, there are a few things that can be guaranteed to make you smile: getting a seat on the Tube, finishing the new Sally Rooney just in time for your stop, grabbing a steaming pistachio latte on your way into the office and spotting a fellow commuter in an enviably sunny Damson Madder design.

If you think you’re unfamiliar with the brand, I promise you that you aren’t. Its signature big collars, bold colours and truly joyful aesthetic are the epitome of dopamine dressing made chic, offering the kind of jackets, tops and dresses that have the power to make your day feel a little bit better just by wearing them. It helps, of course, that the clothes are incredibly cool: Anya Taylor-Joy was spotted in the label’s bow-print blouse at the Cannes Film Festival back in May, while some of the most stylish people in the Stylist office can often be found rocking the brand’s leopard print gilets, prairie-style dresses and patterned jeans.

And while Damson Madder has quickly risen from a Copenhagen Fashion Week secret (albeit quite a badly kept one) to a cult favourite thanks to a series of success pop-ups in London and New York City, seeing droves of stylish women wrapped up in a patchwork coat or with their hair scraped back in an oversized scrunchie is a surreal joy that founder Emma Hill is still getting used to. Having started the brand in 2020, just a week before the first lockdown hit, with the simple mission to create beautiful, considered and responsible clothing from recycled and organic fabrics and dyes, Hill has seen it transform into the go-to retailer for in-the-know women who want to inject some fun back into their wardrobe.

Damson Madder is 2024’s buzziest brand – its founder Emma Hill shares her fashion, foodie and music rules of cool