PAOLITA LAUNCHES SS21 ‘HYDRA’ COLLECTION

The latest collection from Paolita takes us on a journey to the Aegean for a sense of vitality and escapism, inspired by traditional costumes worn by strong female figures of nineteenth century Greece to present ‘HYDRA’ – a striking and vibrant collection of resort wear with a selection of versatile pieces designed for the beach and beyond and incorporating a brand-new Sustainable Swimwear range.

2021 marks 200 years of the revolution for Greek independence from the Ottoman empire and the creation of modern Greece as we know it. This era saw many heroic women in leading roles, both fighting for and often funding the revolution. These mothers, daughters, wives, traders and cavalry companions are the remarkable and powerful women who have inspired Paolita’s Founder and Creative Director, Anna Paola, to design this latest collection, which also marks the brand’s 10th Anniversary year!

Anna has drawn on her Grecian roots for this collection, meticulously researching costume archives and museums to build her rich colour palette synonymous with the time, evident in the earthy charcoals, deep reds, metallics, and the effervescent turquoise of the Aegean.

As always, craftmanship remains at the heart of her designs – this time intricate and illustrative hand-drawn prints pay homage to art and culture of the era, spanning ornate jewellery to dowry boxes and of course the sea, which can be seen laced throughout the collection. This attention to detail combined with a blend of quality, fluid fabrics and relaxed tailoring gives a sense of bold expression and liberated elegance.

Made in Europe, each piece of swimwear in the collection has been produced using softly knitted, recycled fibres sourced locally from waste materials and regenerated using a natural process which minimises CO2 emissions and water consumption. Designed to last, each item has been carefully crafted to provide a combination of maximum comfort, sculpting fit technology, timeless style and durability.

The ‘HYDRA’ Collection marks a milestone year for the brand as it turns 10 this year after opening a new concept store in Notting Hill at the end of 2020, bringing an exciting new retail space to showcase its own collections alongside a growing number of ethically-minded accessory and lifestyle brand partners including Pala Eyewear, Yosuzi, Katerina Psoma, Kalmar Lifestyle, A Piedi, Union of London and Weel and Merle. In addition, the store-come-gallery space is also currently home to New York based artist, Ioanna Pantazopoulou, who spent three months doing an art residency on the premises, creating a spectacular sculptural installation, UNDOMESTICATED, which can be seen spanning the windows until May.

“2021 is an important year for me as it is the 10-year anniversary of my first collection, so I have wanted to make it meaningful. Having grown up in Greece, I thought it was a funny coincidence that 2021 was also the 200-year anniversary of the Greek revolution and so I began researching more about it and discovered these incredible women and the art and culture of that time – and through this journey the ‘HYDRA’ Collection was born!

“Developing the Sustainable Swimwear range has been a dedicated focus for us as we have strived to discover the most pioneering processes that both ensure the most environmentally conscious production methods while also allowing us to maintain our high-quality fabrics. We are proud to have adopted this new innovation, which marks a step towards further product developments as we continue our commitment to responsibly source and produce our future ranges.

“Whether you are travelling near or far this summer, we are looking forward to brighter times ahead and hope the ‘HYDRA’ collection will bring some of the colour and vibrancy we are all craving!” – Paolita Founder, Anna Paola