ELLE March 2022

1 CHANGE AGENT Cape Town–based designer Sindiso Khumalo was named an LVMH Prize finalist in 2020 thanks in part to her passion for sustainability and African history. A former architecture student who worked for Sir David Adjaye, Khumalo pursued her interest in textiles at Central Saint Martins and now partners with NGOs and artisan workshops in South Africa to tell stories of female empowerment through her designs. You can find her work at Net-A-Porter, where she was selected as a member of the retailer’s Vanguard program. net-a-porter.com. 2 CULTURE STUDY For more than 100 years, Japan has been at the forefront of pearl cultivation, having devised innovative farming methods early in the 20th century. Tokyo designer Yuta Ishihara subtly upended tradition when he launched Yutai, daring to splice the precious spheres and fuse them…

Emerging from hibernation? Designers have you covered with a colorful, retro approach to leisurewear this spring. Anoraks and windsuits are a key component, as seen at Stella McCartney, Tod’s, and Loewe, while statement sneakers show no sign of losing status (Gucci’s basketball shoe is the stuff hoop dreams are made of). And never underestimate the power of mood-boosting gear: Brandon Maxwell’s translucent yoga mat/towel holder is sure to be the envy of your next class or swim meet, while Hampton’s candy-colored weights will help temper the burn. Even better: Find a gym as “accidentally Wes Anderson” as Edinburgh’s Royal Commonwealth Pool, as photographed here by Soo Burnell. Finally, no workout kit is complete without Katie Sturino’s best-selling clean and cruelty-free Megababe deodorant. BRANDON MAXWELL MODEL: PHOTOGRAPHED BY SLAVEN VLASIC/GETTY IMAGES; LOEWE…

Our Spring Fashion issue is brimming with famous faces, from cover star Zoë Kravitz to Morbius actress Adria Arjona and supermodels Anna Ewers and Arizona O Muse. Kravitz happens to be an ELLE girl from way back: An early-career photo shoot we did with her, in 2007, billed the actress as “one fashionable act to follow.” These days, she’s taking the lead: She’s strapping on the legendary skintight Catwoman suit for her role in The Batman and prepping to direct Channing Tatum in the feature Pussy Island, which she also cowrote. Though Kravitz is the daughter of both Hollywood and rock royalty, her motivation has come from “wanting to prove not only to the world, but to myself, that I deserve to take up space in the industry,” as she…

MY FELLOW FASHION LOVERS who grew up with a dog-eared copy of D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths and idle daydreams of walking among deities, our time is now. For spring 2022, echoes of antiquity breathed new-old life into the runway, from the dreamy gathered gowns at Loewe and statuary-inspired trompe l’oeil triumphs at Thom Browne to looks fit for Aphrodite herself at Alaïa, Proenza Schouler, Rick Owens, Schiaparelli, and Dries Van Noten. Dior’s cruise 2022 collection was shown at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, each model’s silhouette casting a long, elegant shadow on the weathered marble of the Olympic site. Exquisite drapery, fluid lines, and feminine grace will never truly go out of style, but the new designs put a fresh spin on the Greco-Roman chitons and togas of the past.…

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, the notion that the four traditionally accepted fashion capitals were the final word on what defines style has thankfully gone the way of skinny jeans. Tbilisi, Lagos, and Copenhagen have all shifted the spotlight from New York, London, Milan, and Paris, and last fall, Doha, Qatar, found itself front and center for the third edition of its groundbreaking talent incubator, Fashion Trust Arabia’s award ceremony. Inspired by the success of the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Trust in the UK, the nonprofit FTA provides a high-profile platform and funding to the most promising young design talent from the Middle East and North Africa. It’s led by philanthropist Tania Fares (a native of Lebanon and cochair of the charitable arm of the British Fashion Trust), with Her Highness…

If the mere mention of “Mommy and me” dressing elicits painful flashbacks of frilly dresses with large lace collars, take a deep breath and envision a pair of black I cashmere crewnecks from The Row instead. The luxe line from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen is one of a handful of fashion-insider labels catering to a new generation of discerning parents: those who want to dress their kids as they do themselves. Big fashion houses, including Burberry and Ralph Lauren, primed shoppers to pay a pretty penny for pint-size designer pieces. Now smaller, cult-favorite brands are offering a new aesthetic, a noticeable departure from traditional kids’ styles. More minimal and casual designs, often in neutral or subdued hues, eschew gender categorization and offer greater flexibility. Think fewer itchy, smocked floral dresses;…