Much has been said about how, right now and after all of this, we want to go ‘out out’ and we absolutely want to dress the part. Like, really dress the part–crystals, feathers, killer heels and all the rest. Glamour, sumptuousness, sexiness, extra-ness has been a key MO for many designers these past few seasons. It’s a perfectly logical reaction to almost two uncertain years of anxiety and leggings, of weighing up the risks and missing out on sensations–touch, fun, the clatter of heels that pinch on the long but dignified (shoes on, after-all) walk home after a silly night out. Will we have our “roaring ’20s?” The heady time that spawned the flappers and fripperies post World War 1 has been pegged as a blue print for how we might dress now. The allure is there, but we’re still not yet out of the woods (or our activewear).Image credit: Instagram.com/@camillecharriere
Even still, sequins and shiny crystal embellishments, always a festive season constant, seem to have a stronger pull this year. “Beautiful, beautiful sparkling things,” as my preschooler, an avowed and passionate lover of all things glittering, describes them as she gazes upon them satisfactorily.
For as Harry Styles once said of wearing sequins, “Just going on stage in a suit with a bunch of sequins makes you feel good, and then you want to play.”
Who, this festive season, doesn’t want to play? Even just a little bit.
There’s been plenty of inspiration this year when it comes to wearing sequins and not accidentally looking like a stray Christmas bauble. Which, to be honest as a new strain of the virus looms, might not be such a bad thing anyway. Take any moment of joy and silliness offered is one lesson we’ve all learnt along the way. Image credit: Getty Images
Back to sequins and there was Timothée Chalamet at the Venice Film Festival premiere of Dune in sequinned Haider Ackermann, Lady Gaga, patron saint of mega-watt glamour, in Valentino and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge re-wearing her Christmas tree green sequinned Jenny Packham gown. There were sequinned (and feathered!) blazers at Gucci’s 100th anniversary show back in May and Matthew Williamson at Givenchy did outsize sequins on full length dresses for spring summer 2022, paired with a blazer for a vibe that was ready for any party and also very capable at running an important Zoom meeting.