Paolina Russo is on a gap year for spring 2025—at least, according to this season’s mood board. It all began with a trip that Russo took to LA. “It was the first time I’ve gone as an adult, and staying on Venice Beach, there was something really positive about the lifestyle,” the designer said, describing the surfers she’d see catching waves each morning, dressed in colorful swimwear.
It’s this mood that Russo and her co-founder, Lucile Guilmard, wanted to capture in their latest offering, translated quite literally into Lycra surf tops featuring bold sunburst patterns, reminiscent of the Billabong and Roxy designs you’d find in the late ’90s and early ’00s. Beachwear is a new category for the London-based label best known for its knitwear: There was a brightly printed chiffon minidress, a sarong, and the brand’s first bikinis. Elsewhere, babydoll tops tapped into the boho revival that’s happening right now.
While the searing color palette of neon pink and lime green won’t necessarily be to everyone’s taste, it’s clear that Russo and Guilmard approached this collection with a real sense of freedom. “It’s super important to keep this process of experimentation; it’s the thing that makes us excited about our job and motivates us to keep going,” Russo said. The duo, who aim to highlight a new craft each season, worked with artisans in Peru to create a hippieish crochet hoodie and Bermuda shorts, while jeans featuring handwoven lattice detailing were naturally dyed.
Above all, though, the pair wanted to bring some much-needed joy into all of our lives via the medium of clothing. “We had a lot of fun making this collection,” Guilmard said. That positive Paolina Russo energy shone through—this season more than ever.
