Weekend wonders
Looking to create an effortlessly cool off-duty wardrobe? Look no further than ÉTOILE ISABEL MARANT
Étoile Isabel Marant isn’t just technically younger than its mainline counterpart: Parisian designer – and arguably the coolest woman in fashion – Isabel Marant started her eponymous label in 1994 and Étoile followed in 2000. It’s more laid-back and youthful in spirit, too, taking the rock’n’roll bohemia of the original and giving it a casual, sports-inspired spin. If Isabel Marant has the polish you need to see you through day-to-day dressing and glamorous evenings out, Étoile (French for ‘star’) is where you head for effortlessly cool attire with a much-coveted model-off-duty feel.
Marant’s genius lies in her ability to dream up clothes that are brilliantly uncomplicated and utterly irresistible, a blend of Parisian insouciance and Californian understatement. Her clothes are no-brainers, the kind of hard-working pieces that you’ll want to throw on day in, day out. Fashion savvy fans (including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Diane Kruger and Miranda Kerr) know that the Étoile staples are tried and tested – you can always rely on the label for a modern-boho printed mini skirt and casual dress that will become lynchpins of your summer wardrobe; for the perfectly shaped pair of jeans and a pretty-meets-prim blouse that you’ll want to wear with everything.
SS19’s offering loosely takes its cue from Americana but it’s ultimately packed out with all the low-key summer essentials that you could want, instantly identifiable as straight out of the Étoile Isabel Marant universe. There’s a printed cotton jumpsuit with sleeves ripe for rolling that you’ll want to throw on with sneakers or sandals at every opportunity. There are sweatshirts and hoodies aplenty in bleached-out, block pastel shades that you’ll wear with those flippy skirts, and fuss-free shirts that you can slip on at a moment’s notice. Part of the label’s appeal is that its most overtly feminine pieces always have a relaxed air that makes them feel accessible, helped by the fact that they’re often mixed in with more androgynous shapes. The double-breasted blazer, for example, is just the thing to temper the short hemlines and pastel prints, and the straight wide-legged jeans will ground ruffles and embroidery. Snap it all up – you won’t know how you got dressed without it.