A decade in trends: Annmarie O’Connor on 10 years as Fashion Editor
From 18-inch heels to skinny jeans, looks back at the trends that have dominated her 10-year tenure as Weekend’s Fashion Editor
THIS YEAR marks my decade-long anniversary as ‘Weekend’ Fashion Editor. Not bad going, given the industry’s reputation for change. And things have changed – a lot. The past decade alone has witnessed a global recession, the spread of social media, and a complete restructure in shopping behaviours – all of which allude to a burgeoning democracy in matters of taste. It also gave us wedge sneakers, onesies, harem pants and the Kardashians.
That’s the thing about fashion: not all trends were created equal but all have equal sway. Some are exciting – like first-date butterflies; others are comforting – like chocolate and Friends reruns; a few will elicit shame, remorse and/or flat-out denial. Like them or loathe them, their tenure on the style-scape collectively represent a sign of the times. In the spirit of nostalgia, I’ve taken a look back at matters sartorial that have mattered the most; and those that, at the very least, have given us a reason to laugh. Behold the good, the bad, and the downright puzzling.
In 2008 heel heights grew to 6- and 7-inches. While podiatry bills rose, models and celebrities fell — much to the delight of paparazzi. Not to be outdone, Christian Louboutin announced he was making the first 8-inch heel outside of the fetish world. This was the start of competitive footwear — fashion’s most lethal sport. By 2012 heel heights soon resembled a scoreboard — Natascha Marro (7-inch); Iris Van Herpen (7.4-inch), Jan Taminau (10-inch); Alexander McQueen (12-inch) with 9- to 18-inches from Japanese designer Noritaka Tatehana.
Lady Gaga and socialite Daphne Guinness may have risen to the occasion but us mere mortals breathed a sigh of relief when the adidas ‘Stan Smith’ trainer gained global popularity (thanks to Celine designer Phoebe Philo) and sparked a white sneaker sensation which has yet to abate.
There’s a certain challenge in making bad taste look good. Maybe that’s the allure. From the revival of tacky Christmas jumpers to the ugly shoe trend spearheaded by Christopher Kane pool sliders (2010) and Céline’s fur-lined Birkenstocks (2012), ‘pretty’ was losing its footing. ‘Normcore’ – a term coined by New York trend agency K-HOLE to describe the backlash against trophy dressing, received increased media attention. An alloy of ‘normal’ and ‘hardcore’, the movement towards anonymous dressing, inadvertently mainstreamed with New Balance sneakers, cargo pants and ‘dad’ sneakers rising in popularity. Fast forward to 2018 and kitsch continues its commercial ascent with the runway success of the Balenciaga Triple S behemoth trainers, bum bags, and comedically oversized puffer coats. The biggest irony? Anti-fashion has been consumed by its own irony; worn by fashion die-hards in a bid to look, well, fashionable. Ponder that.
Something curious happened around 2010. Perfectly sensible garments divided and multiplied, causing a semantic minefield. Cardigans split into ‘cardigowns’ (cardigan-dressing gown) and ‘coatigans’ (coat-cardigan); jackets morphed into ‘mackets’ (mac-jacket) and ‘jardigans’ (jacket-cardigan); with skirt bisected into ‘skousers’ (skirt-trousers) and ‘skorts’ (skirt-shorts). Then things got out of control. ‘Flirts’ (full-length skirts) raised eyebrows, ‘mace’ (male lace) sounded like a self-defense spray; and ‘whorts’ (winter shorts) made us reach for over-the-counter medication. Needless to say, there are certain style stem cells that shouldn’t mate —ever.
As budgeting belts tightened between 2008-2017, traditional retail models felt the squeeze. Consumers wanted more bang for their buck and were prepared to look elsewhere to get their shop on. Clothes swaps (known as shwopping and swishing) experienced a redux while designer clothing consignment and charity stores offered second-hand swag for a fraction of the swing tag. Independent designers found strength in numbers as collectives and pop-up shops engaged directly the consumer, while designer-highstreet collaborations and supermarket fashion lines catered to those with more dash than cash. The fall in footfall coincided with an exponential rise in internet sales as online markets from eBay to Depop offered a way to cash in on one’s closet by selling off unwanted clobber.
When Vogue magazine declared the skinny jean ‘dead’ in 2016, fashion followers went in search of the morgue. We wanted evidence – preferably to the contrary. After all, skinny jeans have been a reassuring wardrobe presence since the early noughties, reminding us that some things never change. Until they did. The skinny’s straight leg counterpart attempted its hostile takeover to high fashion praise and a suspicious look from the high street. In 2017, online retailer ASOS shifted 30,000 pairs of their ‘Ridley’ skinnies. Oh, and Topshop reportedly sell a pair of skinny jeans every second. The style cognoscenti may have declared their untimely demise but the denim demi-god is, most definitely, alive and well. Elvis told us.
When it comes to making a political statement, it’s not always what you say but how you say it that matters. Take the Duchess of Cambridge whose love of Reiss dresses (she wore on in her engagement portrait to Prince William) and L K Bennett pumps, made HRH the uncrowned queen of the high street. Likewise, Michelle Obama’s deference to labels like Gap and J Crew coupled with a fondness for cardigans (if it’s good enough to meet the Queen) made her a truly democratic First Lady. Fashion has also proven its power as an agent for change as evidenced by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement. Slogan t-shirts from Dior (‘We Should All Be Feminists’) and Ireland’s 2018 ‘Repeal the Eighth’ campaign have become visually impactful ways to deliver a collective message. Spoiler alert: Expect the codes of dressing to shift further with female empowerment at the forefront of the upcoming autumn/winter collections.
Back in the day (circa 2009-2010), street style blogs were at peak influence. Found by FaceHunter? Spotted by The Sartorialist? Consider yourself made. The ensuing popularity of YouTube and photo-sharing app, Instagram have since created a level playing field for burgeoning style stars to share their own content. What’s more, some rad revolutionaries are using the platform for something other than shopping hauls or ‘Outfit of the Day’ posts. Ireland’s Sinéad Burke (@thesineadburke) has made big strides for little people in advocating for design inclusivity with plaudits from Vogue and The Business of Fashion; while sixty-four-year-old American university professor Lyn Slater (@iconaccidental) became a scion for senior style thanks to her avant-garde fashion diary. At 5 feet 3 inches and a size 22, model Tess Holliday continues to challenge aesthetic perceptions with her body positive message - #EffYourBeautyStandards. The new vanguard has spoken and we’re listening.
Photo: Hazel Coonagh -www.hazelcoonagh.com
Hair: Aviary Lane, Dublin -www.aviarylane.com
Earrings: Annika Inezlarge glassy hoops, Loulerie -www.loulerie.com
Annmarie wears: Dress, Kahlo & Apfel; Shoes, Dries Van Noten (Annmarie’s own)
Earrings: Margaret Elizabeth pink druzy earrings, Loulerie, www.loulerie.com; Dress, Miss Daisy Blue; Belt, American Apparel; Shoes, Uterqüe
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