FASHION BRANDS THAT AREN'T AFRAID TO HAVE FUN
Let's be honest. Some brands are just basic. And that's okay! Unless you're me, in which case it makes you want to scrape your eyeballs out. Above all else, I am simply a silly, goofy girl. I like clothing best when the overbearing glee that it brings makes my days feel a little less soul-crushing. One of the hardest things about liking these creative and playful garments is knowing where to find them. So here is a list of all the brands that bring a little eclectic joy into my life:
Loewe
Source: Vogue Runway
Loewe is a brand with fun in its DNA. A lot of the fun they have with clothing is by utilizing textiles and patterns that play with the eye of the consumer. Structured clothing that could be worn by a Barbie doll went down their most recent runway. Before that, it was the fully pixelated sweater and pants that had those in attendance of their show awestruck. This brand is most known for their playful shoes, however. Balloons, cracked eggs, and nail polish have all been used by Loewe for heel shapes.
To me, Loewe is a brand that has a little more classic in some of their silhouettes, but not always in a bad way. The stilettos are still a classic stiletto, but with a twist. The brand takes liberty in turning classic garments on their head to invoke a feeling of wonder.
Puppets and Puppets
Source: McMullen and Vogue Runway
You've probably seen a Puppets and Puppets cookie bag somewhere on social media by now. It's an incredibly fun and kitschy bag, but it remains unique. The bag comes in a few colors, ranging from a classic black to a metallic pink. Another eclectic piece from Puppets and Puppets is their FW21 cake hat. These are decadent fashionable confections that bring an unexpected element to any outfit. The brand was relatively niche until recently when their bags began to gain traction on social media. We love the attention that Puppets and Puppets is getting now.
Similar to Loewe, some of the things Puppets and Puppets release have this traditional shape and design, but with a twist. A standard bag with a statement cookie is just fun, no ifs ands or buts. However, where Loewe stays within the confines of classical comedy, Puppets and Puppets steps outside of that comfort zone with pieces like their cake hats, and that's why I simply adore them.
Moschino
Source: Vogue Runway
Moschino is a brand well known for their ability to have fun and play up a motif to its fullest extent. Their continued attention to detail is immaculate, matching an inflatable bag and shoes with an inflatable dress. Moschino's usage of color always ensures to bring a smile to the faces of those wearing their garments. No matter what the motif, Moschino makes sure to do it justice and always disobey Coco Chanel's iconic quote of "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off."
Jeremy Scott's Moschino collections are the gold standard of fun in fashion. Playing up a motif as much as possible is one of my personal favorite ways to have fun within fashion, and Moschino executes this perfectly. We can only hope that whoever fills his shoes as the next Creative Director continues on with this vision.
Christian Cowan
Source: Vogue Runway
A brand that has literally collaborated with the "Teletubbies," Christian Cowan is the epitome of not taking fashion too seriously. A master of color, volume, and asymmetry, Cowan's creations encapsulate what fun within fashion is all about. There's an element of calculated disarray in every styling of his that walks down the runway.
Christian Cowan takes the current fashion trend climate and adds an element of fun to the mix. A runway of Y2K looks would be boring on their own, but juxtaposed with gigantic skirts and 80s neon colors, Cowan's SS23 collection was brilliant. It's this intentional "tuning up" of current trends that makes these pieces so special.
Collina Strada
Source: Vogue Runway
Animal faced models strutted down the catwalk during Collina Strada's most recent runway. The fun didn't stop at their faces though, it continued all the way down to their toes. Colorful layers upon layers of tops, pants, legwarmers, Collina Strada's use of maximalism is truly brilliant. While maximalism can take itself too seriously, this brand never falls into a rut, and remains jubilant in its intentional overdressing.
Collina Strada is one of my current obsessions. And I mean, I am obsessed. The use of color and contrast is truly genius, and the countless ways that their pieces can be layered makes them all incredibly versatile. There's a sense of childlike whimsy in a lot of these pieces, a sort of recapturing of youth that typically only happens in memories.
All of these brands bring me a sense of belonging in the world around me, a sense of playfulness that truly engenders joy. If you have a brand that does that for you, make sure to wear them proudly at every occasion you can. Wear them to a family dinner, wear them on a day off, wear them for a walk around the park. Wherever you wear them, you'll have fun. That's what these brands want, after all.