Summer is a time for living with abandon; for freeing yourself from quotidian routines and making straight for the nearest beach. Dressing for the season should be approached with a similarly liberatory spirit: the heat of summer calls for embracing your instincts for the playful and the brightly hued, a more is more aesthetic befitting a mood of escapism, where, for a tantalising brief few months, you can reveal a whole different side of yourself (both metaphorically, and, for the brave, physically).
As seen in the Wallpaper* June Travel issue, Bulgaria-born, London-based photographer Irina Shestakova and Wallpaper* fashion and creative director Jason Hughes capture this spirit of playful abandon, proposing a pile-up of accessories that look best on the beach. From raffia totes, bag charms and candy-like strings of necklaces to barely-there swim trunks and fluoro T-shirts – as well as bikes and snorkels – this is our directive to let go this summer, and give into your desire for escape.
Explore the story below.
Splash out! This summer’s best accessories
This page, earrings, £1,000, by Bea Bongiasca (enquire beabongiasca.com). Top, £550; bag (on left shoulder), £1,300; bag (on right shoulder), £1,300; hair clip, £345; bikini briefs, £460; bag (in left hand), £1,800, all by Été Celine (available at The Corner Shop Selfridges until 16 May). Towel, £85, by Tekla (available teklafabrics.com)
Sunglasses, £290, by Gucci (enquire gucci.com). Necklace, £275, by Casablanca (available casablancaparis.com). Bag (left side of chest), £2,500 (available valextra.coml); bag (right side of chest, available valextra.coml), £1,800; bag charms, £350 each; bag (tied to bag), £950, all by Valextra (available valextra.com). Watch, £23,500, by Hublot (available hublot.com). Swimming briefs, £125, by Vilebrequin (available vilebrequin.com). Bag (in hand), £1,760, by Prada (available prada.com). Headphones, £499, by Dyson (available dyson.co.uk)
Opposite, sunglasses, £350, by Loewe (available loewe.com). Necklace, £150, by Crystal Haze (available thestorebytwenty.com). Shirt, £1,300 (available hermes.com); bag (across chest), £11,000; towel, £600, all by Hermès (enquire at hermes.com). Bag (on shoulder), £755, by Pierre Hardy (available pierrehardy.com). Headphones, £500, by Montblanc (available montblanc.com). Bag (in hand), £3,300, by Dior (available dior.com). Swimming briefs, stylist’s own
Mask and snorkel, £59, by Tusa (available divingdirect.co.uk). Swimsuit, £590; bag (on left shoulder), £2,260; bag (off arm), £3,300; bag charm, £500; bag (on right shoulder), £5,450, all by Louis Vuitton (enquire at louisvuitton.com)
Hat, £350 (available loewe.com); bag (across chest, available loewe.com), £750, both by Loewe. Necklace, £594, by Crystal Haze (enquire crystalhazejewelry.com). Bag (on left shoulder), £4,500, by Fendi (available fendi.com). Bag (under right arm), £3,080, by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello (available ysl.com). Swimming briefs, stylist’s own
Top, £1,850 (enquire gucci.com); sunglasses, £430 (available gucci.com); bag (in right hand), £1,570, all by Gucci (available gucci.com). Necklace, £214, by Crystal Haze (enquire crystalhazejewelry.com). Bag (on right shoulder), £450, by Pierre Hardy (available pierrehardy.com). Bag (across chest), £785, by Montblanc (available montblanc.com). Swimming briefs, £95, by Vilebrequin (available vilebrequin.com). Bag (in left hand), £2,100, by Connolly (available connollyengland.com). Baseball cap, £425, by Loewe Paula’s Ibiza (available loewe.com)
Swimsuit, £970; bag (on wrist), £4,875; bag (on shoulder), £4,540; bag (on shoulder), £4,875, all by Chanel (enquire at chanel.com). Earrings, £310; cuff, £605, both by Goossens (enquire at goossens-paris.com)
Models: Mia and Tsion at Next, Nikita, Adam and Eden at IMG, Chanula at Milk. Casting: Nico at Ikki Casting Hair: Christos Bairabas. Make-up: Victoria Martin using Haus Labs. Manicure: Olivia Gane using Chanel Le Vernis and Chanel La Crème Main. Photography assistants: Federico Covarelli and Sam Sorabjee. Fashion assistant: Lucy Proctor Hair assistant: Malita Nagelyte. Production assistant: Archie Thomson.
A version of this article appears in the June 2025 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.
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