Summer’s Unlikely Fashion Accessories
Have you noticed a world of shifting fashion micro trends dominating your Instagram timeline? The algorithms are pointing to accessories that are having a bit of fun in fashion’s witful playground for summer. These plus-ones are side-stepping functionality, instead sharing a sense of humour, irreverence, and levity. It almost seems cyclical — do you remember MSCHF’s big red boot or Carrie Bradshaw’s pigeon bag circulating our Instagram feed last summer? This time, the new season’s verdict on accessories comes wrapped in childhood nostalgia. Take The Row’s Mara Flat for example, or bag charms that spill with personality, or a camera bag with a Chanel POV. Here’s a breakdown of 5 new kitschy-cool accessories that are Instagram bait for sure, but also the coolest thing to own this summer.
Charmed to meet you
The DIY trend on TikTok pairs up your favourite lived-in luxury bags now being decked up with lace, ribbons, bows, and key chains for a more personalised look. Take, for example, Lily Allen, who was spotted with her Hermes Birkin weighed down by tassels and key chains, or Balenciaga’s SS24 presentation, which made this mighty trend adoption en masse. But perhaps the most interesting one is the Jane Birkin reference. The icon, who helped design the infamous Birkin bag in 1983, was known to personalise her bag with colourful cords, keychains, jewellery, and even her cat’s bite marks. Charmed, we’re sure.
Naked dresses, meet naked shoes
If Bella Hadid’s favourite sheer dresses from Di Petsa weren’t enough for the daring dressers, then a new wardrobe of naked shoes will certainly find their way into a summer wardrobe. Unlike regular ballerinas, these see-through counterparts include Alaia’s fishnet ballet flats and Philip Lim’s mesh Mary Jane shoes as well as The Row’s polarising Mara Flats in jelly. When it comes to feet this summer, it’s all about airy and breathy textures. The best part - they go easily from day to night. But first, book that pedicure appointment!
Hair apparent
Simone Rocha’s recent collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier saw hair reimagined as covetable earrings, instigating instant virality on social media. This absurdist humour is also taking over Tik Tok. But the unlikely fashion fixation is not new — in 2009 Martin Margiela’s glossy blonde wigs that were worn as coats straddled a strange and surrealist style. Now the strangeness continues in the form of plaits as ties at Schiaparelli. Try the trend, if you dare.
A new lens
Boosting sales is a good enough reason for fashion houses to indulge in kooky accessories, and Chanel's new bag is no exception. The brand’s camera bag gets an extreme makeover with a Chanel point of view. This cute Virginie Viard rendition was spotted earlier on the runway at the SS24 presentation and will certainly make it to the current zeitgeist-y fashion. Beyond its clever design and impeccable construction, the bag bears a tiny flap mirror to ensure you and your makeup are always flash-ready.
Ring fever
Unusual materials in jewellery are bound to get our thumbs up. The latest material preoccupation in the world of rings? Gooey glass. It’s no surprise that the maximalist trend is back with vengeance, and this time around, it promises a bolder, brighter, and chunkier future. Made in practically every shade, shape, and size, these candy-like baubles have caught our attention, with brands like Baccarat making a comeback with Gen Z, La Manso, Fry Powers, and more. Nevermind if you missed Coachella, this is your chance to channel that dopamine-chic look all through summer.
