Through his meticulous research process, Gibbson was able to identify surprising sartorial and cultural connections, like the link between Cuban, Spanish, and Yoruba clothing. “It was really interesting to see exactly how these cultures have crossed and how you can still see it in their [present day] styling,” he says.
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Three Major Summer Street Style Trends from Four Cities
Warm weather brings out a parade of vibrant looks and definitely-try-this-at-home trends. Based on our street style coverage from four cities—Sydney, Paris, Florence, and Milan—the summer of 2021 will be remembered for three major looks: statement-making animal prints, flirtatious fringe, and the essential leather topper, a go-to staple for summer’s chillier nights. Below, see how each city’s showgoers styled these summer trends.
This Japanese Singer’s Tomo Koizumi Olympics Gown Set the Internet Alight
Yesterday, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics finally kicked off with an opening ceremony that was thrilling enough to (at least momentarily) distract from the numerous controversies that have dogged the games this year. With stunning performances featuring thousands of dancers, lit-up drones, and nods to everything from the Japanese flag to video game culture—and of course, culminating with national treasure Naomi Osaka lighting the Olympic cauldron—it was a subdued spectacle that nevertheless offered a glimmer of hope that this year’s games might mark a step forward for the beleaguered sporting body.
But for fashion fans, there was another, more unexpected, highlight. As singer-songwriter Misia stepped out to perform the Japanese national anthem “Kimi Ga Yo” to an eerily empty stadium, attention quickly turned to her dramatic gown. Cut from dozens of layers of recycled organza and with a multicolored ombré effect—produced by spray-painting, nonetheless—it set Twitter aflame as many compared it to everything from snow cones to cotton candy to cherry blossoms.
The dress itself was designed by Tomo Koizumi, whose rapid rise to fashion world fame came in 2019 after stylist Katie Grand spotted his work on Instagram and swiftly set about arranging a grand debut for the designer at New York Fashion Week show. (Staged in her friend Marc Jacobs’s Madison Avenue store as a favor, naturally.) The illustrious guest list for Koizumi’s first show was matched only by the star wattage of those walking the runway, including Gwendoline Christie, Bella Hadid, Joan Smalls, and Emily Ratajkowski; it also earned rave reviews for his unique balance of frivolity, flamboyance, and couture-level craft.
Since then, Koizumi has gone from strength to strength. In 2019, his work was featured as part of the Met’s annual costume exhibition, Notes on Camp, while his most recent collection that appeared earlier this month on the haute couture calendar was live-streamed from an Edo-period castle in Kyoto. Still, there are few moments as sweet—in more ways than one, given the dress’s frothy, candy-colored delights—as seeing your work beamed around the world to represent your home country on the global stage. With Koizumi’s widely-noted reverence for Japanese culture past and present, it’s a delight to see him carving out its future, too.
Gisele Bündchen Is Fashion’s Queen of Sustainable Glamour
These days the world is filled with self-proclaimed supermodels, but only a select few truly earn the title. Game-changing Brazilian modeling star Gisele Bündchen has embodied the spirit of the term since she dominated the runways of the early aughts, ushering in a wave of sexy, confident beauties who pushed fashion’s aesthetics away from the waif ideal set by Kate Moss. After racking up 141 Vogue covers internationally, walking for every prominent designer, launching her lingerie brand, writing a book, and much more, Bündchen has done nearly everything a model might hope to. While she’s celebrated for her contributions to fashion, there’s one aspect that is often overlooked: her killer personal style. Granted, it’s her job to make designer creations look their best. Indeed, all the years spent backstage and in front of the camera have helped her craft an approach to dressing that’s all her own.
Glamour and sex appeal are essential to Bündchen’s wardrobe. Off-duty, she sticks to denim and oversized sweaters or gauzy boho dresses, though when it’s time for an event, she goes all out. Her tenure as Victoria’s Secret angel may be over, but Bündchen still gravitates towards slinky, body-conscious styles, whether it’s shimmering pink Dior Haute Couture with a plunging neckline for the Met Gala’s camp extravaganza in 2019 or the glossy gold jumpsuit she wore at the opening of Brazilian swimwear brand Rosa Cha’s Los Angeles store earlier that year.
Often accompanied by her husband, football legend Tom Brady, Bündchen makes sure to coordinate their outfits and they frequently share a color scheme or motif. Case in point: when Bundchen wore that pink Dior, Brady was right behind her looking dapper in maroon velvet Tom Ford. Even before she became Mrs. Brady, she had the “couples style” thing down pat. Who could forget her memorable trip to the 2005 Academy Awards when she walked the carpet with then-boyfriend, Leonardo DiCaprio, wearing an ethereal John Galliano designed Dior gown.
Between the Dior and Versace, Bündchen regularly mixes in pieces that are sustainable and eco-friendly. A glance at her Instagram account reveals her passion for climate activism, especially concerning her native Brazil’s rainforests. These values carry over into her wardrobe in which designers like Stella McCartney hold special prominence. A fan of McCartney’s regal evening wear, Bündchen chose a white column gown with a built-in cape for last year’s Hollywood for Science Gala where she was honored by the UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability for 15 years worth of charity work. Elegant, sexy, and made of upcycled materials, it represents everything the supermodel stands for now.
Look Sharp in This Season’s Statement-Making Sunglasses
Sunglasses might be a small accessory, but they have a large impact. A great pair can elevate your outfit and your style, but the best sunglasses for women can boost your mood too. After a year spent mostly indoors, this spring and summer call for getting outside—and you’re going to need a great new pair of shades when you do.
So what does summer have in store for eyewear? An everyday exuberance to match the season’s optimistic fashion. On the runway, the season brought us bright-colored clothing and eccentric prints, and for sunglasses, this means a pair of statement-making glasses.
Among the best offerings, shop pairs with square-shaped rims and colored tinted lenses or cheeky cat-eyes done up to look like a new classic. Or consider a style that delivers a quirky take on a mainstay trend like oversized ’60s mod shades or retro aviators. Should you want your glasses to make a statement that all can hear, opt for a pair that doubles as jewelry. An option from Chanel comes complete with a pearl-strung sunglasses chain, while Magda Butrym’s collaboration with Linda Farrow is decked out in removable bling.
As summer sets in, it’s time to pick up a new pair—or two—for sunnier days ahead. Below, shop the best sunglasses for women.
Mod Mania
These bug-eyed shades landed on Mars long before NASA’s 2021 Perseverance rover. Reminiscent of the bold, space-age goggles made famous by the likes of Pierre Cardin, Andre Courrèges, and Paco Rabanne, they are the perfect match for that miniskirt you’ve been dying to bust out this summer.
In a New Photo Series, Stylist Alexander-Julian Gibbson Takes Ordinary Families to Extraordinary Places
Seated in a noisy booth at Cafe Paulette in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, Alexander-Julian Gibbson—travel editor, stylist, and self-proclaimed “master of enjoyment”—shows me his latest project. In a photographic series called “The Land of Milk and Honey,” he has documented the daily life of 11 multicultural families in some 100 images; connecting fashion to a diverse range of immigrant communities throughout America.
From Miami’s Little Haiti to Daly City, California, Gibbson—a Houston native of Nigerian descent—met, styled, and dressed families in designers from similar cultural backgrounds, showcasing the multiplicity of American life through the lens of high style. The task was no small feat—pairing people with photographers and designers required a lot of planning and research—yet in the end, the matches that he made felt authentic. “This was my way of showing different faces, to shed light on [the cultural divide] in America,” explains Gibbson. “I did this project in search of hope.”
Below, Gibson walks us through his creative process.
Navigating wardrobe requests
As a stylist, Gibbson has always established strong relationships with brands, designers, and creators alike, which came in handy for the project. “I try to speak with the designers directly. I felt that the only way I could garnish support for this project was to make sure it wasn’t just my dream, but their dream, too,” he says. “I wanted to work with designers who are in touch with their culture, and that’s a part of their story. I wanted to make sure I tapped into people who felt the same way about telling these sorts of stories.”
The wardrobe for the project was right on the mark for what each family required; whether it was the coolness of Rhude, with its Philippine DNA, or the Haitian boldness of Pyer Moss. “Community was a major part of finding [what I needed],” says Gibbson. “Johanna Ortiz was sending pieces in the midst of Colombian protests, [and] I was able to pull pieces from designers back home [in Lagos] and from Nigerian designers based in the States. It was tough, but I feel like we all found a way to tell our story within this project.”
The intersection of culture and fashion
“The way we make our clothes and how we wear them is all part of our cultures. Being able to work with these families to portray their culture in a stylized way and [capture] these really beautiful photos, I think that’s what [the intersection] is,” says Gibbson. “When you talk about how clothes are made and the techniques that are used, those are all things that are passed down from generations.”
The Best Street Style at the Fall 2021 Couture Shows in Paris
Sixteen months after the pandemic hit Europe, the fall 2021 couture shows mark our semi-official “return” to live and in-person fashion shows. Many of us will still be viewing the collections online—we’re extra excited about Pieter Mulier’s debut at Alaïa and Demna Gvasalia’s first couture collection for Balenciaga—but for those lucky enough to attend IRL, the inevitable question is: What to wear? Will editors and influencers dust off the runway pieces and heels in the back of their closets, or will they be influenced by the casual, experimental looks we saw outside the menswear shows? Style du Monde’s Acielle is on the ground in Paris to find out. Scroll through her latest street style photos below, and come back for her daily updates.
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