SURF STYLE:You don't need to know a duck dive from a barrel roll to rock the colourful surfing look, writes Deirdre McQuillan.
SURF FASHION is riding the crest of a wave at the moment. From the Pacific to the Atlantic, its breezy styles, soaked in sunshine and colour, are spicing up both windy shores and landlocked city streets. Those who don't know a duck dive from a barrel roll and whose only contact with surf may have been washing powder are now sporting variations on board shorts, rash vests and leggings, the very stuff of surfwear.
Surfing shares a common vocabulary with fashion; waves, currents, trends and forecasts are common to both. So it's not surprising the two go hand in hand. With world-class breaks in Ireland drawing ever-increasing crowds to the western seaboard in pursuit of perfect barrels, the black neoprene wetsuit, more forgiving than a swimsuit, has transformed the lure of the sea, besides imparting a lean, linear silhouette to any body shape. Back on land, colourful board shorts with floral or fusion prints following the curving lines of the shore bring a summer look to a grey day, a touch of Hawaii to Bundoran.
Sharp designers have taken note of surfing's cool image of sun-bleached youth and energy. Its influence on luxury brands has been huge. Keeping an ear to the ground - or in this case, a weather eye on the craze - Karl Lagerfeld injected his Chanel show in December 2002 with a surfing scenario complete with CC boards and it wasn't long before others followed suit. Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton hauled neoprene out of wetsuits into cocktail dresses and smart luggage bags. In New York, Anna Sui glammed up rash vests with floral prints in a surf-inspired collection, though Balenciaga's shark printed wetsuits didn't catch on that quick. More recently, Luella Bartley, who is both a surfer and a fashion designer, has collaborated on a collection with the mega US surf brand O'Neill.
Key players such as Quiksilver, Roxy, Billabong, Rip Curl and other US and Aussie beach brands have brought surfwear to trendy landlubbers worldwide, made ritzy little bikinis with strong graphics and leafy print dresses that are colourful and kooky. There's fun in the flip flops, with inbuilt bottle openers, while floppy hats in funky prints and easygoing beach bags complete the surf chic look.
"Loads of people not necessarily living the lifestyle love the look," says Amy Hamilton, formerly of the On Board surf shop in Dublin. "It's easy to wear, is not just about passing trends and you don't look as if you're trying too hard."