Timeless style with a retro twist

by | Aug 1, 2017 | Style & Fashion, Watches, Jewellery & Accessories

Fashion has always looked to the past for reference, and the S/S17 collections were no exception.

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”10″][vc_custom_heading text=”Retro Twist”][vc_separator color=”black” border_width=”2″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-page”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]

Fashion has always looked to the past for reference, and the S/S17 collections were no exception. The catwalks held a nostalgic edge, heavily influenced by the 1960’s, 70’s 80’s and beyond. These are eras that have been heavily interpreted over the years, and don’t always appear to align with the luxury customer, for whom the key to personal style has always been the pursuit of the timeless.

However we shouldn’t rule out working retro influences into a refined luxury wardrobe. The eras have much to offer, and the season’s catwalk collections are anything but pastiche, allowing opportunity to pull key elements that give a nod to a theme, whilst remaining essentially of our time. These subtle nods can actually raise a classic wardrobe and give it a welcome edge. As who wants to look like a (albeit stylish) carbon copy?

In the same way, modern luxury hotels often aim to align to eras whilst maintaining a style that eludes pigeonholing. Our three featured hotels’ design can all suit luxury capsule wardrobes with retro influences, however the location also plays a part. Lake Como, where the glitterati of the 1960’s made their summer home; Ibiza in keeping with the free spirit of the 1970’s; and the French Riviera, the playground of the rich and famous and their yachts in the high flying 1980’s. That these locations are all European is no coincidence. The continent holds such strong associations with the era they are a natural stylistic match.

So this season embrace the past: pull inspiration from eras you enjoy within the latest collections, and visit hotels and destinations whose design influences inspire you. And rest assured that choice retro references will only enhance the timelessness of a luxury wardrobe. Not as craaazy as it first appears, baby. ‡

© This article was first published in June/July 2017 edition of World Travel Magazine.

Subscribe to the latest edition now by clicking here.

 

If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on World Travel Magazine, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.

And if you liked this story, subscribe to our bi-monthly World Travel Magazine, a handpicked selection of editorial features and stories from Global Destinations, Inspire Me, Insider, Style File, Wellness & Travel, City Travel, Suite Life, At Leisure, Short Breaks and much more.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

World Travel Magazine Edition

Newsletter

Where to Eat in Bangkok: Street Stalls to Fine Dining

World Travel Magazine has eaten its way through this city before, but the Thai capital’s table keeps deepening, and this is the fuller map: who’s cooking, what they’re cooking, and why it matters.

Chengdu to Oaxaca: 2026’s Next Food Destinations

The gastronomy frontiers the world’s most discerning eaters are quietly moving toward. Read the signals before they become reservations you can’t get.

India’s Hardest Restaurant Reservations of 2026

Nine seats in a basement, sixteen at a pizzeria, an invite-only bar inside a hundred-year-old mill. In 2026 the flex is no longer the spend. It is the reservation.

China’s Table Has Arrived: Asia’s New Fine-Dining Capital

For years the world’s most exciting Asian food story was told in Tokyo and Bangkok. In 2026, the plot moved to China — and anyone who isn’t paying attention is about to be left behind.

Seychelles Luxury Travel: Why Summer Is the Time to Go

A first-person guide to the granitic Inner Seychelles — Mahé, Praslin and La Digue — with North Island, Frégate, giant tortoises, and why summer is the season.

The Kimberley in July: Luxury Cruises, Lodges & Art

When to visit the Kimberley and how — the July dry-season window, luxury expedition cruises (True North, Ponant, Seabourn) and where to stay.

Kandy to Ella Train: Sri Lanka’s Tea Country by Rail

On the slowest, most beautiful train ride in Asia, a carriage full of strangers, and a grandmother who found her childhood at 6,000 feet.

Swimming With Humpback Whales in Vava’u, Tonga

On swimming with humpbacks in the South Pacific, the fear that comes before wonder, and the day the ocean rearranged what I thought I knew.

Essaouira in July: Morocco’s Cool, Windswept Coast

A July guide to Essaouira, Morocco: the windswept Atlantic coast where the alizés keep the blue-and-white medina cool while the interior swelters.

Why the Matterhorn Is Better in Summer, Not Ski Season

The world photographs the Matterhorn in snow and skis past its finest season — green, golden, warm, and half-empty of everyone still dreaming of powder.

Related Articles