Fashion is finally embracing its inner child, from soft toys to kitsch bag charms …
When we grow up, we put away childish things, according to the passage in Corinthians. But this season, there’s a distinct feeling of childhood regained, via kitten print T-shirts, cutesy bag charms and a conveyor-belt of cuddly toys. Is modern life so bad that we’re regressing to childhood?
Animal beanbags at Bottega Veneta SS25.
At the Bottega Veneta SS25 show in Milan, the audience sat on leather beanbags in the shape of animals. For creative director Matthieu Blazy’s final collection at the Italian fashion house (he has since moved to Chanel), the concept was childhood, tapping into a sense of wonder and discovery.
JW Anderson x Wellipets Frog Loafers, €395.
JW Anderson’s animal-shaped clutch bags – a canary, hedgehog and pigeon – have a fairytale quality. We have a soft spot for the hilarious puffin, which looks like a souvenir from the Skelligs (imagine taking this with you on the bus). Frog wellies, like the ones we wore as toddlers, also feature.
Simone Rocha.
Simone Rocha took more of a taxidermy-style approach for last year’s autumn winter collection, draping models with stuffed furry bunnies and toy dogs. It read as a playful commentary on the wearing of real dead creatures. And perhaps these are emotional support animals. Rocha’s inspiration? The Hare and the Tortoise, an Aesop’s fable that rings true today. There’s an irony at play, too; as the actual natural world founders, we seek comfort in a synthetic version that can never be extinct.
“We’re self-soothing with little furry animals and cute things.”
An exhibition about the “rise of cuteness” in contemporary culture has just finished in London. Just look at the rise of Jellycat, whose small soft toys have become big business; collectors flew into Dublin for the latest launch, a shamrock called Siofra. Nostalgia plays a part, as we gravitate towards the whimsical, fun and frivolous. Miffy, Snoopy and the Moomins are back with a bang.
Miu Miu SS24.
Adding cute charms to accessories is an affordable way to add a bit of individuality (especially as everyone has the same bag, a Longchamp nylon tote). The Jane Birkin approach to customisation continues this spring: Balenciaga’s Eiffel Tower keychains and phone charms mirror the tacky souvenirs sold the length of the Champs-Élysées. Miu Miu’s bags dangle with crocodiles and colourful cords.
On the high street, there are cherries and pompoms at M&S, cute fruits at Dune London, and even a Monchhichi (remember those?). Clip your keys on a C-shaped snap hook from a hardware store, or attach a length of colourful ribbon. We are looking for ways to play, to escape the real world for a while. My son and his mates, in their early 20s, play Dungeons & Dragons; we gently mock them for pretending to be wizards. But actually, it’s pretty wholesome, involving imagination and creativity in an alcohol-free group situation and, crucially, means hours off their phones. Plus they can’t afford to go out all the time, as we did at their age.
Are we just going through a phase? Some of these designer charms cost hundreds of euros. And at the airport recently, I saw a grown, balding man wearing a toffee coloured tracksuit (similar to an oversized babygrow) with a huge teddy bear printed on the front. It’s fantastic to be playful and in touch with our inner child – but someone has to be the adult in the room.
