this is life | In the era of social networks, fashion accessories are changing
Should your bag be primarily practical or Instagrammable? Social media users seem to have taken it to the point where brands are ramping up their releases of wacky, eccentric, even downright WTF accessories. From a dove bag via a dollhouse-style bag to pink flamingo stilettos: the fashion accessory is undergoing an aesthetic revolution to rise to the level of a social media star.
Show me your handbag and I’ll tell you if it’s pinned to your Instagram account. The age of social media has subtly changed the way we relate to fashion, giving way to creations that were once considered completely outlandish, not to mention crazy, more suited to social media than a trip to the grocery store or home-office trip. Obviously, something that doesn’t go unnoticed by brands now in a mad race for the most WTF and Instagrammable accessories is allowing their customers to be flooded with views and likes.
At a time when fashion trends – and micro-trends – are created and produced at the speed of light on social networks, accessories strive to stand out with unusual aesthetics. A win-win concept for brands and consumers: the former bets on virality to arouse desire, and the latter on views and likes generated by an object marked by its desires. While fashion seems more comfortable and functional than ever, accessories are chosen to satisfy the desires of the younger generation. Shoes, jewelry, headwear and bags have never been more in focus than at the beginning of the year.
The importance of the buzz
Less ephemeral than clothing, fashion accessories are now seen as a safer investment for consumers. Witness the success of sneakers that have become objects of collection and speculation in just a few years. On the contrary, it is not uncommon to find “outfits” (“outfits”) on social media, consisting of fashionable clothes decorated with bags, shoes or fancy jewelry. the power to transform a gaze.
Evidence of the success of fashion accessories is that in the third quarter of 2022, eight shoes, handbags, belts and other glasses were among the ten most popular items on the global fashion search platform Lyst. Faced with this urge, brands compete creatively to offer pieces that are each more unusual than the other. Needless to say, no matter how stylish a classic bag is, it will definitely go unnoticed on social media unless you’re the only person in the world who owns it… But then it’s not Kim Kardashian who wants to stand out. you need to put the package. A look at the top of fashion trends from 2022, ugly, chic and extravagant.
As we have seen in recent months, handbags have been the first victims of this phenomenon: the dove bag for JW Anderson, adopted by Sarah Jessica Parker, the dog bag for Thom Browne, and bags for one of them more eccentric than the other. Fashion houses that understand everything about the difficulties of social networks, Balenciaga. Worn by Demna Gvasalia, the brand has a series of WTF releases that range from a dynamic bag to a trash bag, a sleeve-embellished bag, or a crisp tote bag. Systematically favored by the public, generally at almost exorbitant prices.
A period of excess
After that, the creators seem to enter a race for excess, introducing more crazy accessories than each other. Bags and shoes remain favorite items when it comes to unusual creations. This dollhouse-style bag from Louis Vuitton, this inflatable mattress-style bag or these pink flamingo-style stilettos from Moschino, these covered bags from Acne Studios prove it. Oversized platforms at Vivienne Westwood or these fully feathered lace-up sandals at Rick Owens during the spring-summer 2023 fashion shows. But now this phenomenon extends to oversized, ostentatious, and sometimes bling-bling headwear and jewelry. , and always more Instagram-worthy pieces.
It won’t take long to spread on social networks, but let’s face it, there are so many creatives that are neither practical, nor convenient, nor really useful in everyday life. Getting on the subway at rush hour in a dollhouse or XXL platform is not ideal to start – as it should be – one day… micro trends that have gone viral and nobody is wearing them. Weird accessories that buzz but have no real-world use or look useless. A kind of metaverse before the metaverse, but eventually giving full meaning to these parallel worlds… For the fashion industry anyway.
