A heady host of designers took to heart the maxim ‘life’s a beach’ for S/S 2022, creating body-revealing women’s beachwear that had all the dramatic abandon of not just barefoot dancing on smooth pebbles, but a disco ball spinning above. For the upcoming season, make the disco-inflected beach party your ultimate escapist event, where any outré embellishment – be it beading, sequins or spandex – is invited.
Illustrator Antonio Lopez was a regular at Studio 54 in New York, before he swapped its packed dancefloor for the white-sanded shore of St Tropez in 1970, hanging out with then-rising fashion star Karl Lagerfeld, who had joined Fendi three years before. For S/S 2022, the Roman house’s Kim Jones was captivated by a series of Lopez’s archive drawings – featuring flowing-haired beauties and rainbow-splashed stripes – and emblazoned these across glittering strapless dresses, best worn barefoot.
The 1970s also resonated with Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent, who looked to its founder Yves Saint Laurent’s longtime muse Paloma Picasso as inspiration. A ‘glamorous toughness’ punctuated the Parisian maison’s collection, which included skin-flashing spandex catsuits that would make for a sublime swimsuit-centric silhouette on the shore.
Best women’s beachwear: Chanel to Fendi
Top, dress, £3,300, by Fendi. Above, dress, price on request, by Celine
Celine, likewise, looked to the spirit of the French Riviera, showcasing its collection on the Nice beachfront. Its suggested look for a sunset party poolside? A gown glittering in sequins and beads, slashed seductively at the décolleté.
Lanvin’s Bruno Sialelli had an ocean of references for the Parisian house’s glamour-oozing S/S 2022, spanning from Batman to Bavarian churches. What will the brand’s heroine be sporting this summer? A densely tinselled puffball skirt and matching bra top in beaded abstract pansies.
Any scintillating soirée – be it at a beachclub or on a private shore – requires an eye-catching accessory. The bag to hold all your escapist accoutrements? Chanel’s ‘2.55 Hobo’ – an elegant, roomy style with a tactile chain strap – in which to stow your emergency towel and snorkel, for when you go for a spontaneous late-night swim.
INFORMATION
A version of this article is featured in the March 2022 issue of Wallpaper*, on newsstands now and available to subscribers
-
Our Tech Editor's selection of new and upgraded audio players covers the full spectrum of formatsWhether it’s vinyl, cassette, CD or mp3, or even sound sources you’ve captured yourself, you’ll find a suitable device in this round-up of pocketable and portable audio players
-
This Swedish summer house is a family's serene retreat by the trees and the Baltic seaHorsö, a Swedish summer house by Atelier Alba is a playfully elegant retreat by the Kalmarsund Sea and a natural reserve
-
A new exhibition retraces 50 years of Pierre Paulin’s history around the table‘Les Tables de Pierre Paulin’ shows a lesser-known side of the designer’s creative world, accompanied by a new book tracing his wife’s hospitality around his iconic table designs. ‘A creator is never alone in his creation…’
-
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi almost become lovers in Luca Guadagnino’s Chanel No.5 campaign: watch the filmMargot Robbie and Jacob Elordi front the new Chanel No.5 campaign in a film directed by Luca Guadagnino and soundtracked by Daft Punk
-
Kim Jones to exit Fendi after four yearsFendi has announced that Kim Jones is leaving his role as artistic director of womenswear and couture at the Italian house, though will remain at Dior Men
-
The Wallpaper* S/S 2025 trend report: ‘A rejection of the derivative and the expected’Wallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss unpacks five trends and takeaways from the S/S 2025 shows, which paid ode to individual style and transformed the everyday
-
The breathtaking runway sets of S/S 2025, from beanbag animals to a twisted living roomWallpaper* picks the best runway sets and show spaces of fashion month, which featured Bottega Veneta’s beanbag menagerie, opulence at Saint Laurent, and artist collaborations at Acne Studios and Burberry
-
Hedi Slimane to leave Celine after seven years; Michael Rider named as successorHedi Slimane will leave Celine after a seven-year tenure as artistic, creative and image director across fashion, beauty and lifestyle at the French couture house, with Michael Rider – an alumnus of Phoebe Philo’s Celine – named as his successor
-
Hedi Slimane’s latest Celine collection is an homage to the leading ladies of 1960s France: watch the filmInspired by listening to The Velvet Underground and Nico while re-reading Françoise Sagan, Hedi Slimane pays ode to legendary French it-girls like Sagan, Françoise Hardy and Juliette Gréco with a collection rooted in the liberatory spirit of the 1960s
-
Milan Fashion Week S/S 2025 highlights: Dolce & Gabbana to Bottega VenetaWallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss selects the best of Milan Fashion Week S/S 2025, from Dolce & Gabbana’s homage to Madonna to childlike wonder at Bottega Veneta
-
A guide to the best fashion stores London has to offerAs London Fashion Week arrives in the British capital today (13 September 2024), Wallpaper* picks the must-visit London fashion stores – from big-name boutiques and classic department stores to the best in vintage, alongside the sleek and experimental
