Are you ready to head back to the beach?
Teen Beach Movie 2, Disney Channel's highly anticipated sequel to 2013's Teen Beach Movie, premieres Friday, June 26, and once again brings us into the candy-colored world of '60s surf movies. The phrases. The beach wars. The fashion. Oh, the glorious fashion.
And guess what? The clothes only get bolder, brighter, and better in the sequel, especially when it comes to the fiercely independent Lela (Grace Phipps), the heroine of the movie within the movie Wet Side Story, whose never met a print she didn't love.
We've got exclusive photos of Lela's amazing, retro wardrobe from Teen Beach Movie 2, as well as insight from costume designer Anthony Tran and Grace Phipps on how the colorful looks came to life...
On the Fringes: The surprising inspiration for this look? Tina Turner! "We were looking for something particularly flashy to start the montage off with," Tran says. "This look was inspired by Tina Turner's famous stage wear staple: the fringe dress, which was also worn by many a GoGo dancers at the time." (Think Whisky A Go Go in the mid '60s!)
Of the look, Phipps says, "This Tina Turner style dress was the sparkliest thing I've ever worn, also the heaviest." So much how did it weigh? "The dress must have weighed about 25 pounds," Tran reveals. "But Grace was such a trooper about it."
Think Pink: This pink look was inspired by another fashion icon: "Jackie Kennedy and the 1960s are so synonymous, so we had to include an homage to her famous suit and pillbox hat," Tran explains, noting the outfit is, of course, in Lela's signature pink.
Phipps loved this look so much she tells us, "This 'Jackie O' inspired look might be my favorite from the movie." Also Lela for president 2024!" We agree!
A Purple Hippie: Lela changes up her look a bit in this hippie-inspired style, with Tran explaining, "Hippie style had such an impact on fashion." He reveals the gladiator sandals were a "vintage" find that needed a little work before hitting the beach. "We found them in beige and had them painted to match the purple suede vest."
And we're not sure Phipps even knew about the paint-job, telling us, "Those lace up boots were vintage, purple and awesome! I can't believe they existed."
Mod About This Look: Yet another fashion icon inspired this ensemble, Tran reveals. "Mod fashion icon Mary Quant and her mini shift dresses inspired the silhouette here," he says. "The graphic pattern on the dress was inspired by the Op Art dresses of John Kloss and Yves Saint Laurent's famous 'Mondrian' dress, which is where the colors of the dress came out of." Phipps adds, "Lela really know how to dress up shorts and a tank top!"
Teen Beach Movie 2 premieres Friday, June 26 at 8 p.m. on Disney Channel.