Yasmine Eslami’s beachwear debut nods to the free spirit of the French Riviera

Yasmine Eslami’s swimwear is a Wallpaper* fashion desk summertime favourite. Now, the French designer – who launched her eponymous lingerie line in 2010, and her swimwear offering in 2015 – has dipped a salty toe into the world of resortwear, launching a collection of chic beach cover-ups that will take you from the sun lounger to your first fruity cocktail.

‘I’ve been thinking about doing beachwear for a while,’ Eslami, the former swimwear and beachwear director of renowned Parisian house Eres, says. ‘My summer holidays are always spent with a group of friends, and I’d been thinking about what we like to wear and what we are missing!’

To complete those ‘missing’ elements in her summertime wardrobe, Eslami has designed a fluid dress with an alluring draped décolleté, and a matching pyjama-inspired blouse, shirt and boxer short in a lightweight polka dot cotton voile. ‘The boxer short can be worn on the beach over the bikini or at home for lounging around or sleeping,’ Eslami explains. ‘The dress is flattering and easy to wear; a simple answer to summer lunches on the beach or in the city.’

Eslami was inspired by the ‘free spirt’ of the South of France when choosing the location of her latest collection’s accompanying lookbook. The designer chose Villa Noailles as its setting – the sprawling modernist villa which houses the annual Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography. Built by Robert Mallet-Stevens for art patrons Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles, the striking villa features a a triangular Cubist garden designed by Gabriel Guevrekian, and houses works by Sonia Delaunay, Constantin Brancusi, Mondrian and Braque.

‘The choice is very personal for me’ Eslami says. ‘I’ve attended the Hyères Festival for a number of years. ‘I love going there in late April; its the first chance to get a feeling of the South’. So whether, you’re reclining on a beach on the French Riveiera or simply sunbathing in your garden, Eslami’s resortwear options are your only summertime essentials.

Related: Highlights from Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography 2018

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Yasmine Eslami website