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Summer trends come and go but there is always a throughline–bright, beachy, and carefree. Each year we’re excited to refresh our warm weather wardrobes with new swim, coverups, summer totes and sandals. But we’re not reinventing the wheel. Actually, we owe much of our resortwear aesthetic to a handful of iconic brands that have been consistently delivering summer style for decades.
Vogue’s Guide to Iconic Swimwear Labels
Spanning the globe from Italy to Los Angeles, these longstanding brands have proven that summer is, in fact, endless. Missoni injects everything from swimwear to sweaters with its signature multicolored chevron knits while Pucci does much the same, splashing iconic psychedelic patterns all over their collections year round. Etro has a nomadic, bohemian ethos present in swimsuits, coverups, and embellished bags while Dolce & Gabbana’s romantic, bombshell approach to style just begs you to hit the beach in a high-waisted bikini. And we can’t forget Rudi Gernreich, whose iconoclastic designs shook up the ’60s in ways that still reverberate today.
If you don’t already own a piece from these brands, it’s only a matter of time—especially if sun, surf, and sand is in your DNA. No matter what your summer plans hold, these iconic resort brands have the perfect pieces to bring your look to life, whether you’re diving into bright bodycon dresses for a holiday on the Italian coast, or wearing chic French swimwear to sunbathe in your backyard. Below, read up on these fabulous fashion houses and find pieces you can shop today to get in on the legacy.
It’s not easy to create a brand signature that conjures instant recognition (and imitators) but Ottavio “Tai” and Rosita Missoni did just that when they founded their eponymous knitwear label in 1953. Quickly supported by major fashion voices of the day, the line became an international success, hitting peak popularity in the 1970s. Those vibrant, almost optical-illusion-like chevrons and patterns that Missoni is known for come from their innovative approach to weaving techniques, adapting and optimizing the Caperdoni loom and Raschel knitting in order to weave over 200 colors into one textile. Thus, the multicolored patterns have come to grace everything from slinky dresses, easy pull-on pants, and itty-bitty string bikinis, all of which are waiting to join your resort wardrobe.
