Plaid Gone Mad: The New Way to Wear the Classic Print

Fashion is not a play-it-safe industry. It’s those who deviate from the status quo who truly excite us. But this summer, we’re finding ourselves downright delighted by a trend that’s as ubiquitous and timeless as they come—plaid—and you can blame it all on the envelope-pushing version of the print that 2018’s serving up.

Deviating from the traditional buffalo check or Celtic tartan, the current plaid is one we saw transformed into various colorways and given a light, summery touch in the collections of Rosie Assoulin, Miu Miu, Prabal Gurung, and Ganni. And to add a bit of irony to the mix, doesn’t it feel much more unexpected to see a typical cold-weather trend in a warmer environment? (The answer is yes.)

Since there’s no better way to celebrate a fresh look than with a fresh face, we enlisted model Alessandra Garcia for this rendition of Currently Trending. She, too, represents what’s exciting in the fashion world—she’s racking up amazing runway cred with brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Christian Siriano, she’s an all-too-familiar face if you ever shop on Reformation’s site, and her message of body positivity in all she does is straight-up contagious. Below, she takes on the must-try summer trend that has one foot in fashion’s comfort zone and the other sprinting ahead.

Get to know up-and-coming fashion star Alessandra Garcia.

First modeling gig in one word: “Scary. I was modeling Spanx, so you can imagine how nerve-racking that could be for a newbie.”

Fellow model she admires: “Halima. She is challenging so many beauty standards and stigmas and is one of the nicest models I’ve ever met.”

Modeling question she hates: “‘How do you feel about the term plus-size?’”

What is body positivity? “Waking up every morning with the intention to be kind to your body. Never overanalyzing or hating, but rather being your best self and celebrating who you are and what you look like.”

Biggest career highlight to date: “Working with Dolce & Gabbana is such a dream. High fashion can be a real fantasy for a curve model, so any chance I have to work with a designer on that level, I take it!”

Watch her next move: @alessandragl

Photographer: Paley Fairman; Stylist: Henna Koskinen; Makeup: Tsipporah using MAC; Hair: Traci Barrett; Photo Assistant: Anthony Espino