Accessories are, without a doubt, as exciting as they are unpredictable. One year, we are all wearing UGG boots, (the most searched fashion item on 2013’s Black Friday) while the next year, it is all about the embellished ankle boots .
Though some accessories come and go, and like a kid’s toy, are “out with the old and in with the new”, others come back year after year and never seem to go out of style. Take pearls for example. Once thought of as that dainty, fru fru extra to be worn along with a lovely cashmere sweater, pearls have been given a recent makeover, and are now bigger and bolder than ever. So what’s in and what’s out?
Instead of bringing you the usual fare-shoes, purses, jewelry…I thought it would be fun to share with you some accessories that were a bit out of the ordinary, and perhaps even a year ago, did not exist. Let’s take a look at Spring 2014’s hot new gadgets and accessories and see which will survive and which will be headed to the clearance aisle by fall.
Models on the runway for Ed Hardy Fashion show during Los Angeles Fashion Week
1. Tech Fashion: for the Trekkie in all of us: Everyone has one. And now because of their sleek designs and multi-functioning benefits, the cell phone has evolved over the years and gone from being a sort of walkie talkie, GI Joe looking apparatus to one of today’s most popular fashion staples and status symbols.
Sure, a Ferrari is cool, but so is the latest IPHONE. Both techies and fashionistas are always on the look out for the newest batch of multi-tasking smart phones that have the cool factor, while those glitzy, rhinestone embedded covers (be on the look out for more intricate designs such as roses or peacocks) are still trending. Italians love their technology, and it will be interesting to see how these latest gadgets will do both in the states and abroad.
Take for example, the Samsung wrist watch, The Galaxy Gear. The other day while having lunch in Newport Beach, I saw a gentleman sporting a visor, athletic white pants, while talking on his watch/phone. I swear I thought he was going to say “beam me up, Scotty.” Although the reviews from the tech world have been somewhat mixed, the Samsung smart watch is definitely a modern accessory that may hint at what is in store for us.
More than ever, tech companies are racking their Silicon Valley brains trying to come up with the newest “must die, can’t live without” (can, but prefer not to) gadgets that will tempt us into waiting five hours in line, and spending oodles of money just to be the first to claim them as their own. The sleek ultra modern watch has a single power button, stainless steel frame and comfy rubber straps.
The disses? The Samsung does not seem to be as smart as other phones. It is only compatible with the Galaxy Note 3, while it does not have the hottest apps such as Whatsapp or Skype . The cool factors? Good battery life, convenient hands free talking with the capability of taking photos, videos, texts, emails. So Scotty, get ready, you’ll soon be very busy.
2. The Man Bag: It’s all about the Bag. And I am talking to you, men. For years, men have resisted carrying around a cumbersome bag. Beore, they had the briefcase (think Mike Brady, any lawyer). Then came the backpack, the gym bag, and then in the eighties, in an episode of Seinfeld, Elaine makes Jerry carry a “European carry all.” He gets teased relentlessly until one day, Seinfeld yells out, “It’s not a purse.”
Well, call it what you want, but it has come a long way since those days, and with all the Iphones, Ipads, men may no longer have a choice in the matter. For great luxurious tuttofare, multipurpose bags, you can turn to Gucci, Ferragamo, and Roccobarocco. My guess is that while men will never pay the price of a car for a Herme’s’ bag or go bonkers deciding which color will go with which outfit, men’s purses (sorry, but that’s what they are) will become more luxurious, and most likely expand and become available in more colors, while the messenger bags will always be the favorite.
But in the end, men will be men and probably will always prefer stuffing their wallets, change, and phones, down their pockets that seem to be as deep a rabbit hole.
3. Women: Monster Fest! During Milano’s winter fashion week, fashionistas everywhere dangled their Fendi’s furry charms called “Fur Monsters” on their purses. Made out of leather and fur, and equipped with bushy eyebrows and deep set eyes, these fun though somewhat useless creatures (well, they are a key chain) are a cross between Angry Birds and some puppet character on Sesame Street. Though they do not talk or walk or do much of anything except look cute, one thing is for sure: they will set you back about $700 at Neiman Marcus and are causing monster mayhem–the demand for these critters is so high, stores are barely able to keep them on their shelves.
After living in Italy for many years, director of fashion, Gaya Lynn now resides in California. www.msgaya.com
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