What must-have accessories emerged from the fall collections? Here are the bag, brooch and boot of the season.
THE BAG
Logos are back — specifically those of the Gucci variety.
For his first collection as the creative director of Gucci, Alessandro Michele reintroduced the classic “G” logo in the form of a new shoulder bag.
“The monogram gives the bag a timeless and iconic look,” said Sasha Sarokin, buying manager for Net-a-porter. “It brings on a sort of nostalgia, but this season injected with an “It” girl makeover in terms of shapes and trims — especially in the context of what we’ve seen on the Gucci runway as of late. It’s sure to be a cult hit.”
The bag was shown in several iterations of logoed fabric mixed with suede or python, some embellished with embroidery of bees or floral motifs. Prices range from around $1,500 to $3,800. The meeting of the Gucci brand from years past with Michele’s new approach made the accessory a winning piece for many retailers.
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“It really embodies what Alessandro Michele was trying to show,” said Erica Russo, Bloomingdale’s operating vice president and fashion director of accessories and cosmetics. “There was respect for the heritage, but new ways of thinking. Not only does it have an amazing new shape, but I also love the suede gusset and the new closure, which felt almost vintage. It’s a beautiful interpretation of a classic.”
Added Justin O’Shea, buying director for Mytheresa.com: “It represents something new. Under [Michele’s] creative direction, there’s a powerful feeling of youthfulness and a rejuvenation of the timelessness of Gucci. The hardware and monogrammed fabric highlight the Gucci DNA, which everyone loves but perhaps has just forgot.”
THE BOOT
Forget coins and stamps — Burberry boots are the newest collectors’ item. At least according to Neiman Marcus senior vice president and fashion director Ken Downing, speaking specifically about the British brand’s footwear offering for fall: over-the-knee patchwork suede boots in peacock blues and shades of brown.
“That boot really transcends trend,” Downing said. “It’s a piece for a customer that has an absolute appetite for the most superlative things. She’s going to buy that boot and she’s going to keep it forever. It’s not going to the resale shop.”
The boots retail for $2,295 and maintain a hint of handmade craftsmanship — a quality that Downing believes will resonate with customers come fall.
“They have a very handmade quality,” he said. “It’s what’s given this folkloric, Seventies trend so much excitement within the industry. [The boots] had beautiful suede patchworking and whipstitch, which gives it such a crafted quality, as opposed to something completely anonymous and manufactured. There’s a real rawness in the quality that feels new to the eye.”
The silhouette itself, the thigh-high boot with a sexy, second-skin feel, is another big draw. “Thigh-high boots are gaining popularity,” said Natalie Kingham, buying director at Matchesfashion.com. “They are coming through in a lot of collections, but the Burberry boot still sticks out in my mind. The colors and the patchwork made them really special. The way they were styled on the runway, with luxe artisanal dresses, was a great look… All women want to look like that at some point.”
As Downing simply stated, “There’s no reason to not want that boot.”
THE BROOCH
With the Seventies taking over the runways across the four major fashion cities, even the most rampant Age of Aquarius enthusiasts hit a wall of saturation at some point. Enter Miuccia Prada, who sent out a parade of pre-Mod, Sixties-inspired looks in bright primaries and delicate pastels.
“[It was] a unique aesthetic with emblematic proper looks that had been brilliantly unhinged,” described Charlotte Tasset, general merchandise manager at Printemps. To further punctuate this look, almost every outfit was decorated with a Plexi and crystal brooch.
“I liked the offbeat style,” Tasset added. “Miuccia twisted the brooch using Plexiglas and pastel and ‘acide’ colors that gave a neo-retro look to the traditional decorative pin spirit. They finished every look and had a key role in the fashion show story.”
The unconventional accessory, priced from $360 to $505, was showcased traditionally: pinned to the lapels of vests and jackets or positioned on the bodice of a dress — or less traditionally: worn in the models’ hair as a new take on the barrette.
“It was such an important detail,” Rae Ann Herman, vice president and fashion director for accessories at Saks Fifth Avenue, said of the accessory. “There were lots of feminine touches in the collection, especially with the idea of the brooch as an embellishment. It will be a great piece to invest in.”
And while the brooch might typically be associated with Grandma’s jewelry box, expect to see it make a mainstream resurgence, thanks to Prada’s high-fashion push.
“We’ll be seeing them more and more,” said Herman. “It’s a classic piece, but now it feels fresh and modern.”