How to be a fashion maximalist in a recession
Off the back of the global success of Succession dressing, Gwyneth Paltrow winning her ski accident trial in snug smug sweaters, and Sofia Richie wooing social media with her classically elegant wedding looks, the quiet luxury trend has become incongruously clamorous. 2023 has served up endless articles and videos sharing the appropriately niche, if-you-know-you-know brands, such as Loro Piana and The Row, as well as more cost-conscious internet ‘dupes’ for those of us with Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy aspirations on a Cinderella budget.
Unsurprisingly, rebuttals to the minimalist, old money-adjacent style were swift, as concerns around classism were amplified by a worldwide cost-of-living crisis. While quiet luxury observes an admirable appreciation for timeless clothing and high-quality fabrics and craftsmanship, its elitist connotations are, indeed, jarring in our modern day.
Could the solution be as simple as embracing sartorial clashes, such as mixing bright patterns and colours? The antithesis to quiet luxury, loud luxury is about the bold and the beautiful. Hollywood has produced many of the most memorable larger-than-life luxury icons, from Elizabeth Taylor – whose gargantuan gems were always a conversation piece – to Cher asking for a little commotion for her dress on a talk show in 1975.
For me, the character of Fran Fine stands out. As the introduction to The Nanny sings: “She had style! She had flair! She was there!” Played by Fran Drescher – who took style cues from her character on the red carpet – Miss Fine wore vibrant Moschino and Versace, as well as traditional ‘old money’ brands like Ralph Lauren and Chanel, the latter with a brightly coloured twist. As with her endearing New York Queen’s accent, the outfits were a clear signal of the class divide between her, and the buttoned-up Sheffields of Upper-East Side Manhattan.
As the series goes on to show, Fine actually had the upper hand in her TV household. And, she’s still having the last laugh as Instagram accounts such as What Fran Wore (378k followers and counting) pay homage to her style. For the ultimate Fran Fine enthusiasts, the account regularly scours the internet for specific pieces available to shop today. A version of the Jean Paul Gaultier dots tank the character wore in the ’90s is currently for sale at SSense.
A not-so-inconspicuous camo skirt suit some might remember from The Nanny’s press circuit has found its present-day form in the ‘Damoflage’ print from Pharell Williams’ first collection as men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton. The prestigious appointment of the record producer, rapper and fashion designer was, in itself, a loud luxury statement – dominating fashion world headlines for days.
His debut show was a spectacle, held on Paris’ Pont Neuf with loud style icons Rihanna and Beyoncé in the front row. For the show’s finale, Jay-Z performed with Williams wearing a leather jacket covered in the brand’s Logomania print, while Williams did the Damo.
Almost exclusively praised by fashion media, a critique came via the inimitable Cathy Horon for The Cut. “[Williams] unquestionably has many of the skills, perhaps the most important skills – showmanship, team building – for a fashion creative director. But he needs something more,” wrote Horon. “The thing about great fashion, like all art forms, is that it goes further than most people’s expectations. It should shock us, or at least surprise and confound us.”
While there are plenty of overseas labels signalling a return to maximalist aesthetics, it’s more thrilling to see designers challenge assumptions here in Aotearoa, a country that prides itself on not making a fuss, and whose fashion set still defaults to the colour black. Maggie Marilyn is one brand reimagining what a sustainably-minded fashion label can be. Sequin garments were teased at its Australian Fashion Week runway in May, and pieces continue to be released with vibrant apple greens and cherry check mixed in with the more granola (and also gorgeous) oak and sand colourways.
Elsewhere, Twenty-Seven Names continues to roll out playful prints in their latest collection, Pene For Your Thoughts? Perhaps you’d like to order a pink vest with ‘Holy Macaroni’ knitted in bright yellow on the front? Or, to take the Prego skivvy – made in a boysenberry swirl mesh – out for dinner in Ponsonby?
Wynn Hamlyn’s pre-fall collection also contains eye-catching pieces that make a valiant case for being unashamedly the tallest poppy in the room. In particular, there’s the Scarlet dress with its striking red with puff sleeves and an oversized red check coat within the delightfully daring line-up. As Miss Fine would say: “Be the lady in red, when everyone else is wearing tan.”
Interestingly, many of pop culture’s most beloved fashion maximalists are also the most outspoken when it comes to challenging the status quo. Fran Drescher has lately been dressed in T-shirts that call for change on the picket line of the Hollywood Writers’ Strike. It may not be Moschino, but it makes a compelling point.
Quiet luxury, also known as ‘stealth wealth’, is about disguising the personal financial situations of the rich during economics crises, when they tend to get richer (according Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, 131 billionaires doubled their net worth or more during the pandemic). But maximalism can also thrive when times are tight. Dressing for yourself, even if it is an over-the-top outfit, is a way of reminding yourself to stay true to your core values, while finding some joy along the way.
For those who like the finer things, a great way to find posh yet unpretentious pieces is through second-hand shopping. Younger generations’ obsessions with vibey ‘vintage’ garments have seen iconic prints re-emerge from the bottoms of closets. A rare Vivienne Westwood money print scarf (originally designed in protest of the stacked economic system) is available at Hunters & Collectors in Wellington. It’s certainly one way to put your money where your mouth is.