6 Hot New Brands To Know Now On NET-A-PORTER

Inspired by poolside clothing from the ’60s and ’70s, vignettes from French New Wave cinema – such as Brigitte Bardot sunbathing in Jean Luc Godard’s Le Mépris – and long European summers, Terry Puesto’s signature toweling is made for sun-drenched days by the sea.

“At its core, Terry Puesto is grounded in nostalgia with practicality in mind. It’s about comfort with style, being able to throw on toweling after a swim and easing into long lunches or wearing breathable crochet against sun-kissed skin on a balmy night,” says founder and photographer Brigette Clark.

The Australian label’s custom double-sided terry cloth is responsibly crafted from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton and took 18 months to perfect. “It was a really considered process. We wanted something that felt elevated but still held onto that familiar, nostalgic comfort of your favorite beach towel,” Clark continues.

Describing her process as “instinctive and emotional”, Clark likes to test out the functionality of initial samples herself before deciding whether to include them in a collection. “Wearing pieces out, traveling with them, seeing how they live and move. That’s when you know something works,” she explains, remembering a time on vacation when someone asked where her top was from – an early sample of what is now ‘The Poolside’ top in crochet. “That was kind of the turning point. It felt like real, unfiltered feedback, not from a fitting or a studio, but from someone experiencing it in the exact setting it was designed for.”

“Sunglasses serve a function in protecting you, but they also define the way you look and move,” says Thistles creative director, Thistle Brown. Originally from New Zealand but now based in New York, Brown is constantly inspired by the energy and grit of the city he calls home. “I love the spontaneity of New York. The people here move differently; there’s an unspoken rhythm and a shared awareness.”

It’s fitting then that Brown and his team should look to some of the city’s greatest icons for inspiration, from Jackie Kennedy to Lou Reed and Debbie Harry. “Our two new shapes, ‘The Lex’ and ‘The Suede’, carry a subtle nod to the sleek, fast energy of ’60s silhouettes, reimagined through a slimline, downtown ’80s no-wave lens,” Brown enthuses. While some are inspired by a specific muse, others capture a mood, like the wire-framed ‘Cruz’ style for instance. “That frame is a total nod to ’90s New York – strolling through SoHo with your Dean & Deluca lunch and landing at Washington Square Park to sit in the sun.”

As for the designs themselves? It’s all about balance. “We have to strike a chord between structure and ease,” Brown explains. “This season we focused on evolving our core DNA: classic shapes, but with subtle shifts and details that make them distinctly ours.”

“It should make you feel confident and comfortable. When a swimsuit fits well and feels flattering it can lift your entire mood,” says Away That Day founder Ingemae Kotze. Inspired by her own quest to find timeless, responsibly crafted swimwear, the UK-based designer launched her brand in 2019 and hasn’t looked back.

“For me, it’s important to create pieces that last – both in quality and in design. That means being thoughtful about the materials we use and how we produce them” Kotze explains, noting that all Away That Day’s designs are crafted close to home in the UK and Europe to ensure the highest standards. “It’s not about being perfect, but about making conscious decisions with everything we do to be kinder to our planet.”

The collection includes elegant bikinis, swimsuits and cover-ups in timeless colors and shapes that can easily be mixed and matched – and worn for summers to come. “I’m meticulous about every detail. For our signature ‘Cannes’ one-piece, for example, it took more than 10 fittings to get it right,” Kotze admits. “I think I drove my team a little crazy with this one, but I knew it would be worth it. It ended up being our best-selling style and one of the key silhouettes that helped shape the brand into what it is today.”