Is the future of beauty skincare you can wear? Sylva’s Tallulah Harlech thinks so

Is the future of fashion skincare you can wear? Tallulah Harlech certainly thinks so. The stylist and consultant knows more than a thing or two about clothes, but thanks to an inflammatory skin condition that has dogged her since childhood, Harlech also knows an awful lot about what will and won’t upset the skin’s microbiome. By launching her brand Sylva in late 2024, she has combined these two preoccupations into a collection of hydrophilic and breathable garments that are skin-first – without compromising on style.

Sylva achieves this in part through its collaboration with Pyratex, a Madrid-based mill whose rigorous research and testing led to the development of SeaCell™, a fibre made from seaweed sustainably harvested from Icelandic fjords. Combined with the super-softness of Tencel™ and the durability and bounce-back lent by a small amount of elastane, the garments in Sylva’s range are optimised to be anti-irritant. And, by working exclusively with designers and pattern cutters from the luxury space, Sylva sets itself apart from other brands experimenting with therapeutic textiles by being distinctly fashion-forward.

Is the future of beauty skincare you can wear?

‘It was around the time a few years ago, when I went off immunosuppressants and was really trying to control my psoriasis through other means, that I began to notice this skin-first category of clothing emerging,’ Harlech recalls to Wallpaper*. ‘Brands like Pangaia were being super innovative with fabrics, and now of course Coperni have launched their C+ “Carewear" range, but I didn’t feel like I was being served beyond performance and athleisure. Perfect for working out, or for getting my groceries, but while I was in this phase of healing, what was I supposed to wear to a Chanel dinner that was kind to my skin and chic?’ (As the daughter of Amanda Harlech, a prolific fashion consultant best known for her decades-long collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld, she has grown up around the style set.)

The solution takes its form in a tightly edited, modular four-piece collection, comprising second-skin leggings, a long-sleeve top, a floor-length dress, and a loose scarf with personalised monogram. Every piece is made in the same true black – made possible through Pyratex's closed-loop dyeing process and the natural weightiness and opacity of the fabric – with signature red topstitching. The clothes are slick and cinching, with a nod to the Japanese designers of the 1980s, like Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, who played with what Harlech describes as ‘inky underpinnings, shadow-wear that is this kind of onyx shield’.

For Harlech, an approach which blurs beauty and ready-to-wear is set to be the next big consideration for skincare, more than just a passing trend: ‘Given the condition that I was in, I needed this type of product to exist more than most. But now that consumers are as well-informed as they are about ingredients, about provenance, about sustainability, and about wellness, I anticipate a growing desire for clothing which works with, rather than against, all the care and attention we are paying to our skin – our largest and most visible organ.’ It’s a valid point to make. A multi-step routine bolstered with costly treatments and supplements is becoming increasingly commonplace on the face, but below the neck we are likely to be a little more negligent. And even for those who pride themselves on thorough and consistent body care, why waste those products on skin that then becomes irritated, or even damaged, by unsuitable fabrics?

Sylva’s next collection is dropping early this year, and with new stockists including Selfridges and Dover Street Market on the horizon, Harlech looks set to be at the forefront of fashion’s wearable beauty movement. The only question is: will the rest of the industry follow?

officialsylva.com