The end of the year is being marked by the desire to unplug — and the evidence is in people’s wardrobes. With Gen Z’s surprisingly consistent fascination with the 1990s, the “cool” outdoorsy aesthetic (pretty much the earliest iterations of gorpcore) has gotten a second life. Over the last year, the chronically online generation has picked up what their elder millennials had previously thrown down, because the comfort of nostalgia is too hard to resist.
In a time when people are obsessed with “dumb” phones and physical devices to reduce the distraction of their other physical devices, it makes sense that this penchant for simpler times is only growing louder. But escaping the ubiquity of the internet looks a little different through the eyes of Miu Miu. It doesn’t necessarily mean hiking shoes and loose, baggy pants with too many cargo pockets; it means durable fabrics and woodsy materials that were always meant to be enjoyed outside. In fact, they (wool, leather, shearling, etc.) have been for centuries. Outside just looks a lot more romantic now that it’s the place people most often find themselves offline.
There’s no right way to enjoy this trend. There’s no possible way to appear rustic enough. The goal isn’t to look like you went full Thoreau — this wintery style is more of a come-as-you-are aesthetic. Sequined socks paired with a fleece zip-up will do the trick. If that sounds too simple, well, that’s the point. The quiet harmony of your surroundings can act as a catalyst for a look that’s meant to be enjoyed outside, but it shouldn’t strip someone of their character in the process.
Miu Miu’s use of the outdoors is two-fold. Its pieces aren’t just practically built — shearling-lined jackets and wool skirts are proper outerwear — the styling itself mimics the untamed but never complicated nature of
its surroundings. Seasonal motifs punctuate almost every piece; combinations of refined textures and iconic patterns make the wearer stand out while also literally blending with the natural environment, and exaggerated layers and proportions reflect the artful disarray of the thickets and groves they genuinely belong in.
As we approach the official start to winter, a time when we’re more likely
to stay inside with our creature comforts and modern heating, one of the biggest trends to come out of fall tells us to do the opposite, maybe even the unthinkable: Find inspiration outside.
It’s a sentiment reflected, if not amplified, in Miu Miu’s Holiday collection. The pieces that make it up are muted and cozy, a celebration of versatility in the name of fashion. And if not every look appears as if it belongs outside (many do), all appear to be inspired by the great outdoors.
e’ve seen futurism bleed its way into closets before, and we will again, but this season, we’re going back to a time when the internet barely existed and the best things in life happened offline.
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And there’s this touch of rebelliousness Miu Miu encourages in the construction of every outfit, specifically with accessories. Because where could you possibly be going with a corduroy Pocket bag and buffalo leather loafers? It’s an ungovernable detail that makes this trend so appealing. It’s crafted elegance that feels experimental, like someone just stumbled upon the synthesis of functionality and fun.
Not everyone is so lucky to have green third spaces to frolic through. Some people’s rustic respites begin and end in their backyard or the man-made pond in their local park. Still, telling themselves to go touch some grass may be the best advice they ever take. Our relationship with digital infrastructure is unreliable and constantly changing, but fresh air will always be the perfect muse.
Shot in the gardens of an Elizabethan manor house, Miu Miu dropped the Holiday campaign with visuals that echo this messaging — the only backdrop appeared to be stone ruins and overgrown foliage. And even dressed in head-to-toe Miu Miu — the brand’s signature I-just-threw-this-together styling on full display — the gaggle of contemplative models in warm layers seemed to fit. Honestly, everything about it is enticing. It’s the “I needed this” meme at play, because you do feel like you need this (“this” being a quiet, aimless walk through the English countryside).
OFF
THE
BEATEN
PATH
WITH
MIU MIU
by SAMANTHA SASSO
PHOTOGRAPHS by
SAM SPENCE
Escaping the ubiquity of the internet
is much easier in a
shearling jacket and wool skirt.
The end of the year is being marked by the desire to unplug — and the evidence is
in people’s wardrobes.
It’s crafted elegance
that feels experimental,
like someone just stumbled
upon the synthesis of functionality and fun.
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sit amet quam. Vestibulum vulputate at tincidunt enim, sit amet congue id purus. Cras ultrices congue leo, ac pharetra leo ultrices ut. Pellentesque tristique nibh sed tincidunt pretium. Proin tincidunt tellus lacus, eget vestibulum turpis malesuada a
id. Nam eleifend maximus felis ornare sem pulvinar. Nunc sit amet magna massa arcu consectetur, blandit purus id, maximus ex elit. Cras hendrerit ex a sem faucibus orci dictum. Quisque a mollis metus, vel nec.
uis posuere scelerisque lobortis. Rutrum vehicula convallis. Aliquam
Photographer: Sam Spence; Director of Photography: Leo Hsu; Creative Director: Colleen Lennon; Digital Technician: Drew St. Ivany; First Assistant: Evan Bates; Wardrobe Stylist: Herin Choi; Wardrobe Assistant: Lennon Gabriel; Hair Stylist: Anike Rabiu; Makeup Artist: Ashley Schultz;
Set Designer: Katie Bloom; Location Manager: Matthew Dipple; Models: Glorianny St Fleur Acevedo, Stella Hägerstrand; Creative Services Manager: Ariana Jiffo; Director of Production:
Alex Friedlander; Associate Producer: Dominique Guillory; Production Assistant: Robbie Fay
Shop Miu Miu's Holiday Collection
Waxed Shearling duffle coat
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Cashmere sweater
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Cotton knit tank top
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Ribbed knit boxer shorts
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Production Credits
Silk socks
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Leather loafers with strap
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Corduroy Pocket bag
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Checked teddy zipper jacket
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Production Credits
Grey silk socks
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Leather belt
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Tartan patchwork midi skirt
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Slubbed poplin shirt
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Cashmere sweater
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Checked blouson jacket
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Leather backpack
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Buffalo leather shoes
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Waxed suede coat
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Corduroy backpack
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Checked miniskirt
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Wool top
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Technical gazar and fleece bomber jacket
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Leather boots
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Leather backpack
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Pleated plaid patchwork miniskirt
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Velour SHirt
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IVY Leather Bag
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Patchwork poplin skirt
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Cotton piqué polo shirt
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Milano rib knit miniskirt
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Checked teddy zipper jacket
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Checked Teddy Zipper Jacket
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Pleated plaid patchwork miniskirt
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Shearling patchwork stole
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Shearling patchwork stole
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