Ganni And Ester Manas Join Forces On A Size-Inclusive Summer Holiday Collection
When Ester Manas received an Instagram DM from Ganni’s creative director Ditte Reffstrup following her eponymous brand’s first runway show in 2021, she thought it was fake. “I was shocked,” the French designer tells Vogue via Zoom, from her Paris studio. “I didn’t respond at first; I thought it can’t be real.”
Despite the false start, the two women felt an instant connection when they eventually met. “After five minutes, I knew it would be a good collaboration; we both respect each other,” Reffstrup says from Ganni’s headquarters in Copenhagen.
Perfect for those currently planning their summer vacations, the 10-piece capsule collection, landing on 16 June, is inspired by post-beach holiday dressing. “We really wanted to have the feeling when you’ve been to the beach all day or by the pool, and you’re looking forward to going out,” Reffstrup describes. “That feeling is one of the things I treasure the most when on holiday.”
Combining both brand’s signatures, there are slinky, ruched dresses in aqua blue and burgundy, as well as swimwear featuring Ester Manas’s signature criss-cross neckline. “It was nice because there are a lot of similarities in our style, so it was very organic,” Balthazar Delepierre, Ester Manas co-founder and designer, explains of the collaboration. “We both share a big interest in colour,” Manas adds.
Of course, size inclusivity was a key part of the capsule collection, which – like Ganni’s main line – is available in sizes EU32 to 52 (UK 4 to 24). At their first meeting, Manas told Reffstrup of how, during her time at fashion school, she met resistance when trying to cast plus-size models for a show. “I was told, ‘She’s got to be really beautiful, if she’s big,’” Manas recalls. It’s a story that resonated with Reffstrup, who says she’s often felt that fashion is “not a very inclusive industry”.
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