I ripped open my first mango of the season the other day, which if you live in Australia, you'll know as code for summer is on the way. A shift in season means taking stock of your wardrobe. If you're looking to inject it with a couple of thoughtfully-selected fresh summer pieces, below we bring you a round up of fashion brands to shop this summer. From Sun Woo to Diesel, these are designers we're thinking about this season.
Bode
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Bode (pronounced Boh-dee) began as a menswear brand, and Emily Adams Bode Aujla was the first female designer to show at NYFW Men's. Earlier this year the brand announced its would be launching a women's line after years of fervoured prayers, so if we somehow experience a financial windfall, we'll be putting that money towards a handful of Bode's special garments. If each piece feels like a piece of history, that's because they're made exclusively with antique textiles and forgotten modes of construction and embellishment.
Constanca Entrudo
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After studying at Central Saint Martins and working for Balmain, Peter Pilotto and Marques'Almeida, Constanca founded her own label and design studio in 2019, with a dream to merge the worlds of fashion and art. As such, her studio's sole goal is to generate sustainable textiles that challenge the usual processes of fabric-making, and then construct them into unique handcrafted clothes. Each piece is designed and manufactured in Lisbon. We're loving the shirred woven tops and patchwork mini skirts.
Musier Paris
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Musier founder Anne-Laure constructs clothing inspired by her childhood in the south west of France. Taking inspiration from the woman around her, pop culture, vintage clothing and her surroundings, each piece in thoughtfully made in France.
Nadine Mos
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Celebrating the natural lines of the female form, Nadine Mos is the brand we want to be wearing when the temperature soars. Each piece is made to order in London, and are the kind of form fitting dresses and two pieces that could carry you from a picnic in the park to sunset drinks.
OperaSPORT
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Fusing a French sensibility with the edgy, athletic spirit of Copenhagen, Stephanie Gundelach and Awa Malina Stelter dreamt up OpéraSPORT. Baby doll dress sit alongside 90s-style Capri Pants, at first look a contradiction, on closer inspection a reflection of the unique city OpéraSPORT was born in.
Collina Strada
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It's hard not to be a Collina Strada girlie once summer rolls around. Birds are chirping, butterflies are feeding off flower pollen, everything becomes green and lush. So much so that you want to do the same yourself. This free-spirited yet determined NYC-based label gathers inspiration from the natural realm, with fun, curiously cut garments that favour bold colours and caring for the environment.
Tank Air
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Like most, my love affair with Tank Air began with a certain viral bodysuit. Since then the label has slowly built up a small repertoire of minimal pieces that nod to the 90s. You may have seen them worn by Lourdes Leon or Bella Hadid; or you've probably just bookmarked them on Instagram. Either way, nobody is doing a better tanks or mini skirts as ethically or as fun as Tank Air. Nor are they creating them for anyone outside a size 12.
Diesel
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Glenn Martens has lit a fire in our bellies for Diesel. The Italian denim label feels fresh and sexy and exciting, and we think its belted mini skirts would be well placed in summer. If you had begun to harbour the opinion that denim was feeling a little boring, look no further.
Gimaguas
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Nothing says summer vacation like one of those flimsy little Gimaguas mini dresses. The Barcelona-born brand has become our go-to for flirty basics suited to the warmer weather. Every piece is made in Spain, which we appreciate. So if bearing some skin is on the agenda as we enter the holiday season, slide your mouse to this known quantity.
Sandy Liang
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Although Sandy Liang is high on our list for winter dressing (those fleece coats are a staple) the designer's recent spring summer collection at New York Fashion Week SS23 captured our attention, with its rose motifs and balletcore slant. We think you'll feel the same way too.
Chopova Lowena
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By now you're guaranteed to have seen a Chopova Lowena kilt; whether that's from previous street-style rabbit holes or simply the fact that the London label is everywhere right now. Harry Styles has worn it, Dua Lipa too, chances are your own fashion heroes have donned the brand, which takes its inspiration from traditional Bulgarian folk dress and 80s rock. We love the idea of this swishy secondhand fabric flouncing around as we roam about in summer.
Emily Watson
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Remember in the early noughties when we would style jersey waterfall mini skirts over jeans? Well, if you wanted to relive the past and get really deep in the Y2K resurgence, then Emily Watson's skirts are the perfect piece to do so with. Everything is strappy and redolent of dancewear with garments made from a blend of nylon and elastane that feels akin to swimsuit fabric. All great attributes for summer, in my brain at least.
Blumarine
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Goths at the beach? If this sums up your summer style then Blumarine is nailing the brief, albeit with a feminine edge. Asymmetrical hemlines, floaty mini skirts and rosettes galore. We can always count on the Italians to wed the slick and unexpected.
Sun Woo
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A recommendation from RUSSH Fashion Director Hannah Cooper is something you cradle in the palms of your grateful hands. "A bit of wild Sun Woo" is on her summer wishlist, and when you spy the South Korean and Central Saint Martins graduate's designs, it's easy to understand why. Loud and sculptural, wear them to that garden party, to dinner or picking up milk at the grocery store.
Paloma Wool
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Another Spanish label that knows how to do summer, and do it well. When you're in the market for something special at an accessible price point, this is always where I land. Paloma Wool does nostalgia subtly and always with an art-forward flourish. We're big fans.
Maryam Nassir Zadeh
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Maryam Nassir Zadeh, every single season. If you live in the city as we do, there's something affirming about the way Nassir Zadeh conjures up summer clothes for urban settings. The styling is always inspired with thoughtfully married layers, as is the colour palette. For spring summer 2023, it was an icy spread of pistachio, cornflower blue and watermelon granita. Pure bliss.
Alix Higgins
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Bind me in Alix Higgins and fling me onto the dance floor! What else do we have planned this summer? Inspired by the internet and queer codes, Higgins' pieces are a form of visual poetry. Literally. Brandished across lycra bike shorts and one-sleeved tops are sunsets, horizontal lines and cyber-font text in varying sizes.
Louisa Ballou
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Summer is built for action and so the clothes must mirror this. Louisa Ballou touts an offering of swimwear and coverups that can truly take you from day to night, if nighttime involves a dance floor and a healthy showing of margaritas.
Isa Boulder
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Ever since Balinese label Isa Boulder burst onto the scene, it's completed derailed the possibility of what a swimsuit could be. Nothing compares to its silky twisty bikinis and metallic one pieces. So you can imagine the kind of fuss it caused when Isa Boulder launched its knitwear line, each piece handmade through traditional techniques and perfectly imperfect because of it.
KNWLS
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Charlotte Knowles, the architect behind south London label KNWLS, is on our minds this summer. The garments are youthful and daring, always putting the body centre stage. We love the industrial colour palettes too.
PRISCAVera
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Noughties nostalgia is the modus operandi at PRISCAvera. Jump on the bandwagon with their midi slip skirts and gauzy mesh baby tees. If not now, then when?
Jacquemus
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Jacquemus has changed what it means to dress like a French girl. From the bambinou, the chiquito to the bomba and the famous oversized straw hat, everybody wants their Jacquemus moment. So why not seize it this summer?
Matteau
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Underscoring the Matteau brand is a commitment to simplicity and refined design. Styles are created to last a lifetime, bucking current trends and manufactured with integrity by Australian craftsmen. The style of the brand embodies the Australian sensibility, a laid-back brand for a laid-back lifestyle. What is more summer-adjacent than that?
Albus Lumen
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For days gone by vacationing in the Mediterranean and escaping for a blissful European summer. Albus Lumen is lightweight and minimal in style, powerfully feminine and beautifully crafted. Simple and relaxed shapes form timeless and modern resort wear and highly coveted accessories. A breath of fresh air for warm weather dreaming, we'll be clad in Albus Lumen all summer long from beach, to bar, to wedding venue.
Deiji Studios
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A linen moment is never lost when the weather permits and for sets made for afternoons spent lounging (with SPF) in the sun, Deiji Studios’ darling sets are tailor made for the rays.
Images: @nadinemos @constanca_entrudo @musierparis
