This girl means business!
A recurring trend each year is the dark punk and steampunk style. Studs, chains, and leather straps evoke associations with a Harley-riding woman and a rebellious, female hooligan. However, when used with taste and measure, they can add a pinch of spice and rebellion to any outfit. A bold, punk bracelet allows you to show your true, rebellious "self". Even if it is hidden under the sleeve of a business, white shirt, it sends a strong, specific message - "This girl means business!".
Women's bracelets in the collections of the most important designers
Our journey through the wilderness of punk fashion starts with Alexander Wang, whose collections are complemented by leather choker-style necklaces and ubiquitous chains that accentuate the street theme of the collection.
The next stop is the mystical Alexander McQueen and his mysterious, exaggerated hand ornaments in the form of leather straps finished with razors or skulls.
The raw and strong character of women is also emphasized by massive leather straps and cuffs on the hands, reminiscent of the restraining handcuffs from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", by Balenciaga.
Motifs of studs, or on the other hand, masculine, austere, leather straps that reflect the tomboy style, can also be found in the collections of Diesel or Salvatore Ferragamo.
Shackled by fashion?
It's hard to shake off the impression that the fashion trends proposed by designers have roots in... prison fashion! Women's wrists are adorned with massive, matching bracelets - as if an invisible chain connected the right and left side, making them real shackles of fashion. Twin bracelets from Dsquared2, Anthony Vaccarello, or Alexander Wang are triumphant on the catwalks.
Egyptian roots of Tisci
The House of Givenchy and its creative director Riccardo Tisci have returned to Egyptian roots in a very literal sense. The return to the cradle of civilization was, for the designer, the grand finale of a decade of presence at Givenchy. The Eye of Horus and Egyptian iconography influenced his collection. The atmosphere of religious enlightenment and mysticism was intended to transport the viewer back to the beginning of civilization's existence. Egyptian motifs appeared not only in massive prints on shirts or dresses, but mostly in details - such as necklaces or bracelets, inspired by the collection of museum pieces from the ancient world.
Moreover: unfinished forms, floral motifs, dazzling shine and more
On the catwalks, one could also find jewelry with rigid and unfinished metal forms, such as those by Alexander Wang or the brand Tod’s. Large semi-open bracelets, made of smooth metal, decorated with motifs of carved flowers, or adorned with precious stones, attracting attention from afar with their shine, were lovingly put on by fashion creators over thick sweater sleeves and interestingly shaped gloves.
Fashion trends also featured bracelets finished with raw, colorful stones and minerals, cut into geometric shapes, just like Bottega Veneta.
And so, it was the syncretism of forms, materials, and styles - from punkish tomboy, through ultra-feminine Egyptian goddess, that once again inhabited the catwalks, leaving room for our imagination to fill in the details.
