Trend Report: Nautical Play

Written By Sullivan Jordan

There’s a certain kind of magic in the air when summer rolls around. The air smells different, more comforting as the sky is suddenly clear and the bright sun soaks into your skin after a dark winter, and almost non-existent spring. As sunscreen quickly makes its way back into our daily skincare routine and hot coffees become iced lattes, we return to our closets, ready to shed our skin and reinvent ourselves for summer.

Nautical Play is all about embracing the creative freedom that summer allows. In summer, we can become new people and experiment with our wardrobe without the fear of looking silly. What is fashion without a little risk and fearless commitment? This summer we not only turn to classic and beloved staples such as, soft linen button-ups; but we embrace ocean-inspired colors, patterns, and textures. Soft blues, greens, and whites will also dominate the season’s color palette. Complemented by bright pops of primary colors such as yellow, fiery red, and royal blues will inspire the nautical theme of the season.  We can expect ocean life inspired accessories and silhouettes. Designs will dote seashells, starfish, and wave inspired motions will be seen in garments.

Designers are already embracing a Nautical Summer. Schiaparelli, Bottega Veneta, and Jaquemus, to name a few, are designer brands that have experimented with Nautical themes throughout their collections for Spring/Summer 2024. Schiaparelli debuted a life-size golden lobster necklace in their Spring/Summer 2024 collection, and Jaquemus featured a color palette of cream whites, pale yellows, and bold red. Matthieu Blazy, creative director of Bottega Veneta, created a collection that speaks to “the personal pleasure of dressing up. Of being whoever and whatever you would like to be, and of traveling in the imagination as much as in the world.”