Amid the loungewear and sweatpants, Spanish brand Gimaguas irrefutably produced one of the Instagram dresses of summer 2020: a knitted tangerine and magenta halter-neck design, with a navel-skimming top iteration from the Été collection. The 25-year-old twin sisters, Sayana and Claudia Durany, are renowned for their sensual, sun-soaked aesthetic and their sellout garments.
Gimaguas, which they founded in 2016 and translates to ‘twins’, is a particularly hot commodity among fashion-forward gen-Zers such as DJ collective Simi Haze and on resale sites such as Depop, with items retailing at £400. Claudia and Sayana studied fashion business at Istituto Marangoni and finance at Regent’s University London respectively and – thanks to their latest Miami nightlife-inspired drop cooked up with New York-based graphic designer Tessa Forrest – their supreme summer reign is far from over. “We followed Tessa’s work for a while and noticed she had a few of our pieces and understood our brand – her approach to graphic design suited the brand,” Claudia tells Vogue via Zoom from their Barcelona studio. A few Instagram DMs later and Gimaguas x Sublime was off the ground. “[Instagram] is the new way of working and building relationships in fashion.”
The eight-piece, mood-boosting capsule collection, which was five months in the making, “happened very naturally,” says Claudia. “We had a lot of time to think and be critical. We have a close bond as twins, so we balance each other out. Plus, being surrounded by countryside and nature felt ethereal and inspired our work ethic.” The result? Thigh-grazing miniskirts, square-neck dresses and minimalist swimwear emblazoned with Forrest’s hazy prints of dreamy sunsets in a campaign shot by photographer Marili Andre.
Here are seven key things to know about Gimaguas x Sublime’s thrilling summer collection and the sisters’ plans for their brand.
1. The collection is an ode to east coast nights
“We travelled to Miami before lockdown early last year with our family and we fell in love with the sunsets in the city. It reminded us of Barcelona in terms of being a city near the beach, bright colours and vivid architecture. We discussed creating a collection inspired by Miami Beach that reflected the sunny atmosphere. From the micro miniskirts to sleek, minimal sets, the silhouettes speak to balmy weather and warm summer nights.”
2. Social media was the catalyst for the collaboration
“We loved Tessa’s work and her approach to graphic design and saw that she had acquired a few Gimaguas pieces, so we reached out to her on Instagram. She was super excited and so we proposed that she create two designs for our capsule collection, which happened to be inspired by sunsets – our favourite part of the day – and it coincided with our vision for a line that radiated positivity and warmth.”
3. It’s made entirely from eco-conscious fabrics
“The Sublime collection is made completely from recycled polyester. We’re always trying to incorporate sustainability and organic elements into our collections – now it’s much easier to source materials as prices are coming down. It’s more affordable. We spent two months developing and sourcing materials due to Covid-19 and eventually found a supplier here in Barcelona.”
4. Community is at the crux of Gimaguas x Sublime
“It’s so important to us to work with people who believe in our project and understand the brand, which Tessa did. It’s her first clothing collaboration and so naturally we were all pretty excited to see the result. It pushed all of us out of our comfort zones. We’ve always collaborated with creatives from all walks of life who align with our aesthetic. Ultimately, that is what the origin of Gimaguas is centred on – we want our platform to reflect inspiring work and that includes building an authentic community.”
5. Bella Hadid and Solange are among their muses
“We want the Gimaguas woman to feel cool, fresh and unique in our pieces. We love seeing fashion-forward women in our clothing. We envision so many people in this collection and love Bella [Hadid], Kendall [Jenner] and Solange [Knowles]. Iris Law is also someone we think is great – she’s so much fun and so lovely.”
6. You’ll soon be able to create designs for Gimaguas man
“We have a men’s collection dropping in June, which will include a talent programme in partnership with visual artist Ema Gaspar to encourage our customers to submit T-shirt designs. We’ll eventually run a scheme for womenswear, too.”
7. Yes, the Été dress will be back (eventually)
“Every product is special and every product is as good as the last one. But we’re always evolving. We’ll continue working around the Été collection and making various alternatives to our original design, but it’ll always slightly differ.”
Shop Gimaguas x Sublime here
Editor
Eni SubairCredit
Lead image: Marili Andre
