MAXIMALIST FASHION

Olivia Courtney, Staff Writer

Maximalist fashion has made a major comeback in mainstream fashion this summer. Maximalist fashion is associated with bold colors, excessive layering and contrasting textures – to put it simply – completely and entirely unconventional. Designer brands like Vivienne Westwood and “Heaven” by Marc Jacobs have been in the public eye this year for collections featuring bold prints, extravagant iconography and chunky accessories. Recently, retail brands have been delving into more maximalist styles as well. Fashion retailers like H&M and Wild Fable by Target have made maximalist styles more accessible for people to incorporate in their everyday fashion. “That’s what fashion is; I don’t think it should be one type of trend,” Ms. Kim, the art and fashion design teacher at Johns Creek High School said. “As long as you know how to put it together well…you can have all these choices but you can always simplify to make it your own, so it just depends on the individual and how they put it together.” Bright colors, abstract silhouettes and wild prints are making their way into everyday fashion, but these trendy styles did not emerge out of nowhere. Maximalist fashion entering the mainstream has been credited to the Harajuku subculture that arose out of Tokyo in the 1980s. Harajuku is a collective subculture made up of different off-beat Japanese street styles like Decora, a style that emphasizes extreme accessorizing. The style was popularized in mainstream media in the 1990s through style publications like FRUiTS magazine. The minimalist styles that trumped trending fashion during the pandemic totally contrast the trends of this summer. The aftermath of the quarantine period is thought to have inspired a more maximalist approach to fashion. With people working and studying from home, athleisure and loungewear rose in popularity. The trending color palettes were monochromatic, pastels and lots of neutrals. “Before COVID, the designers tried to guide you into certain areas, but because of COVID everybody was in loungewear for a long time, but nwow people have more room to express themselves.” Ms. Kim said. “Fashion isn’t always about fashion, it’s political and it’s all about what’s happening on earth, and so designers also consider that. So whatever’s happening to us in this world, they kind of design towards that too. That’s part of fashion. More than ever fashion is concerned about different types of bodies, sizes and all that, so I think they’re just going to be free to give you more choices instead of just ‘This is it.’” It is thought that the return of maximalism is also, in part, due to time decreasing between trend cycles. Minimalist trends completely contrasted the hyper-flashy trends of the late 2000s. But with trend cycles getting shorter due to fast-fashion and overconsumption, the vividity and ornate details of the late 2000s are returning. Fashion is becoming more accessible than ever, which gives people the power to embody their feelings or opinions in an outward way. The importance of the comeback of maximalism, or the comeback of any trend for that matter, is that it offers a view of what’s happening in the world through the lens of individual expression.