Hot Right Now
With
Adele Aldighieri
From chic swimwear and easy beach cover-ups to this season’s essential elevated tank top – and not forgetting the perfect day-to-night dress – these looks are guaranteed to make your next summer adventure a stylish one. GILLIAN BRETT explains how to master this season’s effortless athluxe aesthetic, as model ADELE ALDIGHIERI showcases the key pieces that are not to be missed
Fashion editors are often asked what the key piece of the season is. The answer? A tank top. Yes, you read that right. This humble basic has risen to the fore as a veritable must-have ever since a slew of influential labels, from Saint Laurent to Loewe, deemed racerbacks catwalk-worthy for spring/summer 2022. Scouring the runways of the upcoming season is a savvy way to gauge whether a trend has legs, and if Matthieu Blazy’s debut at Bottega Veneta is anything to go by, the tank is here to stay. The Belgian designer’s hotly anticipated FW22 show opened with a white tank top and jeans – a seemingly simple look that was elevated in luxe nubuck leather. Meanwhile, over at Chloé, neat wool-blend versions were tucked nonchalantly into leather pants cast in burgundy and mustard.
“Designers are homing in on ‘ATHLUXURY’ at a time when home- and hybrid-working patterns remain the norm; our DESIRE to look good is matched by our need for COMFORT”
Here lies the beauty of this look: sporty, easy-to-wear staples are either revamped in plush materials or styled with more dressed-up pieces, blurring the lines between off- and on-duty. Designers are homing in on ‘athluxury’ at a time when home- and hybrid-working patterns remain the norm; our desire to look good is matched by our need for comfort. In short, we may have reached peak sweatpant, but easy elegance is going nowhere.
“We all want a little bit more EASE in our lives and it’s nice to see more people feeling LIBERATED, breaking the rules on what is acceptable to wear and for what OCCASION”
Henry Zankov
“I think we all want a little bit more ease in our lives and it’s nice to see more people feeling liberated, breaking the rules on what is acceptable to wear and for what occasion,” says New York-based knitwear designer Henry Zankov, whose striped ‘Alexander’ vest is modeled here by Italian beauty Adele Aldighieri with a pair of crochet shorts by Le Kasha, Khaite’s casual pool slides, and a bucket hat by Acne Studios for a touch of instant cool. Crafted in an organic cotton jacquard, it’s a style that could just as easily be dressed up with wide-leg tailored pants and heels – a hard-working hero buy that’s ideal for our hybrid-working lives. “What I love about this piece is that it’s bold in color and pattern yet feels super-lightweight and relaxed. I think it looks great with slouchy soft-cut pants, jeans or a long skirt,” adds Zankov.
Speaking of jeans, even the slightest of tweaks to this closet stalwart’s silhouette can instantly update your look. After seasons of high-waisted, straight-leg fits, a slouchier, low-slung shape is gaining ground. “As fitted knit tops and bodysuits are the new go-to basics, it’s intuitive to pair them with looser denim to balance out the look,” says Lisa Yu, design director of Citizens of Humanity. “There’s also the added bonus of comfort and movement that I’m personally craving after many seasons of high-rise, close-to-the-body denim.” The brand’s ‘Eva’ jeans are the epitome of effortless cool, styled here with a tie-dyed Holzweiler tee, backwards-worn Balenciaga cap and sneakers from the cult Reebok + Maison Margiela collaboration. Of course, they’re open to a dress-code debunking when paired with a fitted top and heels come sundown. For anyone not quite ready to part with ultra-flattering high-rise fits, consider a subtly flared hem instead, such as Mother’s ‘The Hustler’ iteration, which put a modern spin on laid-back ’70s bohemia.
“Fashion’s love affair with TENNIS is long and storied, with legendary players such as René LACOSTE revolutionizing the game’s uniform when he introduced polo shirts to the COURT”
Meanwhile, the high-low, athluxe look lends itself perfectly to this time of year, when far-flung adventures are front of mind, temperatures are often on the up, and a surge in outdoor exercise coincides with the return of seasonal sporting events. Fashion’s love affair with tennis, in particular, is long and storied, with legendary players such as René Lacoste revolutionizing the game’s uniform when he introduced polo shirts – in lieu of traditional long-sleeved styles – to the court upon establishing his namesake label back in 1933. For this cover shoot, one of the brand’s color-blocked, lightweight jackets is layered over a Haight bikini, recasting it from a court essential to a cool beach cover-up.
Consider the ‘Tenniscore’ trend on TikTok, too – a retro, chic sportif aesthetic that sky-rocketed in popularity on the social-media platform last summer. Entrepreneur Emily Oberg has built her brand, Sporty & Rich, on this kind of vintage-inspired activewear, and is herself an avid tennis player. In fact, the brand is hosting its very own series of pop-up tennis clubs this spring/summer, the first of which appeared in LA in April, with another now in the pipeline for Paris.
“Tennis and fitness are such a large part of our DNA as a brand, and I wanted to take this concept beyond the internet,” Oberg explains. “I wanted to show what Sporty & Rich looks and feels like as a tangible experience… it’s really a way for us to build our community and connect with those who we usually just have an online relationship with. It was also nice to offer a day where people could show up for themselves, really focus on their health, and get in a good workout while also having fun and socializing.” Indeed, reconnecting IRL with old friends and communities – or discovering new ones – is an important part of our post-lockdown social lives. So, whether you’re partaking or spectating, anyone can channel Princess Diana’s preppy, pared-back ’80s style by donning Sporty & Rich’s slouchy, super-soft sweaters and matching shorts.
These are pieces that will serve you well on vacation too, where simple shapes and sunshine shades are all you need to perfect your packing list. “Less is more and one needs only a few pieces to feel and look good [on vacation],” says Zankov. “A small suitcase with just a few key items that you can rotate is [ideal for] traveling lightly and making it all about the time you are away. [Think] a bold summery knit dress for beach or a dinner, plus a lightweight cardigan or oversized crewneck for chilly evenings,” Zankov adds. Case in point: Totême’s sunbeam-yellow ‘Espera’ dress, which will look gorgeous with gladiator sandals and gold hoops on holiday, can also be layered under a linen blazer for the office or events.
“We all know comfort and CONFIDENCE go hand in hand and, as a look that blends the effortless cool of SPORTSWEAR with smart silhouettes and LUXE fabrics, this a sure-fire recipe for sartorial self-assurance”
Don’t forget the key piece of the season, too: we love Totême’s sleek tank top, which can be tucked into everything from Loewe’s bold patchworked jeans to tailored pants in classic black, and pairs well with Loewe’s mini raffia bag and some juicy beaded jewelry by Sydney Evan and Jia Jia for added beach vibes. We all know comfort and confidence go hand in hand and, as a look that blends the effortless cool of sportswear with smart silhouettes and luxe fabrics, this a sure-fire recipe for sartorial self-assurance. From the catwalks to the tennis courts, beach to the boardroom, it’s an easy one to style out this season and beyond.
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