The vintage inspiration of the metallic bikini
From the super tops of the 80s and 90s to Kim Kardashian, metallic swimwear is the trend for a glamorous summer
G-Club
July 29th, 2022
July 29th, 2022
No longer just Versace's iconic Oroton or the Space Age experimentations of Courreges and Paco Rabanne. In 2022, sparkle invades every brand and every garment: from leggings to leotards, from mini dresses to beachwear. The latest trend of the season marks the return of metallic bikinis and one-piece swimsuits, declined in silver, gold, bronze, but also pink, green and light blue, as long as they sparkle like the most precious of jewels. Leading the way for the new fashion obsession is Kim Kardashian with an eye-catching advertising campaign for SKIMS. Nadia Lee Cohen's shots evoke the exaggerated luxury of the Hollywood Hills, of late 1970s and early 1980s glam as told in Dynasty. Fluffy, platinum mullet, campy make-up, blue eye shadow, lip overlining, and sexy metallic costumes, the businesswoman and her clones look straight out of the popular American soap opera. Although many claim online that they are look-alikes of Karen Wheeler from Stranger Things or one of the fembots from the Austin Powers movie series. Whatever the true inspiration behind the images, there are many brands besides SKIMS that have included similar garments in their collections, tapping into the desire of many to sport a special piece at the beach or in the city.
Proposals from Bali-based brand Isa Boulder feature lots of ruffles; Italian Oséree divides its time between double-color lamé pieces and others in shimmering fabric like the one worn by Jourdan Dunn on her Montego Bay vacation; while Isabel Marant opts for lace-up briefs and flossing-style brassieres that she paired with shorts and cargo pants on the runway. 90s silhouettes for The Attico and Dolce & Gabbana, which has always suggested, as JLo often did, wearing bling-bling bra under a slightly unbuttoned men's shirt or with miniskirts and tuxedo pants. The sparkle is also what you find at Calzedonia, a brand also chosen by Chiara Ferragni to shine even more under the rays of the Saint-Tropez sun; 80s mood for Norma Kamali and seventies for Forte Forte; while those who like more minimal lines will find them in the models by Rotate and Balmain.
You don't have to recreate the atmosphere of 80s editorials with Christy Turlington shot by Gilles Bensimon or disguise yourself as Princess Leyla from Star Wars to sport metallic swimwear. Better to find more contemporary inspiration from the SS22 runways and, once you leave the beach, continuing to wear bikinis, trikinis and one-piece swimsuits can be used as if they were tops (remember Saint Laurent's FW21 silver and gold bodysuits?), mixing them with pieces from our wardrobe, from skirts to pants, jeans to shorts or layering them under and over over oversized shirts and bodycon dresses. Add a pair of jewelry that echoes the metal of the costume and you have found the true passepartout garment of summer 2022.
SKIMS Metallic Swim High Cut One Piece
128€
ISA BOULDER Top bikini - Bikini slip
60€+48€
145€
OSEREE HS22 Lamè Double Bra 90s Bottom
235€
ISABEL MARANT Top bikini solanges con paillettes - Slip bikini stefs
120€+105€
THE ATTICO Metallic one-piece swimsuit
350€
CULT GAIA Zoey Bikini
97,99€+62,99€
FORTE FORTE Metallic bikini top and culottes
66€+66€
DOLCE & GABBANA Bikini lamé
495€
