Timeless, chic and minimal is the philosophy behind this luxury swimwear brand, Thapelo Paris. Established by Sydney born, Wil Ariyamethe, as the name suggests Thapelo Paris is both designed and produced in France, highlighting the brand as not only swimwear but also fashion pieces. Known for their pleated, draped and clean lines, Thapelo Paris plays on the contemporary, with a retro glamour. Twin caught up with the brand to find out more.

Tell us about Thapelo Paris…
I’ve always had the idea to start a business. A large part of my work experience was developing swim lines and I enjoyed it, so it felt instinctual to start a swim based fashion brand. Thapelo is a French company and was set up after my husband and I relocated to Paris. The first collection was a small capsule in 2011.

What is the secret to the perfect swimwear?
You wouldn’t guess how much work goes into finding the right balance between sex appeal and elegance. It’s all in the cut and details to flatter the different parts of a woman’s body. I love to accentuate the fold of a woman’s back and of course the right amount of cleavage. We design pieces that can appeal to a mix of women and not a cliched view of certain age groups. There are so many different components into making a great swimsuit, a high quality quick dry stretch fabric and to mix fashion details (accessories) for the different collections.

What makes Thapelo Paris different?
It’s a combination of elements that make us different. We work closely with our manufacturers and admire the French savoir-faire, so we are 100% made in France. As we’re in Paris it’s such a great base and inspiration for fashion. We aim to make swimwear that is considered to be fashion pieces.

Do you have an all time favourite piece?
Like the little black dress I love the MIMI, our version of a classic black one piece swimsuit. But I’m excited about our upcoming Resort and SS16 collections. I’ve been wearing our new collection tunics over pants as they translate well into city daywear.

Where is your favourite holiday destinations?
Thailand and Australia.

What are your top 5 suitcase essentials?
-Sandals, lots of sandals.

-Lightweight bags, I hate carrying a heavy bag or suitcase. I travel as light as possible.

-Jersey dresses that can go day and night.

-A natural face and body scrub so I get a nice tan, something that smells tropical too so I really feel like I’m on holidays!

-Paw paw ointment.

thapelo-paris.com

Tags: SS15, Swimwear, Thapelo Paris

It’s officially time to dust off those shades. Or, purchase some shiny new ones. When choosing the right frames, timelessness is key as trend-led styles will bore you over time. You may be partial to a tortoiseshell pair, but here at Twin we like to keep things a bit more classic.

Our top four sunglasses are synonymous with effortless style; their shapes will stand the test of time, but are much more than your standard wayfarer. Their design is durable, hard-wearing and feels luxurious when worn. It’s time to take your pick…

Prism Brasilia in Black, £255, prismlondon.com & Ace & Tate Monty in Smoke, £89, aceandtate.com

Retro Super Future Terrazzol, £182, farfetch.com & The Row 8 in Black and Silver, £275, lindafarrow.com 

Tags: Ace & Tate, Linda Farrow, RETROSUPERFUTURE, SS15, Sunglasses, The Row

Culottes are a welcome reminder that the weather is heading in the right direction. Either worn with flatforms or crisp white kicks, it’s finally time to bare those legs (well part of them) in some wide-leg crop-length trousers.

Our top four just so happen to be made from the fabric of the season, denim. And we’ve taken a liking to the frayed variety, but you’ll find a plethora of styles, cuts and washes out there. Here are our Twin picks to get you started.

High-Wasited Denim Culottes, £135, self-portrait-studio.com & Raw Edge Hem Denim Culottes in White, £268, charlie-may.co.uk

Frayed Edge Denim Culottes, £30, monki.com & A Tentative Atelier Asymmetrical Culottes, £328, farfetch.com

Tags: A Tentative Atelier, Charlie May, Culottes, Denim, Monki, Self Portrait, SS15

One spring/summer collaboration we cannot wait for is Whistles’ latest with Stutterheim. Together with the go-to Swedish brand for rainwear, the British high-street label will be creating unisex, handmade rubberised cotton coats.

“Whistles collaborations are about finding experts in the market and working with them to produce beautiful, functional, carefully crafted exclusive pieces,” states Jane Shepherdson, Chief Executive Officer of Whistles. “Stutterheim was chosen because it produces the highest quality rain-wear and its simplicity, functionality and timeless style perfectly complements the Whistles aesthetic.”

The Whistles x Stutterheim Raincoats will cost £235, and will be available from March in two colourways. 

whistles.com

stutterheim.com

Tags: SS15, Stutterheim, Whistles

For their SS15 campaign video, Creative Directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim once again called on the talents of Toilet Paper Magazine, a collective composed of artist Maurizio Cattelan, photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari and art director, Micol Talso. Set in a graphic and modern cityscape, we find ourselves emerged in an optimistic utopia, where nothing is what it seems.

“For us, TOILETPAPER were an obvious choice for us to work with on this project,” stated Leon and Lim. “The strength and impact of their work is often in the most subtle visual tricks which become more powerful the longer you are exposed to them.”

kenzo.com

Tags: Kenzo, SS15, Toiletpaper

Topshop has once again teamed up with fashion golden girl, Cara Delevingne, to bring us its SS15 collection. Styled by Topshop Creative Director Kate Phellan and shot by Alasdair McLellan, this is will be the third campaign that the British supermodel has done for the fashion giant.

The shoot itself focuses on clean lines and a pared-back aesthetic, featuring 15 key looks from the collection. Accompanying the shoot is a video of Cara’s kooky antics on set – expect a whole assortiment of musical instruments, alongside lots of jumping and dancing.

topshop.com

Tags: campaign, Cara Delevingne, SS15, Topshop

For spring summer 2015 Linda Farrow invites us into their wanderlust themed world. The new collection features molten metallics, frosted pastel hues and glossed frames, all created in hyper-luxe materials, with an extraordinary finish and attention to detail Linda Farrow has become renewed for.

With the help of set designer Gemma Tickle and photographer Kate Jackling, the SS15 still life campaign highlights the new colours and styles, emphasising the quality and impeccable design of the collection.

Shop a preview of the collection online and at the Mount Street location, as well as their Selfridges concession.

lindafarrow.com

Tags: Linda Farrow, SS15, Still Life, Sunglasses

Balmain has revealed its Spring/Summer 2015 advertising campaign, photographed by Mario Sorrenti and art directed by Pascal Dangin. Creative Director Olivier Rousteing created an army for the Autumn/Winter 2014 season, and has carried this idea forward into the next, where we see models Adriana Lima, Joan Smalls, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Isabeli Fontana, and Crista Cober in their Balmain uniforms. Dangin wanted to take the theme even further, injecting a sense of pop-relevance into the campaign by plotting the models in surreal interpretations of everyday environments. Inspired by the distorted realism of 1970s French cinema, the imagery transforms familiar settings like subway platforms and diner scenes into surreal tableaus of the Balmain world.

“Balmain is all about diversity,” states Rousteing. “The incredible power that all those strong women bring in front of the camera, put into real life situations, helped me explore and create a new reality that represents the pop aspect of my generation. The Balmain reality, my reality. This is the new Balmain army and the game is on!”

balmain.com

Tags: Balmain, Mario Sorrenti, Olivier Rousteing, Pascal Dangin, SS15

St Petersburg native Timur Kim continued to hone his signature patchwork technique for SS15, as seen at LFW last month. Updating denim with digital prints, the show saw models marching down the runway in pleats, tailoring and clean silhouettes.

With the precision of an architect, Kim focuses on the structural integrity of each garment. Each item is handmade in his Dalston studio, where he produces both his RTW collections and one-off bespoke pieces.

Having worked with fashion greats including, Alexander McQueen, the fusion of bold colour and striking shapes in his latest collection has a distinctly retromodern feel that is uniquely Kim’s own.

timurkim.com

Tags: LFW, SS15, timur kim

Karl Lagerfeld, fashion innovator – and psychic? In light of current events, the Chanel fashion show on Tuesday was even more on point than usual. The Boulevard Chanel, constructed down to the very last detail including puddles and panes of glass, was the elegant backdrop to a revolution. Of course, Lagerfeld actually conceived the idea for the latest show many months ago, taking France’s love for la revolution as inspiration.

Distinct parallels can be seen with the infamous manifestations of Mai 68. Back then, the smell of both personal and political freedom was in the air, which Lagerfeld translated into his clothing for his SS15 collection. The catwalk was a riot of colour and print, with 60s and 70s style separates dominating the silhouette. The collection was not tied down to a single colour, pattern nor shape, celebrating our precious liberty and independence to choose. No doubt the feminist movement of Mai 68 would approve.

chanel.com

Tags: Chanel, Feminism, Karl Lagerfeld, PFW, SS15

As the fashion pack heads to Milan, we look back at the Burberry SS15 show from London Fashion Week. Titled The Birds & The Bees, Christopher Bailey’s vision for spring featured butterfly and honey bee motifs, along with bright bold font designs. Those same prints were hand-painted on the runway and plastered on the transparent roof, further illustrating Bailey’s inspirations. The Mac, more than just a Burberry staple, came in denim, suede or satin, and some were cropped or flared. And of course, everything was tied in a cute tulle sash bow.

This season Burberry partnered up with YouTube, giving us unrivalled access to the SS15 show highlights and much more. Watch the video below.

burberry.com

Tags: Burberry, LFW, SS15

Ralph Lauren introduced it’s new Polo line for women in a new, revolutionary way at New York Fashion Week.  The models walked a runway that was projected above Manhattan’s Central Park, appearing like beautiful mirages using four-story-tall holographic effects.

“I really wanted to do something big for the new Polo Women’s brand — something set in the city — that felt modern. We
returned to Central Park, a place I love, and captured the spirit of Polo with a truly innovative mix of fashion and
technology,” said Ralph Lauren.

To find out more, watch the behind the scenes film below.

ralphlauren.co.uk

Tags: NYFW, Ralph Lauren, SS15

EDIT started off as a contemporary consept store in Hong Kong. However, inspired by their clientele, the founders decided to start a ready-to-wear brand to match their style and fashion perspective, launching just in time for Pre SS15. With an eclectic mix of feminine and street-wear, EDIT’s first collection is full of wardrobe staples, day-to-night go betweens and bold statement pieces, all in reasonable price-points (everything retails at under £250), giving us the perfect addition to any modern girl’s wardrobe.

Having impressed the womenswear buyers at Liberty, you will find the tomboy cool meets high-end feminine label in the British store come October. We can wait.

edit-thebrand.com

Tags: EDIT, liberty, Liberty's, SS15

Pamela Costantini is a new name in the footwear industry, one to remember however. Before starting her eponymous line, the Italian born designer worked for the likes of Roberto Cavalli and studied at The European Institute of Design, but a jewellery collection sparked interest in going it alone. The first collection will be released in Spring/Summer 2015, however we couldn’t wait till then to find out more. Here, we chat with Pamela herself.

When did your love affair with shoes begin?
I think it really started when I was young – I used to be a real tomboy and hated wearing shoes at all. My equestrian boots really changed my mind – they were the first pair of shoes I fell in love with and now shoes are everything!

Why did you decide to start your own brand after five years in the industry?
It was all very spontaneous. Two friends of mine – Roberto and Diego – were designing a beautiful collection for their jewellery line called SCHIELD. Then we thought about how we could incorporate their jewels with a shoe line and it really just built on from there. I decided to do a few designs and try it out.

Tell us about the traditional handcrafted Italian techniques used to create your designs?
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with the best tanneries and factories in Tuscany – which all specialise in very high quality leather. Their craftsmen working on my line are artisans which a huge amount of experience in luxury products. It has definitely been a process going back and forth with my designs – the craftsmen have a huge amount of patience, listening to my ideas to develop a collection and make them a reality.

What sparked your thorn themed collection?
I have always been inspired by the 90’s grunge aesthetic and religious iconography. Also Helmut Newton photography – the feeling he is able to evoke through composition, colour and subject. When my friends showed me designs of their new collection with the thorn element – I had a clear vision for my shoes.

Do you design with your own taste in mind?
Yes, definitely. I think it is really the reason I wanted to start my own line. Now I can just design everything I would die to own and wear!

Just one more – heels or flats?
Flats are a trend, heels are forever.

Tags: Footwear, Pamela Constantini, SS15

Tags: Christopher Shannon, Clym Evernden, Craig Green, JW Anderson, Louis Vuitton, Menswear, prada, Public School NYC, SS15, Y-3