When does a trend finally die down and become accepted as a fashion classic? We’ve been wondering this for some time now, as certain fashion trends seem to keep coming back to the runways. As seasons come and seasons go, designs that once seemed edgy or punk, or so-1990s, once again reappear on the fashion radar. Witness the popularity of skull designs, animal prints and florals: Every time you think you’ve seen a skull done in every conceivable material, or animal prints applied to every accessory, you see it done again a little differently. Does this mean designers are just recycling ideas, or have these motifs actually become – dare we say it – fashion classics?
The designs of Philippe Plein, just to pick a major example, return again and again to these themes – in fact in his latest line, he splashes all three looks in the same photo on his home page.
Far be it from us to second-guess one of the hottest, most successful designers about his fashion instincts – in fact, we think he is doing everything right. How? By doing them a little differently, like we said, and by doing them exceptionally well.
Plein takes a simple skull design to a new level by appliqueing hundreds of multi-shaped studs to the back of a conservative tailored jacket, giving it a hip, modern twist - and appealing to women who love vintage silver jewellery at the same time. Same thing with his florals: That ‘90s-looking jersey shift with the racer back becomes new again, because Plein adds a super-graphic of a black panther peeking through the flowers! And animal prints easily go from edgy to sophisticated, depending on how they’re used. A subdued, darker leopard print with a smaller pattern looks chic against this long, sleek handbag; push up the contrast and pattern, place it prominently against a large tote bag or scarf, and it suddenly looks younger and makes a more exciting statement. How and where to use these designs are part of the challenge of choosing your accessories. And it’s definitely a big part of the fun!
We think one of the other reasons skulls, animal prints and florals are so popular with designers is their inherent flexibility: You can add just a touch of one of these themes to your look, and instantly change the flavor of everything else you’re wearing – sort of like adding a final twist of lemon juice or a sprinkling of parsley to a dish to make it alive, aromatic and inviting! A bracelet is just a bracelet until you notice that one detail that makes it pop – a cool skull medallion or shark’s tooth; a scarf is just a swirl of colour until you see that it has contrasting shades of tiger and cheetah print in the pattern.
Say it subtly or say it big, skulls, florals and animal prints are here to stay! It’s up to you to make them look trendy – or classic.
Get the Look
You’ve probably noticed by now we are mad for all things animal at MizEllie, and we don’t shy away from flowers and skulls, either! We carry lots of bags and scarves in animal prints, in every colour combination you can think of, and we do skulls and flowers throughout our fashion jewellery collection. Here are just a few of our favourites:
We hope you’ll let us know with your comments what you like and hope to see more of – your fashion tips help us look for new things that you and your friends will enjoy wearing. Thanks for visiting!
Cheers,
Your MizEllie Team
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