You refresh your Instagram feed when you’re in need of some fresh outfit inspiration—why not let it help guide your summer shopping, too? The good weather has all of your favorite style stars out and about, ‘gramming their outfits along the way, which means we’re constantly coming across (and double-tapping) new trends to add to our “to try” list. Among them are belted swimsuits, smocked tops, silky midi skirts… all delightfully summery pieces that make for some good #OOTDs. So if you’re looking to update your seasonal wardrobe, turn to your Internet friends for some tips on the best pieces to shop for right now—they know what they’re doing. Ahead, six options to get the ball rolling.
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At the beginning of every season, you might run through a list of things you might want to buy—for summer, that may include a swimsuit, sandals, and… a tennis skirt?
As of early June, one of the frontrunners for the trend of the summer appears to be tennis-inspired: prim polo shirts, A-line skirts, monochromatic halter mini dresses, and other pieces you might normally spot on the courts at Wimbledon or the U.S. Open—except, now, they’re on Instagram.
It’s not completely out of left field: Athleisure has been dominating the industry for years, though it’s moved beyond the leggings-and-sports bra mentality. Now, brands are moving into the next phase of this trend, tailoring their collections to specific activities and sports, infusing performance fabrics and silhouettes with a design sensibility. And tennis is proving to be the early favorite from this wave.
Outdoor Voices just debuted its first-ever tennis collection—a project that founder and CEO Tyler Haney says has been in the works for about 14 months; Tory Burch has incorporated tennis-specific pieces into her sportswear label, Tory Sport, since it launched in 2015; brands like Lilly Pulitzer and Lacoste are bringing back archival tennis silhouettes for a 2018 shopper. The sport’s relationship to fashion isn’t exactly new: The Williams sisters have both been involved with the industry for years (and Serena just launched her first-ever solo clothing label, which has sporty undertones, but isn’t overtly tennis-related). But it seems to be particularly omnipresent for the summer shopper.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Outdoor Voices
The Players Polo Dress from Outdor Voices’ tennis collection.
Haney says the brand’s tennis collection originated from customer insight: It has a team dedicated to scouring all platforms to figure out what the shopper wants (the requests “run the gamut of ‘I want a specific sports bra style’ or ‘I want things for stretching,’” per Haney), which then takes its findings to the creative and design specialists—and “tennis was definitely an activity that popped for us.”
“When we first started thinking about Sport ten years ago, I knew that tennis would be an integral part of the collection,” Burch tells Glamour. In the summer, she’ll hit the courts several times a week—and “for people who love tennis,” she says, “it is really part of their lives. They want designs that work on and off the court, delivering on the things that matter—comfort, fit and durability—with great style.”
PHOTO: Courtesy of Tory Sport
A look from Tory Sport’s Spring 2018 collection.
According to Haney, seasonality definitely came into play when thinking about the collection, since it “drives why people want to wear the product”—the piqué material used throughout the pieces, for instance, isn’t only reminiscent of the fabrics we see on the court during tournaments, but it’s also developed to be extra-breathable in the face of heat, which makes it ideal for summer wear.
Outdoor Voices’ foray into tennis apparel comes hot off the heels another tennis-adjacent milestone for the brand: the introduction of the Exercise dress. At the core of both this garment and its tennis collection is a fascination with the A-line silhouette—which Haney believes is at the root of sport’s recent come-up in summer fashion trends: There’s “an ease” to that style that translates “on all different body types,” she says, which makes it an appealing canvas for a designer.
“That A-line silhouette you traditionally find in tennis has definitely been an inspiration for us across all of Outdoor Voices,” Haney continues. “As we started thinking about dresses, a lot of [the references] came from older on the court [imagery] from the ‘70s and ‘80s… In a very cool, not-super-sexy way, it emphasizes curves—it makes you look powerful and strong… We’re really focused on leaning into feminine design while also making you feel strong, and the dress totally does that for us.”
In recent months, too, we’ve seen how brands that have been in this space for some time have capitalized on the resurgence of these silhouettes by digging through their archives and bringing back old collections and pieces, updated for a modern consumer. Lilly Pulitzer is one, reviving its fan-favorite capsule after a 10-year hiatus; Lacoste, meanwhile, announced its 85th Anniversary collection, which reimagines some of its most well-known pieces from its vault.
“Tennis is a life-long, social sport and such a natural fit into our year-round resort lifestyle,” Mira Fain, the brand’s EVP of Design, explains to Glamour. Plus, summer’s the season to go outside and either play or spectate, so it felt like a good time to re-introduce this line. (From this capsule, Fain says the “Perfect Match” tennis toile has proven to be an early favorite.)
PHOTO: Courtesy of Lilly Pulitzer.
A shot from Lilly Pulitzer’s “Summer Tennis” lookbook.
With designers like Christophe Lemaire and Felipe Oliveira Baptista, Lacoste has long been building on tennis legacy with a distinctly more “lifestyle” approach. Still, the resurgence of these more traditional pieces suggests there’s an interest from the customer.
“Our designs for tennis are resonating with customers who love the performance aspect as well as the quality and fit,” says Burch. “I love a modern take on classic tennis whites, and, with Sport, the idea of marrying fashion and function is always an interesting challenge. We have crisp whites, of course, but we also incorporate color, feminine details and technically innovative materials.”
“There’s such power behind women feeling powerful and empowered—if you think of sports and [what you wear to play], tennis is where you wear the dress,” Haney adds of this trend. “The fact that it’s a dress that you’re strong and active in—for me, that’s probably it.”
During the last decade—the last few seasons, especially—fashion has undergone a visible shift: We’ve seen designers advocate for more inclusive sizing and models, and many have changed how and when they show their collections (some pulling out of the fashion week line-up entirely). Still, one thing has remained exactly the same: the power of a front-row seat at a luxury label’s show.
So when Alessandro Michele presented his Gucci Cruise 2019 show late last month in France, there they sat: Elton John, Salma Hayek, A$AP Rocky, Saoirse Ronan—and Kai, one of nine members of the wildly popular Korean pop boy band EXO, who at most recent count has an Instagram following of 1.6 million (a number he racked up in six days, after taking a three-year hiatus from social media).
PHOTO: Vittorio Zunino Celotto
Kai at Gucci’s Cruise 2019 show in Arles, France.
Fellow EXO member Oh Se-hun, or “Sehun” as he’s known, was last seen at the recent Louis Vuitton Cruise 2019 show (his second), settling into his front-row seat right next to Emma Stone, Jennifer Connelly and Justin Theroux. (His Instagram follower tally: 13.7 million at press time.) Jessica Jung (7.3 million followers on Instagram), formerly of K-pop group Girls’ Generation —she left in 2014—took a whirlwind tour of the Fall 2018 collections during New York Fashion Week earlier this year, hitting up marquee shows like Tom Ford, Calvin Klein 205W39NYC, and Marc Jacobs. And then there’s Chaerin Lee, or “CL,” (7 million followers on Instagram) whose rebellious streak has landed her premiere seats at Jeremy Scott, Marc Jacobs, and Opening Ceremony, along with an invite to perform at one of Alexander Wang’s famous after-parties in 2016.
K-pop stars officially have infiltrated the front row at some of the most visible, exclusive fashion shows around the world. And the reason for this is simple: They’re cool characters to be sure, and brands get to capitalize on their millions of followers. More views means, hopefully, more sales. Or at least, more brand awareness.
PHOTO: Dia Dipasupil
Jessica Jung at Tom Ford’s Fall 2018 show during New York Fashion Week.
The allure of the K-pop star is pretty clear: EXO, BTS, and Twice have reportedly made 10 billion won (or roughly $9 million U.S. dollars) on merchandise alone; plus, according to Korea Creative Content Agency, K-pop’s global revenue reached $4.6 billion in 2016, the possible result of YouTube music videos views tripling since 2012, with 24 billion views in 2016.
Perhaps none embody the potential from this partnership between fashion brands and K-pop more than superstar Kwon Ji-Yong, or “G-Dragon,” of boy band Big Bang. A Chanel brand ambassador and a Karl Lagerfeld favorite, he’s become a front-row fixture at the label’s shows, arriving in eclectic, over-the-top outfits and posing alongside Julianne Moore and Kristen Stewart. (Chanel declined to comment about its relationship with G-Dragon for this story.)
It’s easy to see why the brand—and Lagerfeld himself—is so attracted to the guy: G-Dragon’s Instagram account alone boasts an astonishing follower count of 16 million, and he averages 1 million likes per post, meaning his fans are clearly invested in his every move thanks to personal, intimate content that feels authentic. In that regard G-Dragon—and most social-savvy K-Pop stars—are more like influencers than traditional, untouchable celebrities.
“Jennifer Lawrence, George Clooney, or Emma Stone are celebrities, but they’re not influencers because they don’t have social media, they don’t interact with fans one on one; they’re just not as relatable as they once were,” says Megan Collins, of trend forecasting agency Trendera. “Meanwhile, K-pop stars are both [stars] and influencers—they’re pros at live-streaming shows, at posting their favorite looks, and that’s just much more useful to a brand than having a huge ad campaign with a celebrity.”
PHOTO: Astrid Stawiarz
CL with designer Jeremy Scott, backstage at his Fall 2016 show during New York Fashion Week.
Their social media savvy, Collins believes, goes hand-in-hand with K-pop stars’ rise to fame: Their job is as much about churning out chart-toppers as it is about creating content for their followers. Together, it’s a recipe for commercial success—and clearly, it’s working. “They’re more performers than they are artists because they go into this being very aware that their job is to make hits,” she says. “They’re there in service to their audience, so they’re in constant conversation with them and it creates a feedback loop.”
“I post things myself on social media. No one helps me with that, so it allows me to speak with my own voice and flair. I think it’s important to show real life. They like me to show me just the way I am,” G-Dragon told Business of Fashion. “I use social media to share things I find cool or interesting with my fans.”
PHOTO: Rindoff/Dufour
G-Dragon with Lagerfeld at Chanel’s Spring 2015 couture show during Haute Couture Fashion Week.
K-pop stars bring their influence to the front row of Fashion Week, and, in turn, they’re given entrée to a coveted world. “[K-pop stars] have money to buy whatever they want, but the one thing they don’t [all] have is access to these exclusive events,” Collins says. “By sitting in the front row of prestigious shows, they’re gaining cultural capital and more content to showcase a certain lifestyle.”
And as the world moves toward globalization, it’s no longer easy to ignore the rising influence from East Asian countries. It’s true that Korean pop has been around forever (since the late ’80, in fact), but the genre only crossed into the American market, at a mainstream capacity, in 2012 when Psy’s “Gangnam Style” became a worldwide phenomenon. When K-beauty entered the U.S. one year later—and with it, an emphasis on skin care, sheet masks, and cute packaging—it sparked mainstream interest in all things Korean, which Collins believes, will only continue to grow.
PHOTO: David M. Benett
Mino and Hoony of K-Pop band Winner with designer Christopher Bailey at Burberry’s September 2017 show during London Fashion Week.
“The next generation of celebrity are the people who are influencers, and K-pop stars have been ahead of the curve for so long,” Collins says. “Asian influence is already really huge, and it’s only to get bigger.”
Beyoncé has officially embarked on her ‘On the Run Tour II’—one of the summer’s most highly anticipated events, and quite the follow-up to the two-hour extravaganza that was Beychella. And the first images from the opening night in Cardiff, Wales, only build up the hype. Plus, as she did during her Coachella performance in April, Beyoncé lined up some seriously impressive looks—of the highest designer caliber, of course—to wear onstage.
The ‘On the Run Tour II’ isn’t your run-of-the-mill performance. So naturally Beyoncé clocked in seven costume changes over the course of the night, all with unmissable shine and DGAF attitude. There are thigh-high boots, Zenon-chic metallics, crystal-mesh bodysuits—from brands like Gucci, LaQuan Smith, and Givenchy. If you missed out on tickets to see Bey and Jay-Z this summer (and admire her next-level costumes IRL), you can enjoy a front-row view to the ‘On the Run Tour II’ fashion right here. It’s pretty much the next best thing, right?
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We honored designer and entrepreneur Kate Spade as a Glamour Woman of the Year in 2002, and the below profile ran in the December 2002 issue of Glamour. Like many of her fans, we were stunned and saddened by the news of her death, and will always remember her vivacious personality—and her incredible sense of style.
About 10 years ago, aspiring designer and former fashion editor Kate Brosnahan went to see a fabric manufacturer in search of the perfect material for a line of handbags she wanted to produce. “You’re a pretty young lady,” he told her. “Why don’t you stop this nonsense about starting a business and go home and make some babies?” Her response? The $70 million accessory empire Kate Spade, founded in 1993 by Brosnahan and her boyfriend (now husband), Andy Spade. Over the years, Spade’s business has grown from those first six bag designs to include shoes, stationery, eyeglasses and more.
This year, Spade tackled her riskiest new venture yet, teaming with beauty powerhouse Estée Lauder to create a line of bath and body products, including a honeysuckle fragrance. “It’s the most personal thing I’ve done,” she says—and women clearly love Spade’s personal touch. “Kate Spade Beauty is such a success story that we have doubled our original sales projections,” says Pamela Baxter, president of specialty groups at Estée Lauder Companies.
The hard-working Kansas City, Missouri, native takes this latest success in stride. “If you’re as honest and fair as you can be, not only in business but in life, things will work out,” she says. “I hope that people remember me not just as a good businesswoman but as a great friend—and a heck of a lot of fun.”
Stylist: Debora Francis; Prop Stylist: Deborah Williams; Hair: Robert Sherman for Frederic Fekkai; Makeup: Kim Carrillo for Judy Casey.
This profile originally ran in the December 2002 issue of Glamour.
Fashion designer Kate Spade was found dead on Tuesday morning in her New York City home. Though few details have emerged authorities are reporting her death was an apparent suicide.
According to a New York Police Department spokesman, a housekeeper discovered Spade, who was “unconscious” and “unresponsive” in her Park Avenue apartment at around 10:20 a.m. Tuesday and was pronounced dead at the scene. She was 55 years old.
Spade launched her eponymously named handbag line in 1993 alongside her then-boyfriend Andy Spade who she met while attending Arizona State University. As TMZ reported, the two got married one year later in 1994 and watched their brand flourish over the years to include both clothing and jewelry lines. The pair also had one daughter together, Frances Spade.
The pair sold a majority stake of the company in 1999, CNBC reported, to the department store Neiman Marcus for an undisclosed amount of money. In 2007, the brand was then sold for $125 million to a group then known as Liz Claiborne. In 2017, the brand was sold again to Coach for $2.4 billion, however, neither Kate nor Andy saw a dime from that acquisition as they had both relinquished any remaining shares, according to Forbes.
“When we sold the company in 2007, it was really to focus on our family. It really was. It was a grind. I had just had a baby,” Spade told CNBC in 2016.
Following the sale of Kate Spade, the pair went on to launch a new line named after their daughter, Frances Valentine.
“My grandfather, father, brother, and my daughter’s name is Frances. And then Valentine was my mom’s dad’s middle name because he was born on Valentine’s Day,” Spade told WWD in November 2015 about the line’s name. Both the Kate Spade and Frances Valentine brands continue to be sold in stores and beloved by fans around the world today.
If you or someone know are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741.
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