Over the past few years, fashion trends have reflected a collective need to seek out joy, from dopamine dressing to chunky jewelry. And lately, it seems the industry is literally throwing a party for itself — or, at least helping people dress like it — through tinsel textures.
Despite commonly being found at party stores and relegated to New Year’s Eve soirées, the shiny decorative material has long been around. This Fashion Month though, it stole the spotlight when runway designers made the texture the central focus of their collections. Take, for example, Rodarte’s Laura and Kate Mulleavy who, inspired by gothic fairies, displayed a slew of silver and black tinsel dresses, jackets, and capes in their collection. Or: LaQuan Smith who put a disco spin on the look with black mini dresses. New York-based label Tibi also put a fun touch to its lineup with gold metallic fringe kitten heels for its fall 2023 collection.
At Paris Fashion Week, tinsel also made a few appearances, with designer Isabel Marant making silver and black sweaters, paired with metallic pants and sheer tights, the life of the party. Actress Greta Lee also endorsed the trend in The City of Light, wearing a pair of tinsel-embellished heels that looked like cheerleading pom poms to attend the Loewe show.
But even before the fall 2023 collections were presented, the party-forward fabric was making its rounds in fashion. One of the most popular handbags on the streets of New York Fashion Week was the Puppets and Puppets Tinsel bag, which was first released last year ahead of the holiday season.
While the material might remind you of childhood piñatas and birthday hats, designers have proven it can be an elegant choice. Jason Wu’s take on the trend (pictured above), for the brand’s spring 2023 lineup, includes a mid-length fringe dress that shines with every move, while LaQuan Smith’s fall 2023 iterations go from a halter gown to an evening blazer paired with a satin mini skirt — neither of which would look out of place at an elegant evening.
Next time you hit the party aisle, maybe consider taking some tinsel home. It might come in handy for 2023.
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