Whilst everyone seems to be engrossed in the Little Mermaid casting news and totally unsolicited discussions on what race this Disney character should or shouldn’t be, Kim Jones is bringing back the long forgotten sea creatures. Remember mermen? Those muscly men with rainbow-dyed bears and iridescent lycra tails posing on sandy beaches who just wouldn’t leave tabloid headlines and Instagram feeds a few years back? This is them now, grown up and sophisticated, with a great taste in arts and an even better taste in fashion. Dior’s brand new swimwear collection for men builds on the characters of robot mermaids originally imagined by Hajime Sorayama. The collaboration between Sorayama and Jones kicked off last November at the Pre-Fall 2019 mens show in Tokyo. The Japanese artist created an 11-metre-tall statue of one of his sexy ladybots which served as the centrepiece of the future-looking collection. Now, Sorayama is back with retro futuristic images of wild nature, oceanic ripples and tropical flora joined by robot mermaids and dolphins. In the hands of Kim Jones, these unique prints became sportswear summer classics.
The tight edit includes everything you might need on your upcoming holiday. Reworked Hawaiian shirts, swim shorts, lightweight jackets in breezy rayon and nylon, as well as neckerchiefs. There’s special editions of staple accessories too – we know how good Mr Jones is at making us want to buy those small pieces of luxury. A trio of bags – the pouch, the Roller cross-body bag and the bum bag – are all made in a tropical-patterned leather. A high top and a low top trainer in the same print, as well as a large beach towel… You might as well get the whole bundle. Who needs a holiday abroad when you can dip into the shallow seas of Great Britain? There’s also *plenty* of drinks to match your look there too. Ibiza or Blackpool? Who cares, you’re wearing Dior for god’s sake.
The new Dior men’s beachwear collection in collaboration with Hajime Sorayama is available to shop in selected stores and online.
