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Sep 12, 2023

My Summer Style Guide: Laura Hawkins, British Vogue’s Acting Associate European Fashion Features Director

All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Throughout August, we’ll be

All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Throughout August, we’ll be shining a light on your summer style. Here’s how Laura Hawkins, British Vogue’s Acting Associate European Fashion Features Director, is spending the season—and what’s in her suitcase…

What’s your essential summer purchase—and why do you love it?

I bought one of Paco Rabanne's ruched stretch jersey dresses in black a few years ago in the Browns sale, and I've worn it back-to-back every summer since—on holiday in the south of France, Mallorca, Ibiza… the list goes on. This versatile piece is perfect for throwing over a bikini on the beach or pairing with sparkling flats for dinner. Even better: You can hand-wash it in the bathroom basin of your hotel or villa and throw it over your balcony for a quick dry when it needs a mid-holiday refresh.

Where’s a place you love to visit—and what makes it special to you?

I've partied at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Festival with a pack of pals almost every year since 2013. The south-of-France-situated festival means you can slurp rosé and eat oysters all day before descending into the Roman amphitheatre in the sleepy seaside town of Sete for live music and DJs until the early hours.

What’s your favorite swimwear—and the beach where you’ll be wearing it?

Forget frills and prints: I'm a die-hard fan of a sporty black bikini. However many swimwear styles I throw into a suitcase when packing for a holiday, I always end up wearing the same simple style: Versace’s black and gold Greca-motif bikini top, which I bought for my honeymoon to Barbados last summer and will be wearing when I travel to the Sicilian island of Pantelleria for the first time in August. There are no beaches to speak of on the rocky island, but I'll be doing my best to catch an Italian-level tan on a craggy outcrop.

What’s the one fashion item you wouldn’t go on vacation without, and why?

Gone are the days of over-sunning my face. I now protect my sensitive nose with a leopard-print Ganni bucket hat that I've had for years—I wouldn't go anywhere vaguely warm without it!

What’s your summer beauty staple—and why?

Cloud cover or not, I dutifully apply Avène Very High Protection Tinted Sun Cream SPF50+ each morning. The formulation has the perfect amount of tinted coverage so that you don't need anything else.

Rabanne

Black Draped Jersey Dress

PACO RABANNE

Ruched Stretch-Jersey Mini Dress

NORMA KAMALI

Smock Recycled Bikini Top

TOTEME

Smock recycled Bikini Briefs

TOTEME

Geca Border Bikini Top

VERSACE

Greca Border Bikini Bottoms

VERSACE

Leopard Pring Bucket Hat

GANNI

Le Bob Artichaut

JACQUEMUS

Very High Protection Tinted Sun Cream SPF50+ for Dry Sensitive Skin 50ml

AVÈNE

Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50

SKINCEUTICALS