Top Trend: Sequins

As you are reading this, you’re probably already counting the days until Christmas and New Year’s Eve, searching for that last-minute gift, all the while wondering what on earth you are going to wear. Luckily for you, the Fall/Winter 2017 collections are packed with everyone’s favorite festive material to inspire you: sequins.

I can already hear you put on your Miranda Priestly voice and say: “Sequins for Winter? Groundbreaking.” Bear with me here, because there is hardly anything predictable about this season’s use of sequins. Did you know they dated back to Ancient Egypt and kept on resurfacing decade after decade, most notably as disco became popular? But far from sticking to that disco ball aesthetic, designers this season went  bold with statement colors like ruby red at Givenchy, shiny ocher at Emilio Pucci or pure gold at Rochas. Some designers like Gucci, Erdem or Mary Katrantzou even pushed the textile treatment further with three-dimensional embroidered motifs.

Givenchy, Christian Dior, Rochas

For the more conventional customer hunting for that Cinderella moment, look no further than Maria Grazia Chiuri’s shades-of-blue gown for Dior. And of course, there is always black to go back to for that timeless aesthetic. Best examples are the understated yet highly feminine dresses found on the runways of Nina Ricci and Valentino. Not at all gloomy, the multitude of paillettes reflects the light with every move, giving the dresses an exquisite metallic finish.

Valentino, Miu Miu, Christopher Kane

Simultaneously, David Koma at Mugler and Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent seem to raise this fair question: Are sequins only suited for overly feminine dresses? Well, no. Both designers presented power suit jackets with ultra-sharp shoulders and maximized shine, bringing a strong 80s vibe to the table. Another interesting feature this season is to see sequins appear on a larger scale, whether as an appliqué on one of Christopher Kane’s ethereal T-Shirts, as a full cocktail dress worn under a transparent PVC trench coat at Miu Miu, or as a bi-dimensional dream at Diane Von Furstenberg.

You see, this season’s sequins might just be what your inner Miranda Priestly is looking for : a bright, bold and luxurious trend that is sure to keep you from looking like a disco ball at a Christmas dinner.

Maxime Der Nahabedian

Initially trained to become a specialized translator from English and German to French, Maxime has been writing for fashion and lifestyle publications for about three years. First as a Managing Editor for the quarterly fashion & art magazine Crash where he worked on ten issues, then most recently for the French online media Saywho.fr. His topics of choice go from fashion shows and exhibitions reviews to interviews with various cultural figures (Beth Ditto, Lilly Collins, Aitor Throup).