I always find summer to be the most fun time of year to dress for, a moment to lean into unbridled whimsy, indulge my more playful sartorial impulses and generally walk on the wild side, especially when I’m on holiday. Sassy, impulsive, with a proclivity for ridiculously oversized sunhats, novelty shades and capacious beach bags, my summer style alter ego has a brash, no-holds-barred approach to packing – in other words, the more trunks, the merrier. When I give myself (and several suitcases) permission to take it there, my look goes to places I’d never dream of exploring in everyday life. Travelling light? Not so much. “For some, a vacation is a time to live in shorts and a T-shirt. For me, it’s an opportunity to wear a full look,” says model Paloma Elsesser, who is, mercifully, something of a kindred spirit in this regard. London-born and Los Angeles-raised, she’s one of a trio of well-travelled models opening up their suitcases in this issue and who, as you’ll discover, have holiday style down to a fine art.
Truly a muse for all seasons, Jerry Hall makes a triumphant return to British Vogue this month. Ahead of her 70th birthday, on 2 July, the peerless Texan model and actor met with writer Kate Lloyd at Hall’s country home in Henley for a particularly satisfying trip down memory lane. “Hall is an It girl to her bones: irresistibly funny; a generous gossip; the kind of person people switch place cards to sit next to at dinner parties,” writes Lloyd, whose interview sparkles on the page. Shot by Charlotte Wales and styled by Robbie Spencer, the accompanying fashion images fizz with rock’n’roll charm too. No doubt it’s a taste of things to come when she takes her place on The Celebrity Traitors later this year.
Elsewhere in the issue, Michael Rider steps forward as a rising star in fashion’s new vanguard. The Céline creative director became a favourite among editors virtually overnight with his first collection almost a year ago. He’s imbued his designs with a sense of joy and optimism ever since, right down to Celine’s coveted Smile bag. Writer Christopher Bollen finds out just how the American designer is making his mark on the most quintessentially Parisian of fashion houses.
Meanwhile, back on home turf, actor Sandra Oh talks to British Vogue about her imminent London stage debut at the National Theatre, where she’ll star in Martin Crimp’s reimagining of Molière’s The Misanthrope. Thanks to the National’s terrific new artistic director, Indhu Rubasingham, the roles have been gender-flipped with Oh leading Crimp’s adaptation of the 17th-century comedy of manners. It marks an exciting beat in Rubasingham’s forthcoming series of women-centring productions at the National.
Another delightful bright spot on the cultural calendar: Sunny Dancer, a coming-of-age dramedy poised to be this summer’s breakout indie hit. The film tells the story of six teenagers in remission at “chemo camp” and features a brilliantly talented ensemble of young British actors, including former Vogue cover star Bella Ramsey, who’s photographed alongside their castmates for this issue. At just 26, the film’s director, George Jaques, is rapidly earning a reputation as cinema’s new wunderkind, and the new Brit pack of talents he’s assembled for this latest project are the stars of tomorrow.
