POSTER GIRL Just Designed Dua Lipa and Vanessa Hudgens's Next Viral Outfits
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At the height of the pandemic, when sweatsuits became our go-to uniform, something strange happened with celebrity style: it seemingly got sexier. Mostly through social media, we were introduced to a ton of exciting, eye-catching designs worth trading loungewear for, like thong pants and upside-down bikinis. POSTER GIRL, in particular, also flooded our feeds, with stars sharing viral selfies in the brand's unique pully-tops and cutout bodysuits.
"It's so true," POSTER GIRL's designers, Francesca Capper and Natasha Somerville, tell InStyle via email. "When we were in lockdown and the loungewear trend exploded, we were both designing essentially the opposite — lots more skin on show. It was such a dystopian feeling for so long that we wanted to design pieces that made people look forward to going out again, and give them a new lease on life."
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Since those days, the craze hasn't calmed down. The list of celebrity fans continues to grow — Dua Lipa, Vanessa Hudgens, Kylie Jenner, Doja Cat, and Megan Fox have all worn the brand — and POSTER GIRL recently showed its Cruise 23 collection during Miami Swim Week. This time around, belts, lace-up details, and ruffles were included in the mix, and Capper and Somerville say they drew inspiration from the '80s.
"We looked at loads of '80s billboard advertising, which is what inspired the hand painting print this season," they tell us. "One of our favorite pieces is this camel-colored silk gown. We love the juxtaposition of the delicate silk ruffles with our big, chunky, custom diamanté belts. We also sourced some '80s illos, which were super fun to deconstruct and create into garments. The corset with blow-up nipples is pretty memorable."
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Plus, it's no surprise that POSTER GIRL opted to return to Miami to show off its new pieces. The city continues to grow as the new fashion capital, and the brand's sexy vibe is loved by locals.
"We love the connotations of Miami against more of a traditional, high-fashion runway show," Capper and Somerville tell us. "It feels right, and we know a lot of POSTER GIRLS are based in Miami, so this makes so much sense to us."
The two add that "it's the best feeling in the world" to know that their hard work is admired by so many, and while the brand has been around since 2017, it's still unbelievable to see famous faces rocking their clothes.
"It still feels so surreal to us to have such incredible stars supporting the brand," they admit. "It's a confirmation for us that our message is being well received and that celebs are fans."
With that said, it's easy to look at POSTER GIRL's flossy, risqué pieces and imagine who might wear what. In fact, Capper and Somerville sometimes do that that, too, during the design process.
"There are always certain looks when we design where we would say 'ahh, imagine Dua in this' or 'imagine Kylie in that!' So when it happens in reality, it's always such a pinch me moment," they say, adding that the process of coming up with their unique creations is a true team effort. "It's very balanced. We have similar ideas — we both sketch hundreds of designs and decide together our favorites. It's also fun to create hybrids of our designs!"
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Still, that kind of creativity doesn't come without a price. The popularity of POSTER GIRL's cutout dresses and bodysuits has, unfortunately, led to tons of dupes and copycats, especially from fast fashion brands, which the two say was frustrating to see at first.
"But then, we reminded ourselves that it only solidifies what a strong product we had created," Capper and Somerville tell us. "There's really only one original and our mark of authenticity is 'tramp stamped' at the lower back of each shapewear style."
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And, while the designers say that Chainmail Metal Mesh and Shapewear have become part of POSTER GIRL's "DNA," constant reinvention is the goal, which will allow them to "stay ahead of all the copies." There are no plans to slow down, either; even after debuting Cruise '23, the two were ready to work on their next drop.
"We will be prepping for our main Spring/Summer 2023 collection right after Cruise, so it's full steam ahead," Capper and Somerville say. "It's really exciting, as our first handbags will also be launching."
