Watercult has been journeying across time zones and cultures to create a new collection that demonstrates an interesting clash of styles for spring/summer 2018. Influences from the 90s in the form of high-lo shapes, vintage jungle prints with oversized ruffles, artisanal handicraft and activewear-inspired styling are all key messages of the collection, which features a colour palette of pastels, airy new shades of conch shell pink, vanilla ice, horizon blue and sunshine yellow, as well as mid-tone shades of watermelon, indigo and turquoise.
Neutrals have become more luxurious with the offer of vintage khaki, sand and stone as alternatives to timeless black. Dark and muted colours such as vintage jungle and black are equally important for the summer palette, contrasting with fresh, crisp white. Constantly battling with florals for the top spot of the print list, this year’s stripe stories are highly versatile. Returning for another season as primary print themes, they play with direction, added texture and pastel interpretations for a new take on nautical themes.
Batik – a swim staple – is shown as a tie-die print, applied crochet techniques giving this fresh print on crisp white with indigo tints a new look for next summer. An illusion of texture is another key print trend, with digital printing producing 3D effects, knitted structures as print backgrounds or a fusion of patterns to create a rich texture of multiple motifs.
