DSquared2 does Hollywood sleaze

We’ve barely escaped January’s slog and the big dogs in fashion are wasting no time in delivering the goods for summer 2024. Alright, so we’ve a way to go, but there’s no harm in dreaming about the sweet sun-shee-ineee, right?

Kicking things off is Bottega Veneta’s SS24 campaign. It was shot in various Tokyo playgrounds by Magnum photographer Alec Soth, who captured Matthieu Blazy’s sensual blend of commuter suits, knitted swimwear and pom-pom dresses against the bluest sky we ever did see. Next up, Miu Miu’s Endless Summer: an optimistic – and very welcome – seasonal statement for Mrs. Prada’s frisky take on real life, featuring everyday knits with special-occasion sparkles, casual-cool board shorts oddly worn with prep school blazers and bags bulging with telltale signs of a busy day.

And, lastly: DSquared2. Along with ​’90s model-actors Nataša Vojnović and Tony Ward, they’ve recreated a sleazy, sweaty Hollywood movie set, with filmmaker Nadia Lee Cohen calling the shots. It’s a hoot, with bizarre dialogue written by David Owen, the man behind IDEA Books, and Dean and Dan Caten’s Y2K-heavy collection of embroidered denim, cut-out dresses and less-is-more mini-skirts taken on a well-deserved, sun-soaked outing.

Go on, pass us a Solero.

Take a break and get involved in Carhartt WIP’s new skate film, Precious, directed by Paris-based filmmaker Joaquin Bayle. Taking us through New York and Los Angeles, the 15-minute film features skaters Noah Mahieu, Eddie Cernicky, Max Palmer and more, doing tricks, falling over and looking all sorts of cool. The title is inspired by the ​“gruelling process of shooting tricks on film”, according to Bayle, who also said: ​“Now that I understand skateboarding a little more, I wanted to pay tribute to its subversive form. Its poetic form.”

Meet Lourdes, the new(ish) brand on the block hailing from New York City. A clash of heady prints, sexy cuts and youth subculture references, it’s the brainchild of Andreas Aresti, who was born in Queens to a Greek-Cypriot father and Peruvian mother – the brand is lovingly named after her. We caught up with Aresti soon after he released the brand’s latest collection: a buckwild mash-up of cow and deer hide (sorry, vegans), varsity jackets, leather trews and cowboy motifs. Titled United States of Whatever, this is his meditation on the American Dream. And if the collection’s anything to go by, it’s a mad, mad world out there.

Hey, Andreas! What’s United States of Whatever about?
Societally, I feel like everyone is burnt out from multiple things. For me specifically, it was [about] chasing a dream.

What’s your idea of the American Dream?
The American Dream isn’t necessarily an accumulation of achievements but more so a sort of focused energy. I feel like the younger generations no longer possess this sort of drive. In some ways, I feel like we’re already burnt out before we’re 30.

Describe the US in one word.
Money.

You’re president for the day. What’s going down?
I’m quitting, ASAP!

Not to make you feel rubbish, but: in little over a decade, Mancunian brothers George and Michael Heaton have taken their clothing brand Represent from their parents’ garden shed, £150 capital and some printed T‑shirts to a business worth £50 million. Not bad, eh? Fans of Represent’s global lifestyle brand – which riffs off casual everyday garb as much as smart, refined nighttime pieces – will be glad to know the boys are here with their SS24 collection, titled Horizons. Make some room for cargos, cosy hoodies, printed tees and, for the more adventurous, popper pants, to really get the party started.

Cult clip brand Katya is back with a new collection, this time looking to the butterfly for its latest style, called the Mariah (you know, after the singer). Always laden with a healthy dose of nostalgia, Katya’s latest accessory comes in a generous selection of sky blue, jelly nude, hubba bubba pink, noir and pink tortoise. Spread your wings and… Oh come on, you know the words, don’t ya?

While we’re fearing for our jobs (and lives) at the hands of AI, Etro has been busy whipping together a made-up fantasyland for its latest campaign, titled Out Of Time, In Another Space. You can say that again, what with the odd backdrops of surreal castles and, er, ​“natural” environments. Sure, you won’t find this on Planet Earth, but head to etro​.com for the brand’s latest collection.