The fascination with wave sports captivates thousands of people every year, pushing them to flock to beaches all over the world to experience the breeze of these disciplines on the surface of the water. What contributes to enchanting enthusiasts, however, is not only the adrenaline transmitted by the waves , but also the lifestyle that accompanies every sport practiced on the crest of the wave: respect for nature and curiosity for an unknown and hidden world are just some of the themes sought after by enthusiasts. This way of approaching the discipline often also turns into a way to face everyday challenges, whether on the beach or among the buildings of a city. The charm has also struck many people apparently distant from this lifestyle, such as designers and stylists , who have been inspired by the world of waves to create great fashion collections , thus riding the best catwalks in the world.
Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2018 collection
2018 was the year that saw many high fashion houses get inspired by the world of wave sports for their seasonal collections, some using elements of the technical clothing usually worn by athletes to perform the various aquatic disciplines, others leaving that it was the beach, the palm trees and the sand that dictated the canons of the collections.
Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2018 collection was called a “ Surf extravaganza ” by many critics: a riot of floral prints, sandals, bucket hats and shades of blue and orange. To crown the Californian dream brought to the catwalk, the artistic director of the time had male and female models paraded with wet hair and sunglasses, as if they had just returned from the beach.
Fenty X Puma - 2018 collection
For lovers of a more aggressive style, the same year produced another collection inspired by wave sports: Fenty X Puma . The collaboration between the two brands has produced an excellent example of how to bring the contemporaneity of sport to the catwalks : New York Fashion Week saw the models parading in tight-fitting suits inspired by the thermal costumes of surfers , women's costumes reminiscent of the classic lifeguard outfit of the Californian beaches of the 80s (Baywatch style), water-repellent windbreakers , all framed in a triumph of neon colors and highlighted zips. To crown the union of fashion and wave sports, flip-flop stilettos fastened at the ankle with the classic strap used by surfers to avoid losing the board in the sea waves could not be missing.
Gucci Surf
If for some brands the approach to this aesthetic may seem like just a trend to follow, for others the wave lifestyle has represented a real turning point: this is the case of the Italian brand Gucci and the transmedia project " Gucci Surf ". Launched in 2020 as part of Gucci Arcade, the video game sees the player in the role of Leonardo Fioravanti , one of the best-known Italian surfers abroad . By combining entertainment, sport and fashion, the Gucci team wants to raise awareness on the issue of cleaning the oceans and reducing the use of single-use plastics : in the video game the protagonist must surf the waves collecting the dirt that clogs the purity of our oceans, without damaging the marine creatures that live there. A simple gesture that is also reflected in the management activities of the brand, which for several years now has decided to drastically limit the use of plastic in packaging and offices.
Water sports have inspired the main clothing brands since the 1950s : we went from the blue and white striped patterns typical of the costumes of the time to colorful and long-limbed silhouettes, up to the inclusion of technical materials in the design of the clothes. If initially the activity of the designers and artistic directors was mainly focused on the search for "effortlessly cool" (reflection of the carefree attitude of Californian surfers), today the objective is to translate the principles of sustainability and respect for the environment that wave lovers have put into practice since the dawn of the discipline.
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