Look of the week: unexpected and sticky - the material captures the summer

As the sun scorched New York City on Tuesday, heating the concrete jungle to over 80 degrees, actor and "Leggy" star Mike Monroe stepped outside in a surprising textile: patent sheepskin. Similarly, Monroe arrived at the Los Angeles premiere of the serial killer thriller last week wearing a leather sarong by Courrèges and a sheer bra. Both outfits seemed like a bold choice for what is expected to be a hot summer in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere. At what point did we start to see the offseason potential of leather? This material, which was once the main element of the winter wardrobe, has become the most popular trend of the summer. It started with Bottega Veneta, the Italian fashion house largely credited with pushing the boundaries of textiles — figuratively and literally. In September 2022, creative director Mathieu Blazy sent a stream of leather optical illusions for fall-winter. Since then, we've had blue jeans, plaid shirts and woven beach bags recreated in detail, redefining what leather can be.

But Monroe was not the only one who chose this out-of-season material. Despite it being July, Mia Goth — another true scream queen — opted for a Versace leather midi dress for her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this month. And at the Los Angeles premiere of MaXXXine, Goth wore a edgy Ludovic de saint Sernin plunging neckline dress, with her leather bralette taking center stage. You also don't have to be a horror movie star to rock the summer leather look. On July 11, Kate Hudson was photographed in Manhattan's Soho wearing hot leather lace-up pants; and across the pond, British radio and TV presenter Vic Hope arrived at Wimbledon in a full burgundy leather vest, shorts and a collarless leather coat (although the weather in London this summer has been a bit more leather-friendly). Rita Ora — who seems to have committed to wearing nothing but red to promote her new film Descents: The Rise of Red — wore not one, but two all-leather outfits in New York.

Or could it be a case of trickle down from our current pop stars? Dua Lipa headlined Glastonbury in a bespoke Chrome Hearts leather mini dress; while Rosalia, also known to her fans as Motomami, donned a pair of shiny leather pants for her Coachella set in Palm Springs. Charli XCX, creator of the summer's number one album 'Brat', has been open about her love of YSL's distressed leather coats and is often spotted out and about in a variety of biker jackets. No matter where this trend came from, one thing can be said for sure: a leather jacket is no longer only for Christmas, but all year round.