EDITOR’S NOTE: Featuring the nice, the unhealthy and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a daily collection devoted to unpacking probably the most talked about outfit of the final seven days.
Sequins? In November? Groundbreaking. Yes, when Salma Hayek, Doja Cat, Iris Law, Angela Bassett, Alex Consani, Emma Roberts, Vittoria Cerretti, Demi Moore, Kaia Gerber and her supermodel mom Cindy Crawford arrived on the LACMA Art+Film Gala on Saturday, every carrying a glitzy gown by Gucci — the official sponsor of the gala — it did for a second really feel just like the label had made probably the most out of a closing down sale on the sequin wholesaler.
But don’t write off this partywear trope too quickly. It actually is style’s nice equalizer. Affordable, accessible and supplied by many mass market manufacturers — most girls could have worn a sequin look of their life. Whether you dutifully fish your favourite out for a night event this aspect of daylight financial savings, or simply have fond reminiscences of birthdays, vacation workplace events and New Year’s Eve countdown’s passed by, there’s something acquainted concerning the high-shine iridescence of a sequin-covered frock that we are able to all relate to. That’s what makes it so endearing to see them on the 1% at purple carpets.
They were, nonetheless, as soon as markers of utmost luxurious. The first ‘sequin’ dates again to historic Egypt, discovered by archeologists in Tutankhamun’s tomb round 1922. Small nuggets of gold had been hammered into spherical disks and sewn onto King Tut’s garments to allow him to hold a few of his wealth into the afterlife. In truth, most early sequins were sewn-on cash. Along with signalling affluence, garments turned wearable purses for vacationers and attaching ones cash to a vest as an alternative of carrying a bag was a simple method to keep away from theft. Over the centuries, the gesture turned extra ornamental and fewer about corporeal cash administration. A portrait from 1620 of a well-to-do English girl named Margaret Layton, for instance, reveals her wearing a stunning embroidered jacket flecked with hundreds of small sequins comprised of silver, gold and copper alloy. While it wasn’t the gold cash of King Tut, these valuable metals really feel unrecognizable in comparison with the shiny plastic disks we all know as we speak.
Of course, the worth tag of a Gucci sequin robe will most likely bear extra resemblance to Layton’s alloy embellished jacket. But at the very least these purple carpet appears to be like may be readily recreated at residence. One grievance usually leveled at luxurious style is that it’s inaccessible, notably in recent times: Prices were as soon as aspirational, now they’re astronomical. Some designs, too, have been rooted in fantasy, as designers suggest their wildest and most uninhibited visions on the catwalk. Sometimes, these concepts are diluted and trickle down into the prevailing traits of the day. Other occasions, they go away these exterior the business bubble feeling chilly.
But the sequin gown is easy-to-digest glamour. It’s easy but efficient, and pleasantly humble whereas nonetheless demanding consideration. Plus, not each occasion requires 30,000 hand-embellished Swarovski crystals, or a one-of-a-kind archival designer robe. Sometimes all you actually need, as Gucci reminded us, is a grab-and-go glittery frock that can do the be just right for you.