8 Gorgeous Summer Maxi Dresses That Will Make You Look Stunning (Guest Post)

July 17, 2023July 21, 2023 | Design & Culture by Ed

Summer’s here, and that means it’s time to embrace the warm weather, dive into the pool of fashion, and bask in the sunshine in style. When it comes to defining your summer wardrobe, nothing makes a statement quite like a beautiful maxi dress. Breezy, stylish, and incredibly versatile, these floor-grazing beauties will have you turning heads wherever you go. So, without further ado, let’s dive into eight stunning summer maxi dresses that are sure to elevate your style game.

Bohemian Floral Maxi Dress

Picture this: vibrant florals splashed across a canvas of soft, flowing fabric, dancing in the summer breeze. This dress is not only a feast for the eyes but also incredibly comfortable, making it perfect for a lazy Sunday brunch or a beach day. Pair it with some strappy sandals, a floppy sunhat, and a wicker bag to complete the boho-chic look.

Sultry Satin Slip Maxi Dress

For those balmy summer nights when you want to make an impact, consider slipping into a sultry satin maxi dress. With its minimalist elegance, this dress speaks volumes without saying a word. Its simplicity is its strength, effortlessly segueing from a breezy day look to a more formal evening ensemble. The gentle kiss of satin against your skin gives your outfit a touch of lavishness, making you feel as captivating as you look.

Style it with mules, an eye-catching clutch, and understated jewelry to finesse an air of refined sophistication.

Ethereal White Lace Maxi Dress

Immerse yourself in a wave of summer elegance with a white lace maxi dress. This garment exudes an ethereal allure, making it a divine choice for all your sun-kissed escapades, from garden soirées to beachside nuptials. It’s less about the label, more about the artful blend of intricate lacework and the gracefully flowing silhouette creating a timeless tableau of romanticism.

Enhance this celestial ensemble by teaming it with nude heels and gleaming gold accessories.

Statement Striped Maxi Dress

If making a fashion statement is your modus operandi, a boldly striped maxi dress is a must-have in your summer wardrobe.

This striking choice takes a classic motif and gives it a fresh lease of life with the elongated elegance of a maxi dress. A harmonious marriage of fashion and function, this dress is your perfect ally for a bustling day in the city. Sport it with crisp white sneakers, a practical yet chic crossbody bag, and trendy sunglasses for an ensemble that screams urban chic.

Vivacious Tropical Print Maxi Dress

This frock is like a wearable vacation, teeming with bright hues and exotic patterns. Whether you’re lounging by the pool or jetting off to a tropical paradise, it’s your ticket to an instant burst of holiday cheer.

Round off this lively look with comfortable espadrilles, oversized sunglasses, and a colorful clutch to fully immerse in the tropical theme.

Gingham Maxi Dress

For a quintessential summer look, a gingham maxi dress is a no-brainer. This picnic-style print, paired with the comfortable silhouette of a maxi dress, is the epitome of casual chic. Ideal for a day out in the park or a relaxed backyard barbecue, this dress marries style with comfort.

Pair it with some comfy sandals, a straw tote, and a wide-brimmed hat for a charming, sun-ready look.

Please note this is a guest post.

Always In The Sun. Maryam Nassir Zadeh Resort 2023

August 1, 2022 | Design & Culture by Ed

Maryam Nassir Zadeh‘s resort 2023 collection looks like the inside of a well-packed luggage that’s on the way to a summer-perfect, beachy, breezy, always-sunny destination. Sheer camisole tops and slouchy pants that feel just the right kind of vintage-y. Over-sized t-shirts, wrap skirts and denim bermudas in faded neutral colours, looking as if left exposed to sunlight for days. Charming accessories that seem off-and-odd-but-oh-so-good, like the blue taffeta bracelet-scrunchie, funky ornate belts and necklaces with big, ceramic beads. Groovy, hand-made macrame appeared in form of sachets and eclectic inserts, (not) randomly placed on a men’s leather biker jacket’s back or at the pants’ waist. And of course the latest addition to Nassir Zadeh’s brand: the blue towel with MNZ’s logo, made from the finest frotte, resembling the one that would lie by the pool in some lovely, off-the-track boutique hotel by the French Riviera or somewhere in Sicily.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Men’s – Surf-Board. DsQuared2 SS23

June 19, 2022 | Design & Culture by Ed

Then ride it with my surfboard, surfboard, surfboard

Graining on that wood, graining-graining on that wood.

For spring-summer 2023, DsQuared2 went surf-boy-mode. Dean and Dan Caten’s layering extravaganza inspired by surf culture and 1970s Jamaica is just what a stinking-hot summer wardrobe needs and wants. The Catens worked with the Bob Marley Foundation, which granted them permission to reproduce a portrait of the reggae genius on T-shirts, beach totes, and bags. “We liked the vibe of that time, and the freedom and rebellion he represented,” they said backstage. “Peace and love, and the joy of music.” From the Jamaican flag they extracted bursts of color punctuating the sporty pieces they excel at, while cool formal options were styled imaginatively in well orchestrated chaos, as in the collection’s hero ensemble: a sloped-shoulder evening tux or checked blazer worn with a low-slung tie-dye sarong, or over multicolor printed beach pants. Each passing season, the Catens’s layering reaches new heights – with Vanessa Reid’s masterful styling help. It’s a fun formula that they’re able to articulate with gusto, keeping it rather fresh and entertaining. Another collaboration, this one with Honda, energized biker jackets and various patched leather pieces with a ’70s flavor. They added a tougher spin to the mellow, quirky surfer look of slouchy striped knits, humongous bermudas in printed nylon, and patchworked flares with appliqué marijuana leaves.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Curated Wardrobe. Maryam Nassir Zadeh Resort 2022

July 22, 2021 | Design & Culture by Ed

Contemporary, New York chic? It’s Maryam Nassir Zadeh‘s brand. The designer comes at her collections from multiple vantage points: as a designer, as a retailer (her Lower East Side store is set to reopen soon), and as a true lover of clothes. She has an epic personal archive filled with labels she discovered early on – Nassir Zadeh was one of the first New York stores to sell Jacquemus and Eckhaus Latta – as well as designer treasures and vintage finds she’s collected over the years. As for her brand’s archive, she’s been busy revisiting and editing every piece she’s ever made, plus dozens of prototypes and one-offs, to get it to a place that reflects her tastes today. Post-pandemic, she’s leaning more minimal, but not in a stark or staid way; there’s a delicateness to it, even in the menswear. For resort 2022, she tried on almost every piece she’s kept, one by one, and re-cut the best ones to create the ultimate “curated” MNZ wardrobe. Her past few collections have followed a similar approach, initially due to the constraints of the pandemic; in 2020, her team didn’t have the resources to create brand-new samples with brand-new fabrics. But Zadeh didn’t think that resort would have turned out “better” if it was entirely new stuff. The time and care she put into hand-selecting the clothes – and occasionally redoing them in different colors or fabrics – amounted to a collection heartfelt and personal. Diehard fans might spot a few of her “greatest hits,” but Zadeh and her stylist, Thistle Brown, re-styled each piece so they’re hardly recognizable. Several dresses were transformed into skirts thanks to artful knots or belt bags around the waist, while a neon orange midi dress was shown with a full skirt underneath, sort of like a petticoat. Beyond showing you how to wear the new pieces, Zadeh hopes it will inspire her entire community to get more creative with their MNZ favorites at home. A few looks were styled with bikinis, now a brand signature, or asymmetrical bodysuits in mushroom-y colors. They lent an undone, balletic feeling to the skirts, sort of like a Lower East Side spin on a dancer’s uniform.