After a year spent mostly at home and social distancing mandates slowly but surely being lifted, it’s no secret that we’re all more than ready for a big night out. Whether your plans include a weekend-long rager or dinner inside (!) that restaurant you’ve always been meaning to try, the rest of the year is bound to be filled with good times and even better memories.
With summer plans ahead, “re-emergence fashion” is totally a thing, and we’re redefining what it is that we’ll be wearing to go out — from party tops and baguette bags to dresses and heels to match. If there’s ever a time to truly go all out with your ‘fit, now is it. Don’t worry about all of the loungewear you’ve stocked up on for the past 14 months, those cozy pieces will always be there when you get home.
Below, we asked some of our favorite stylish creatives about their summer fashion aesthetic and to show off their best outfits for their dream night out. Whether it’s partying in Ibiza, dancing at a Reggaeton club, a low-key hang with friends, or a date with Robert Pattinson (you never know!), there’s plenty of inspiration for you to get dressed up.
Lil Ahenkan, TV Host, Author, DJ, and Podcaster
What’s your summer aesthetic and inspiration?
I’m very much cosplaying ‘80s hair goth meets sexy retro-futuristic Matrix vibes. I’m subverting my norm of bright colors. The world is ending, let’s switch it up. Perhaps my outfit is a nod to our impending future of AI dominance and post-apocalyptic robot vibes. I’ve been watching too much of The 100.
What’s your dream night out for this look?
I can distinctly picture myself wearing this for a night of gentle debauchery with Robert Pattinson (when he realizes I exist and asks me out). We start at Din Tai Fung, because I’ve been craving their prawn fried rice and a night like this requires sustenance and stamina. Then we go and see a movie in 4DX because we love the drama of the big screen. We go for a stroll then end up at a rave with excessive smoke machines and laser lights. We talk, we indulge, we dance, we laugh, we share secrets, and by the end of the night, which is now very much the morning, I still look great.
Follow Lil Ahenkan on Instagram.
Kesang, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Trippin
rtesy of Kesang
What’s your summer aesthetic and inspiration?
Colorful. We’ve been inside too long. It’s time to come out and play!
What’s your dream night out for these looks?
The Ibiza blues are real! My dream night out would be catching a groove at Pikes and then heading down to my friend’s bar on this small beach near the top of the island where we would dance the night away. Then sit on the beach, shoes off, watching the sunrise.
Follow Kesang on Instagram.
Victoria Paris, TikToker
What’s your summer aesthetic and inspiration this year?
Colorful, creative, and eclectic. I feel like every outfit I put together has no cohesion or connection to the one I wore prior. Fashion is experimentation and getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. I wear stuff all the time that I look back on and think, ‘Wow that was ugly.’ So honestly my aesthetic for the summer is really just going to be across the board. It’s fun to experiment and try out different looks, but I have been gravitating most towards bold patterns and bright colors.
What’s your dream night out for these looks?
All my outfits are ready for the unexpected. I hate making plans and I’m a very wherever-the-wind-blows kinda girl when it comes to going out. That’s why I love dressing bold and different because if you look like you don’t fit in anywhere, you always stand out no matter the dress code or event. When I was younger, I always felt like the odd one out or just different, like I could never fully fit in no matter what I wore or what I did. Now, I choose to embrace it through my style.
Follow Victoria Paris on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Isabella Lovestory, Singer and Self-Proclaimed Popstar Princess
What’s your summer aesthetic and inspiration?
Extremely, ridiculously short mini dresses paired with very tall high heels. Digital cameras, ferris wheels, yellow butterflies, kaleidoscopes, NYLON Magazine in 2009, hot pink, cash, love, being a spy, and time travel.
What’s your dream night out for this look?
I’d wear this to a date with a hot bad boy with a motorcycle. On a summer day, we would be drinking CBD tequila iced matcha, making out on the ferris wheel for hours. Then we go to a Reggaeton club and he buys me super expensive cocktails. Dancing and dancing. Then we ride his motorcycle back to a five-star hotel and after-party on the rooftop with his hot model friends. And then I almost fall off the rooftop, but he saves me and we kiss in front of the city lights. Finally, I find a million dollars laying on the ground the morning after.
Follow Isabella Lovestory on Instagram and Spotify.
Deto Black, Rapper
What’s your summer aesthetic and inspiration?
Right now I’m just feeling very BLACK, so I’ll probably be wearing a lot of it.
What’s your dream night out for this look?
I’d wear this out to a bar or restaurant with some outdoor seating with my closest friends.
Follow Deto Black on Instagram and Spotify.
Briana King, Skater and Model
What’s your summer aesthetic and inspiration?
Grandma style is the inspo this summer. The grandmas in my life always pack on all the jewelry and I always thought it was so cute but didn’t want the attention of having all the jewels on, but now I couldn’t care less. I recently fell back in love with colors, specifically purple. It’s also my grandma’s favorite color and it just feels fitting to love something as much as I love her. All the colors. All the jewelry.
What’s your dream night out for this look?
I got these shorts for my daily bike rides, so I’m jumping on my ebike and strapping my skateboard onto the side of my bike and meeting up with my bike and skateboarding buddies on the way and going to Venice skatepark. The energy there is always so exciting and friendly. Every session at Venice always happens to turn into a shoot, so it’s the perfect place to wear my perfect outfit. Just gotta show up and have fun and I’ll always end up with some of my favorite photos with my favorite people.
After hours of skating the park, we’ll grab a coconut from our favorite fruit vendor and watch the sunset together. The ride home on an ebike is the best because we get to avoid traffic and we don’t have to pedal. We just sit and relax and yell silly jokes to each other on the busy streets of L.A.
Follow Briana King on Instagram. On Go Skateboarding Day, June 21, Display Only will be hosting a meetup for marginalized genders, including women, transmen, and nonbinary people, at Garvanza Skatepark in Los Angeles.
Mallory Merk, Musician
What’s your summer aesthetic and inspiration?
My summer aesthetic is linking up with true friends and being thankful for the life that we are given, and my summer fashion inspiration is a ‘70’s vibe, endless summer.
What’s your dream night out for this look?
This outfit would be ideal for a night out to Delilah or something more low-key where I’m surrounded by close friends and just having the ultimate vibes. I’d probably wear this outfit when I’m headed out from the studio and going to link up with some friends to chill. I’m not the biggest party girl, but if I’m at house party, you might catch me dancing in my Converse. When I’m with my friends, I’m always prepared for a wild ride and this ‘fit is 111-certified.
Follow Mallory Merk on Instagram and Spotify. Watch her latest music video “Sinister” on YouTube.
Amrit, DJ
What’s your summer aesthetic and inspiration?
Classic, functional, and relaxed. I love oversized tailoring, so most of my looks are always a play on that. A mini skirt with a vest or a loose one-button shirt with a baggy jean or pants. I always look towards leather and more fitted silhouettes for a sexier moment. I’m also realizing, as I look back at these outfits, that I have a very monochromatic approach with my looks!
What’s your dream night out for these looks?
I miss concerts! Seeing a really good live show — that’s definitely something I thought about a lot over quarantine. I prefer more of a dirty martini and late dinner or natural wine bar type night out that goes into a house party or jazz club as opposed to a nightclub vibe.
Follow Amrit on Instagram. Amrit hosts conversations on love, sex, and dating every Tuesday at 12 p.m. PST via Instagram Live, and every Thursday at 4 p.m. PST via “Unhinged” on the NTWRK app.