Lea Vandervost
Edited by Ella Querin
Metallurgy is back and trend this year and we’re happy to see it. From red carpet to runway, we’ve observed the resurgence of the shine come back into our lives.
As for every trend, the craze around metallurgy comes and goes. Popularised first by Hollywood icons of the 1930s in their evening gowns and then later by designer Paco Rabanne, in the mid-1960s, these garments made out of metal, paillettes, and tweed, were only the beginning of fashion’s love for metallics. His innovative vision was to create dresses for which he would need neither needle nor thread. One of those dresses, which was known as the most expensive dress in the world, was made out of gold and diamonds and worn by the iconic French singer Françoise Hardy.
Hollywood’s A-listers are also huge fans of metallics as we saw during this 2023 award season and fashion weeks. During the Venice Film Festival, Jessica Chastain appeared in a full-length, long-sleeve metallic dress with a plunging neckline. Some took the metallic trend even further and dressed in literal metal pieces. Taylor Russel did such when she attended the Loewe SS2024 runway wearing a coat from the brand which was completely rigid as it was made out of a moulded piece of metal. For the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Kaia Gerber wore a classic silver Celine slip.
There are plenty of rather casual outfits that touch upon the silver trend, from shimmering tops, to miniskirts embedded with metallic sequins and jeans with a metallic coating. The easiest way to achieve this look is with one high-shine item, separated with a simple basic such as a white t-shirt, black sweater, or turtleneck.
Metallic, glittery, and sequined apparel were traditionally associated with holiday occasions or were relegated to the realm of tacky. These days, it’s all year round! A shameless embrace of glimmer, sparkle, and sheen is connected to the notion of “dopamine dressing,” which is unapologetic and indulgent. Metallics are about wearing clothing that makes heads turn and make you feel good at the same time. A sequined pant, a foiled suit and a silver bomber are the fashion world’s equivalent of a giant, blinking sign that says “SEE WHAT I’M WEARING?!!” It’s arguably obnoxious but always understandable.
The metallic look is not only reserved to clothing, it has also touched accessories. Though gold has been the way-to-go for years, we are now seeing a return to silver.
Silver shoes are having their moment, from Tiger Onitsuka’s silver Mexico 66 sneaker to Le Monde Beryl’s silver mary-jane flat, one may opt for various styles.
If you’ve been contemplating adding metallics to your everyday wardrobe, now is the time. As the holidays approach, reaching for pieces with a little extra sparkle and glam feels natural.
From Zara to Miu Miu, we observe metallurgy’s chokehold on designers and consumers everywhere. The pedal is to the metal not not only in our lives but also our wardrobes, and we’re not mad about it!
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