Then the second series of the Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That … reintroduced us to the unutterably fabulous alpha mum and film director Lisa Todd Wexly (played by Nicole Ari Parker) who is, as the show’s costume designer Danny Santiago told me before the show aired, definitely on the international best-dressed list.
Her signature style? Unapologetically bold: there is no necklace too big, no colour too vivid and no outfit too bizarre (“it’s not crazy, it’s Valentino!”) for Wexley. Meanwhile Carrie Bradshaw, now in her 50s, remains as quirky as ever in her fashion choices and her new best friend – slinky and self-possessed Seema – leaves no leopard print untouched. It’s worth noting of course that the women on this show have serious money.
Has And Just Like That gone too far with the designer fashion labels?
It’s not only in pop culture that a louder take on luxury has been celebrated.
The antithesis of quiet luxury can be found in such things as this summer’s trend for monogrammed raffia bags and the spectacle of Pharrell Williams’ debut collection for Louis Vuitton. Whether it’s described as “prep”, “normcore” or “minimalism” – quiet luxury, with its coded messages, has always existed. But loud luxury has a place, and a customer, too. The drama of haute couture shows is proof of this.Libby Page, market director at luxury retailer Net-a-Porter, says the retailer immediately experienced the Barbie effect, as well as an uptick in people looking for colourful and monogrammed pieces from brands that they know and love.
“Following the release of the Barbie trailer and movie, we have seen a spike in customers seeking pops of colours and prints, calling for louder and bolder styles. Some of the top-selling brands in the Asia-Pacific region that speak to this mood include Zimmermann and Gucci, which are well known for their colourful prints and signature monogram,” she says.
What’s more, along with the pop culture moments, there are plenty of super stylish and influential people embodying loud luxury.
This includes Swarovski creative director Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert, who recently posted a tongue-in-cheek photo of herself in an extremely minimalist grey cashmere jumper adorned with an exuberant jumble of colourful gem necklaces to Instagram with the caption “quiet luxury”. Other noted maximalists include J.J. Martin (founder of high voltage brand LaDouble J) and Camille Miceli, creative director at Emilio Pucci.
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Meanwhile this summer’s viral TikTok trend was “tomato girl”. It’s all about embracing the la dolce vita way of life – think ruffled maxi dresses, bright fruit and vegetable prints, and glamorous accessories such as silk scarves knotted around the hair and heart-shaped sunglasses. A tomato girl summer is about sucking every last drop out of life, always ordering the spaghetti and dressing with a knock-em-dead va va voom sensibility. Arguably this would be difficult to do in an understated grey cashmere jumper.
Certainly not everybody is convinced by quiet luxury. Digital influencer and editor Bryan Yambao – better known as Bryanboy online and one of the original big-time fashion bloggers – has been a vocal critic of the quiet luxury trend.
In a recent social media caption, he said: “This ‘quiet luxury’ notion that people with ‘true’ wealth only wear discreet, conformist uniforms is nothing but absolute nonsense. Banal, rebranded. It’s not ‘luxury’ per se, it’s an old aesthetic rooted in whiteness and deception – dressing in a uniform manner to control how people perceive them.”
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In any case, many people probably sit somewhere between – appreciating a classic silhouette perhaps and desiring wardrobe essentials that will work hard, but wanting to add a little something.
Net-a-Porter’s Page definitely believes you can have both.
“Colour is very much a strong trend at the moment – so is quiet luxury. The two can coexist and actually they complement each other well. I think grounding pops of colour like red, pink and green in neutrals is a great way to inject an unexpected pop,” she says.
“If you’re new to trying colour, stick to a classic item like a crisp shirt or a wide leg trouser and just switch out your usual white or black for a primary shade.”
Celenie Seidel, senior womenswear lead at online retailer Farfetch, says the saturation of quiet luxury can only inevitably lead to dialling things up again, such is the treadmill of fashion.6 fashion finds for summer: from Almodóvar beachwear to vampire dresses
“With the cyclical nature of fashion, we see counter-trends develop in reaction to trends that have been prevalent over two or three seasons. The significant presence of quiet luxury begged a direct response to follow, which we’re seeing creep into collections via more ostentatious elements and themes,” she says.
Seidel also believes both quiet and loud luxury can happily coexist.
“Gucci’s autumn/winter 2023 collection struck a true balance of quiet and loud luxury. While it offered plenty of elevated essentials and wardrobe staples, the collection was peppered with loudness: acid yellow, purple velvet, teddy bear faux furs, metallics, palettes, lingerie detailing, crystals, and super playful shoes and bags. Amid the more classic elements of the collections, this created character and individuality – something we will surely see collections move back towards in a post-quiet luxury era,” she says.Is Kobe Bryant’s daughter Natalia Beyoncé’s most stylish intern?
While fashion houses such as Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino and Emilio Pucci have always created collections for those with no intention of being a wallflower, Page says other brands to add to your wardrobes include cult French brand Jacquemus and Loewe.
If you’re feeling a little uncertain of how to turn up the volume in your wardrobe, Seidel suggests working with what you already have.
“It’s about injecting elements into your pre-existing wardrobe: perhaps it’s a metallic or jewelled shoe that you add to a pared-back shirt and jeans look; or a classic trench worn over a louder look. Find fun new pieces you’re naturally drawn to, and work them into looks you already rely on and feel comfortable in. Trying a new trend doesn’t have to be a seismic shift – most importantly you still want to feel like you,” she says.
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