It looks like we won’t be racing off to the UK coast any time soon to lounge in the sunshine, but the silver lining in the grey clouds we’re staring at right now is that there’s more time to work on your warm-weather wardrobe. Small comfort, sure, but just looking at the new summer collection from Marks & Spencer is guaranteed to impart some sunny vibes into your day.
The line’s T-shirts, swim shorts and flip-flops are emblazoned with prints of bird’s-eye views of beaches and harbours, taken by photographer Tommy Clarke leaning out the side of a helicopter.
The British snapper had been building up a sizable following on Instagram with his aerial approach, and his choice of colours and flair for composition caught the eye of M&S Menswear’s head of design, James Doidge.
For the collaboration, Doidge and Clarke worked together to select four photographs that encapsulate the essence of summer and, of course, work as colourful and impactful prints. They chose Clarke’s shots of Gran Canaria (natch), Saint-Tropez and Port Grimaud on the French Riviera (duh) and Carbis Bay in Cornwall (yes, Cornwall! Taking your rightful place alongside fancy Euro beaches at last!).
The swimming trunks (£22.50) are the backbone of the range, available with each of the Clarke prints. If you’re struggling to choose, our favourites are the vibrant blues of the sea and irregular patterns made by the boats in the Port Grimaud pair, and the pops of colour from the beach umbrellas on the grey sand of the Gran Canaria print.
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The collection also features two cotton T-shirts (£19.50), one a full-size print of Carbis Bay and the other a more discreet dark blue with the Saint-Tropez print on the chest pocket, and flip-flops (£9.50), also in the Saint-Tropez design.
