Stephanie Gilmore has teamed up with Roxy for a very ’90s surfer girl capsule collection

It’s giving big Y2K beach vibes.

Growing up in the ’90s and ’00s, Roxy was one of the hottest Australian brands. Even if you’d never so much as held a surfboard and lived nowhere near the ocean, everyone was emulating the beach babe look. 

Low-rise denim mini skirts, tight, midriff-baring T-shirts, flip flops and tiny triangle bikinis were in vogue, Blue Crush was basically considered a fashion film, and summer was a state of mind. Those were the days. 

For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.

Like the rest of us, seven-time world surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore holds a special place in her heart for the distinct fashion of the golden age of the beach babe era and has teamed up with longtime sponsor Roxy to create a nostalgic 26-piece capsule collection in its honour. 

“I constantly find myself looking through the copy of the Roxy Surf Girl book, a collection of the brand’s images through the ’90s and ’00s,” said Steph. “It introduced the beginning of the most iconic era in female surf culture – as real and as natural as it comes. The colours, strong vibes and tomboy pieces have always spoken to me. I wanted to create a collection that felt authentic to this.”

The Stephanie Gilmore collection is a throwback to classic looks from the nineties and noughties, with colourways incorporating warm pastel oranges, purples and yellows, Hawaiian-inspired florals, ribbed knits, and chunky stripes.

Bringing subtle modern touches to a bunch of iconic trends, the collection features flared knit pants, sweatshirts and fleeces, boardshorts, T-shirts, slides, swimwear, and even a sarong. The first and only exclusively-female global action sports brand, Roxy’s dynamic designs have always sought to cater to active lifestyles through fashion-forward performance wear. 

As well as offering a selection of fun, casual pieces, the Stephanie Gilmore collection boasts a bunch of designs for fellow athletes and active types, including yoga shorts, a sports bra, and a springsuit. “The boardshorts were based off a ’90s Roxy design, with updated technical fabrics to allow for use in competition,” Steph revealed. 

As someone who lives in the water, utilising sustainable, ocean-friendly materials was integral to Steph when approaching the collaboration. The collection was created using organic cotton and recycled fabrics while the packaging gives a second life to tags and plastic. 

“The design team at Roxy worked with me to incorporate as many sustainable materials as possible – a crucial element to me,” she explained. “We made sure fits and colours hit the exact palette that spoke to this direction. Brighter but tasteful, feminine but unisex.”

There’s no doubt we are all longing for simpler times right now and while we can’t physically step back in time, we can certainly dress the part with Roxy and Steph’s nostalgic capsule collection embodying the carefree summers of our youth.

Shop the Stephanie Gilmore collection on the Roxy website.