Club Moda Surf Has Dropped In—Moda Operandi’s Third Seasonal Edit Is an Ode to Summer

Get stoked—Moda Operandi is taking you to the beach! For the third installment of its Club Moda series, the team has collaborated with 40 established and emerging designers on an exclusive 140-piece capsule collection that debuts on April 11.

The curated styles are meant to “cover all summer occasions from day to night, and while they look great with salty hair and no shoes, they’re made to be worn on balmy evenings in New York City just as much as at a resort in Hawaii,” Moda Operandi chief brand officer Lauren Santo Domingo tells Vogue.

Titled Club Moda Surf, the multi-brand, multi-category curation—which spotlights both existing names on the roster as well as fresh talent—is a celebration of summer in all its effortless glory: sun-dappled waters, alfresco lunches, sand-caked books and sunscreen bottles, and the serene ease of dressing during this time of year.

“Our team felt a new style wave coming (no pun intended), and a desire for a sense of laidback, bohemian ease for summer 2024,” Santo Domingo says of the edit, which was modeled by Zippy Seven and shot by her partner, photographer and videographer Terence Connors at the Proper Hotels’ Malibu Beach House. Club Moda Surf follows a debut capsule in November 2022, and Club Moda Summer, the second iteration in May 2023 that leaned into “preppy, East Coast country club dressing and outfitting for the sport of the moment, pickleball.”

Photo: Courtesy of Terence Connors

Photo: Courtesy of Terence Connors

Equal parts playful and romantic, the Club Moda Surf edit, which ranges from $25-$2,820, features joyful prints from Zimmermann, Alémais, Johanna Ortiz, and Silvia Tcherassi; slinky, sultry gowns from Rodarte and Christopher Esber; sequin-embellished separates from Des_Phemmes, and crochet swimsuits and coverups from Akoia Swim and Rachel Scott’s CFDA award-winning brand Diotima.

Pieces currently in Santo Domingo’s own cart include a floor-grazing tunic and matching oversized hat from Marrakshi Life and crochet separates from Diotima that are essential “for those summer nights where it’s too hot to think too much about getting dressed.”

Another vacation must-pack she calls out are Akoia Swim’s versatile knit sets, which can “go from days spent shopping at outdoor markets to dinner out all with a quick change of shoe,” adding “the colors hint at sixties hippy vibes but no one will think you smell of patchouli perfume, which is a win in my book.”

Photo: Courtesy of Terence Connors

Photo: Terence Connors

For those ready to snap up the dress of summer, Santo Domingo says she’s putting her money on a strapless number from Cala de la Cruz, which, at $395, she describes as a “smartly-priced investment” that comes in a comfortable stretch jersey with a punchy print.

A noteworthy highlight of this year’s collaboration are the Rodarte designs by Laura and Kate Mulleavy. “Known for their eveningwear, [they] always bring a bit of their beachside upbringing into their collections, even if only true fashion nerds can pick up on their intellectual references. The dresses they designed touch on the surf motif in the most elevated way.” The sentiment is echoed by Laura and Kate Mulleavy themselves, who said they tapped into their Californian upbringing for inspiration. “Having grown up in Santa Cruz, California, surrounded by beautiful beaches and Redwoods, we have found that the natural landscape of our youth has influenced many of our collections over the years and we were able to take that inspiration into these [exclusive] designs.”

As a fashion platform built around the element of discovery, new names joining the lineup are not to be missed: Abysse Surf for stylish wetsuits that don’t compromise on functionality (the brand was started by a mother-daughter duo who grew up in Tahiti and uses recycled materials to create its pieces) and the Ukrainian label TG Botanical for knit sets dyed with plant pigments and manufactured by a team of 30 women in Ukraine.

Alongside the ready-to-wear, you’ll find curios and charm jewelry, beauty staples—like a Régime des Fleurs fragrance and nail lacquers from Ssone—and a host of entertaining essentials that fit the theme. Select limited-edition Club Moda Surf merch will also be available upon launch; a surfboard-shaped float custom designed by Moda’s art team for Funboy is a must-have, a hand-beaded shell phone strap from Ossa a nonnegiotable for post-swim mirror selfies. Ready to ride the style waves? It’s T-minus 70 days until summer.

Shop more pieces from the exclusive collection, below.