If the latest round of Fall fashion shows proved one thing, it is that designers are never short of creativity. Accessories from head to toe came up strong on the runways from New York to Paris. At Maison Margiela, Mary Jane platforms came topped with diamanté buckles; Dolce & Gabbana’s princess-themed presentation saw gigantic hair bows and box bags in the shape of castles; and Valentino’s ballerinas wore silver animal pendant necklaces over nude-coloured tulle dresses. But there was one accessory that countless collections made a centrepiece of their styling: earrings.
One of the most anticipated shows, where shoulder-skimmers featured prominently, was Demna Gvasalia’s Balenciaga debut. Gvasalia reportedly spent the last six months looking into the brand’s archive, mulling over how the essence of Cristóbal Balenciaga could become more relevant for the modern woman. With a reputation of upgrading streetwear to high fashion objects of desire, Gvasalia took a range of garments that women wear on a daily basis, and mashed them with couture principals. In other words, making the ordinary extraordinary.
Only, the accessories seemed misguided. Oversized puffers with wide, encircling necklines fashioned after the Spanish designer’s opera coats were paired with huge crystal earrings. Another look featured a leather and shearling jacket worn with fist-sized safety pin hoops. The choices were impractical, frivolous and rather nonsensical, despite the overall success of the clothes. Their sheer sizes alone proved pointless.
At Elie Saab and Saint Laurent, ear pieces worked seamlessly. In keeping with the mood of his “rock ‘n’ roll-slash-bohemian goddess girl”, Saab sent his models out wearing leather jackets showcasing floral encrusted paillettes with knotted tassel earrings, and guipure lace jumpsuits and fluid dress silhouettes with semi-precious gemstone drops.
Hedi Slimane awed us with his decadent ‘80s Saint Laurent collection, evidenced by raven-wing sequinned dresses, flouncy skirts and wide patent belts. Jewellery included thick chokers in silver and gold and matching metal cuffs. But the pieces we kept honing in on were the crystal ear crawlers and cuffs that either served to exemplify the shape of the voluminous side sleeves or framed the face in sparkle.
With so many opportunities to wear such statement earrings, the jewellery piece is surely destined to grow in popularity — and interpretations — in the coming months.
