Summer Style + Sunscreen: '80s-Inspired, Millennial-Made, Gen Z-Beloved
Hello, hello, hello WNVM-ers,
Just a quick note before we bring you this week’s installment: Join us over on Instagram [at] heywhatevernevermind for the latest ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia-related news and just overall fun content. We’d love to hear from you!
Visions of the ‘80s conjure the sunny, steamy vibes of Top Gun volleyball, beach-adjacent TV faves like “Charlie’s Angels” and “Beverly Hills, 90210,” and relaxed surfer t-shirts worn year-round by teens in the chilly, land-locked Midwest (us). It isn’t surprising that the contemporary but very ‘80s-referential fashion label, Duvin Design, and beauty brand, Vacation, have both leaned into marketing their products by touting the merits of “leisure.” Between the confusing economy, weird job market, and sobering world events, young people especially are looking for escape. The idealized version of the ‘80s — a California dream with a flash of neon and a whiff of coconut — looks (and smells) pretty good.
To usher in summer, each of us takes a deep dive (har har) into the companies to hear what they love about the era, how they make their products resonate with customers of all ages, and which ‘80s icons still inspire them.
Right this way for dudes in short shorts and throwback ‘80s beauty products! (And as usual, scroll to the end for juicy news items.)
Who Wears Short Shorts?
Duvin Design Makes Point Break meets “Outer Banks” leisure wear
By Fawnia
“Wow, tough to choose,” says Austin Duvall, co-founder/creative of Florida-based Duvin Design. He ponders which iconic screen characters he envisions wearing pieces from his ‘80s-referential beachy-sportswear label.
“If you forced me to narrow it down to one, I would say Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves in the original Point Break,” continues Duvall, to which Cheryl and I furiously nod in agreement later about the 1991 surfing/crime thriller (and our faves, respectively). “If I’m being honest, I almost used the movie as an answer multiple times in this interview. I’m still campaigning with my girlfriend to name our next dog [Reeves’ FBI agent character] Johnny Utah.”
After all, Duvin’s catchphrase is “nostalgia inducing leisurewear,” which is very apparent perusing through the offerings for men, women and kids: “Magnum, PI”-reminiscent Hawaiian prints, mid century-esque bowling shirts that Switek and Zito could throw on for a “Miami Vice” stakeout, and plays on graphic t-shirts by Ocean Pacific (or “OP,” as we’d say).
In preparation for beach season, Duvin launched men’s Tanning Shorts, which have nothing to do with Sun In or Bain de Soleil, but resurrect the quad-baring, abbreviated cut of the ‘80s. “Sun’s out, bums out,” roars the cheeky (sorry) tagline for the nine styles, stacked with colorful athletic piping, surf-ready retro prints, and a compact 12.5-inch outseam. (Timely, too, as Matt Bomer keeps breaking the Internet by cavorting on the beach in yellow shortest-shorts while filming Outcome, also starring Reeves and Cameron Diaz. And, Paul Mescal just declared that he’s “a big advocate for men wearing shorter shorts.”)
“The ‘80s always felt more fun with their bold hues and unabashed graphics,” says Duvall, who’s actually a millennial and founded Duvin 10 years ago with college pals. “The key, though, is to do it in a way that still feels elevated and tasteful. You can overdo it and have the opposite effect.”
To develop the Duvin aesthetic, the friends looked to distinctive hallmarks of the era, such as, “Margaritaville” singer Jimmy Buffett for the entire lifestyle. Their fashion influences included audacious, Italian pop culture-celebrating Fiorucci, pastel-heavy Ocean Pacific, and Stüssy, the Laguna Beach streetwear label, which hit its first peak in the late-’80s/early-’90s — and is enjoying a Gen Z-powered resurgence right now.
“There's a part of us that loves streetwear, and there's a part of us that loves surf and leisure,” says Duvall. “We've always wanted to meld the two worlds.”
Duvin’s marketing also evokes glossy print magazine (#throwback) ads of the ‘80s. But, they give an irreverent wink to the Decade of Greed’s bold dominant text (in some sort of vintage-y, but so-in-your-face font), vibrant imagery and aggressively aspirational vibe.
Although for a recent ad inviting guests into the Duvin Beach Club, the rewards and benefits program, the brand looked even further back to the famed “You’d Wear a Rolex” series, which began in the late-’60s. As an example: “If you were flying the Concorde tomorrow, you’d wear a Rolex” feels most evocative of the attitudes two decades later. Duvin offers a breezier take for today:
While anemoia-inclined Gen Z may not register a cut as deep as the aforementioned Swiss watch campaigns, they still hold a special affinity for the ‘80s. (Psst: Coined by the aptly-named Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, “anemoia” means “nostalgia for a time you’ve never known.”) We could credit “Stranger Things,” so many A24 releases, and how much Nation of Language sounds like Anything Box. Duvall has some ideas, too.
“The ‘80s represent a simpler time; a stark contrast to today's frenetic pace and digital overload. It's a nostalgia trip for a generation raised on constant connectivity,” says Duvall, who cites an “overwhelmingly positive” response from Duvin’s Zoomer clientele. “Whether it's the vibrant hues or the carefree attitude, there's an undeniable allure to the '80s that seems to really resonate with the younger generations.”
Of course, an ambassador helps, too. In 2021, Chase Stokes, as charismatic John B in the Gen Z-beloved Netflix series, “Outer Banks,” set hearts and hormones aflutter by wearing a barely-buttoned Duvin Beach Day shirt, covered in a sunbathing ladies print. Stokes was already a friend of the brand, but costume designer Emmie Holmes independently sourced the shirt for the show. “There was a ton of unexpected press and led to us selling out of inventory extremely quick,” says Duvall, about the on-screen “big break.”
Duvin has also appeared on the Michelle Yeoh-starring “The Brothers Sun,” costume designed by Vera Chow. During a rare moment of recreation at John Cho’s SoCal mansion, Taiwanese gangland scion Charles (Justin Chien) ruminates in a black leopard print short-sleeve shirt. (Just watch the now-canceled show, it's very fun. Justice for “The Brothers Sun!”)
“It’s one of the coolest parts of the job. Just seeing our hard work get used in something of that show's magnitude always feels like a really big deal,” says Duvall.
Subversively playful partnerships with heritage brands also help Duvin land across the generations, such as, a ‘90s-leaning Pabst Blue Ribbon collaboration featuring beach-appropriate trucker hats, slouchy PJ shirts-slash-coverups and a saucy one-piece literally telling you to “relax,” which is also pretty ‘80s.
“Keep an eye out for our upcoming collaboration with REEF sandals, paying homage to their founding year in 1984 — and that's just the tip of the iceberg,” says Duvall. “We've got several more iconic partnerships lined up, each one a celebration of the '80s in all its glory.”
To quote Nu Shooz and Stevie Nicks, “I can’t wait.”
(h/t to fellow Gen-X substacker Lesa Hannah of Starving for Beauty for bringing Duvin to our attention 🏄♀️)
Vacation, All I Ever Wanted
How vintage imagery and ‘80s copycat products helped sunscreen brand Vacation go viral
By Cheryl
“Bain de Soleil for the St. Tropez tannn…”
I can immediately conjure the tune that goes with that jingle. It was usually followed up with a voiceover from a disembodied man with a European accent of uncertain provenance.
Bain de Soleil’s products went from SPF 2 and topped out at 15, and its ads touted how it helped you intensify your tan and keep your skin soft in the process. (I assume everyone was using it while smoking a cigarette.) It was discontinued in 2019, but there is still a rabid fan base. I found some BDS products listed on eBay and Poshmark for $100 to $200, and up to $600. There was even a petition to bring it back.
Enter Vacation, a sunscreen brand launched in 2021. (I first wrote about it for Gloria.) It just released an SPF 30 Bain de Soleil dupe called Orange Gelée that went viral and sold out.
Vacation has struck a chord with people of all generations for its canny marketing using ‘80s references, campy vintage photos, and blatant copies of products from the era. The founders raided their own photo albums at home, paid people on Facebook and Flickr for their old photos and videos, and used department store catalogs and timeshare brochures to create the imagery. It’s attracted fans who remember all the original references and those who just know they’re looking at something cool.
“Whether someone grew up in the ‘80s or missed out on it by a couple decades, there seems to be something special about people getting to live out even a tiny bit of that idealized past,” says Marty Bell, one of Vacation’s founding partners, who missed the ‘80s by one year.
I asked him what images or media really inspired the branding. “Christie Brinkley’s legendary Ferrari 308 scene in National Lampoon’s Vacation comes to mind,” he says.
Bell was behind 2014’s Poolsuite, an internet “radio” station that plays beachy music with a vintage vibe. He launched Vacation with partners as a “leisure-enhancing” sister brand. It took off thanks to the marketing and the dead-on perfect beachy scent of the sunscreen. Beauty editors and influencers loved it and shared it vocally. The brand just introduced its own Erewhon smoothie, in the biggest sign yet that it has reached the pinnacle of cultural relevance.
Vacation has multiple products, including an SPF 30 baby oil that is a near exact fragrance dupe of the Johnson & Johnson SPF zero baby oil I used to slather on myself in the backyard as a teen. A bronzing sunscreen called Studio Tone recalls the Mondrian-inspired L’Oréal Studio Line packaging. A “browning lotion” looks like a dead ringer for old school Hawaiian Tropic.
“We treat each product as its own little world within the Vacation brand,” says Bell, explaining the seemingly incohesive branding of the individual products. But besides the obvious recognizable retro product inspiration, I was wondering what it is specifically that makes a product seem ‘80s-coded.
I found a marketing blog that broke it down, and besides a “Miami Vice” color scheme, typography is key. The script-like font that appears on several Vacation products seems to be inspired by Rage Italic, which launched in 1984. “Think Dirty Dancing,” said the blog. I yelped in recognition, and now I can’t stop seeing it everywhere.
Vacation uses scent, texture, and packaging to stand out in a boring and pragmatic category. In the US, sunscreen is a hard product to make sexy. Because of arcane laws and FDA rules, there hasn’t been an innovative new type of sunscreen filter here in years. We are years behind Europe and Asia in sunscreen technology, and every brand here pretty much uses the same ingredients. But Vacation has figured out how to make the category new, simply by making it fun and smell good.
Which brings us back to Orange Gelée. I did not buy Bain de Soleil, because I thought I had to be a rich tan lady to use it. We were a Coppertone household, so I don’t know what the original smelled like. I’d describe Vacation’s version as patchouli-adjacent. Fans of the original in an Instagram post claim it’s close to the original.
“What matters most is that our offerings feel authentic,” says Bell. Ironically, I don’t think Bain de Soleil would have been as successful if it had re-launched itself using its own decades-worth of campy imagery with modern SPF numbers. Vacation has claimed this territory.
Most fans seem to think Vacation nailed Orange Gelée, except for one Gen X ellipsis-using commenter: “I hate the 30 spf...sorry unpopular opinion..but I wish we could have the option...it's the only thing that bums me out...it's not the same tan..”
It’s not the same climate, either. Wear your SPF 30, everyone.
You Oughta Know
Express and its 400+ mall stores will live on to sell more polyester blazers and lace shirts. A group that includes some large mall owners just purchased the brand out of bankruptcy. (Retail Dive)
Andrew McCarthy is on a post-Brats press tour. “I mean, it’s not like we [were] treated like Britney [Spears], you know what I mean? It wasn’t that. It’s kind of snarky in that ‘80s way,” he said. We hope he finally found closure. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Apparently, Zoomers like Tom Cruise and are meh on Sydney Sweeney. Timmy Chalamet still makes the cut. And alert! A new Gen Zism dropped: “It has aura" apparently means something is cool. (Puck)
Here’s a deep dive into how MTV’s “The Real World,” born in 1992, begat a world of Survivors, Kardashians, and Bachelors. (The New Yorker)
This is a *fantastic* article. In L.A., Vacation is a big trend. I’m so glad you mentioned the smoothie! In my opinion, a good font goes a long way, especially out here. Packaging is pretty important. Anything nostalgia-based with name drops from the right people has a better chance at being trendy than the average product. I haven’t tried the smoothie yet, but I will and report back!
Thank you!! I really like the SPF 30 that smells like, well, vacation!