Le Sirenuse x Tombolo captures the laid-back glam of one of Europe’s most iconic resorts.
Let’s face it. Tombolo is making the grooviest men’s shirts on the planet right now. Everywhere I go in my Gusanito Cabana shirt or Disco Fungi terry cloth long-sleeve number, people stop me—strangers!—to ask what I’m wearing and where they can buy one of these beauties. My whole family is Tombolo obsessed this summer. My college-age son loves the Rocket Lobster. My wife can’t hit the courts without her “Fault One” Tennis Cabana Shirt. We are Tombolo proud.
And now the company is out with a new mini-line — a capsule collaboration, they call it — with Le Sirenuse, the storied cliff-side hotel in Positano, Italy. This is Tombolo’s third brand collab with the resort, and the first to feature silk (it’s actually a lightweight silk blend milled from 35% silk and 65% cotton, for breatheability with a little sheen.). Featuring an over-the-top and idealized scene of Positano street life, ‘Le Sirenuse’ by Lucio Liguori is comes with matching swim trunks made from recycled polyester.
Italian ceramist Lucio Liguori designed the set on the right as part of the third collaboration … [+]
I love how elegantly playful these garments are—but it’s by design. The company worked with the Sersale family from Sirenuse to commission Positano ceramicist Lucio Liguori to make this particular look. He definitely captures the spirit of the iconic and exotic port of call—behold those vertiginous steps—while also making it suitable to wear, say, to the mall here in Santa Monica. The process began with Liguori designing three hand-painted tiles with whimsical scenes from daily life in a bygone Positano; those images were then digitally deconstructed and transposed onto the shirts and shorts. As the clever folks at Tombolo put it, the results will “charm the gelato right off your cone.”
Also new to the line: “Le Sirenuse Finestra,” a sort of White-Lotus-meets-Wes-Anderson take on European resortwear—in this case, with a design in bold Pompeii red featuring an embroidered, mysterious figure on the chest pocket shrouded behind a cloud of smoke in a Le Sirenuse Hotel “Juliet room” window. The rich stitching at the sleeve is meant to evoke the rococo architectural elements of Le Sirenuse Hotel’s façade. This look also comes with a matching set of swim trunks for the full Mike White effect.
Da Adolfo restaurant on the beach in Positano has been greeting relaxed travelers since 1966. … [+]
Finally, a limited edition shirt pays tribute to the hotel’s Da Adolfo Restaurant. It’s designed around Da Adolfo’s iconic red-fish logo (here, embroidered and dangling from a fishing line that hooks over the shoulder and onto the back of the shirt). The pocket has fish, too. It’s all made of lightweight terry cloth in cream and red, and features one of my favorite of all Tombolo elements: A brass, ring-pull half zip at the chest. The throwback vibe hints at ‘60s leisurewear and leisure pursuits, which is appropriate given that Da Adolfo opened on the beach in Positano in 1966.
Summer’s still got plenty of kick and heat left. This new capsule may be the best way to stay cool. Check out the details of the entire Tombolo x Le Sirenuse collection here.