8 Street Style Items That Defined 2010s Fashion
From Kenzo’s Tiger sweatshirt to adidas’ timeless Stan Smiths.
As the decade draws to a close, we’re reflecting on some of the most pivotal moments in fashion and culture over the past 1o years. Having explored some of the most iconic songs of this era, as well as the models who ruled the runway, we’re turning our attention to some of the standout street style items that have defined the period.
It goes without saying that each season, there’s at least one key item that tops the ranks amongst the street style set. The pieces end up being photographed throughout the season on celebrities and influencers before trickling down into our consciousness and inevitably, our wardrobes – or wish lists. We’ve rounded up eight of the most iconic pieces from the decade: scroll below to jog your memory of the biggest trends and reminisce on the end of a era.
Jacquemus Le Chiquito Bag
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Simon Porte Jacquemus has become almost infamous for his penchant for small accessories in the past few seasons, with the Le Chiquito bag fast becoming a favorite with industry insiders and influencers alike. Although it’s larger than the comically tiny Le Petit Chiquito, which itself spawned a plethora of memes, it’s still a fairly impractical yet chic piece. Available in a range of colorways, from classic black to vibrant yellow and even croc-print iterations, this is one trend we bet will extend into the coming seasons too.
Adam Selman x Le Specs Last Lolita Sunglasses
Eddie Lee/Hypebae
Celebrities really spearheaded the ultra-skinny matrix sunglasses trend that hit its peak a couple of years ago but no one pair of slim sunnies was as popular as Adam Selman x Le Specs’ Last Lolita. The cat eye-shaped shades were seen on everyone from Gigi Hadid and Zoë Kravitz to Cardi B in 2017 and thanks to their affordability and celeb seal of approval, they made their way to the masses shortly after, frequently selling out online and forcing Le Specs into multiple restocks.
Christopher Kane Envelope Lava Pouch
Carl De Souza/Afp Via Getty Images
Christopher Kane’s fall/winter 2011 collection had one notable common thread – pieces detailed with plastic trims filled with colorful gel. Reminiscent of lava lamps and childhood pencil cases, the finish found its way onto collars, necks, waistlines and more through the collection but the piece most spotted during the upcoming fashion weeks was the Envelope Lava Clutch. The standout came in a few colorways – blue/green, pink/purple and orange/inky blue – and was seen in the hands of the industry elite throughout spring/summer 2012 and beyond. With the technique appearing once again in his SS20 collection, we have a feeling these water-gel accessories could be seeing a resurgence soon.
Balenciaga Triple-S
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One of the most coveted shoes in recent years, Balenciaga’s Triple-S was perhaps the silhouette that pinpointed the fine line between streetwear and luxury fashion. The somewhat ugly, oversized silhouette came to life in 2017 and although it was arguable most popular through that year and into 2018, it’s still frequently seen adorning the feet of the fashion-obsessed. Notable as much for its instantly-recognizable silhouette as for its hefty price-tag, the trainer will certainly be remembered as one of the most hyped footwear options of the late 2010s.
Givenchy‘s Rottweiler Print
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Riccardo Tisci‘s tenure at Givenchy saw the designer introduce many notable graphic prints to the French luxury brand’s repertoire but none stand out in our memories as much as the Rottweiler print. Equal parts terrifying and endearing, the Rottweiler was debuted during Givenchy’s Fall 2011 runway and picked up a slew of celebrity fans like Rihanna and Kanye West almost instantly, before finding its way to the street style circuit in the following season. Such is the cult-appeal of this particular print that it got its own, dedicated capsule collection just before Tisci departed the label in 2017.
adidas Originals Stan Smith
Titolo
adidas Originals’ Stan Smith silhouette is my no means a new sneaker, but it wasn’t until Phoebe Philo took her bow at Céline’s fall/winter 2010 show that the kicks were fully accepted by the fashion set. By the time adidas re-introduced the silhouette in 2014, the fashion world was clamouring for a comfortable, minimal alternative to heels and what better shoe that the classic, Philo-approved Stan Smith? While it came in multiple colorways and finishes, including collaborative iterations with the likes of Raf Simons, it was the classic white leather shoe with a flash of green that was most-spotted during fashion weeks throughout the mid ’10s.
Kenzo Logo Sweatshirt
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Humberto Leon and Carol Lim introduced the Tiger sweatshirt a couple of years into their tenure as the creative directors at Kenzo. This coincided with the peak of fashion blogging and as such, the bold pullover was cleverly favored by the “new” celebrities of the era. The tiger emblem was revived from the Kenzo archives and the duo claimed that this was the first time the French luxury house had ever produced a sweatshirt and the combination of the relative affordability of the piece compared to other Kenzo garments and its striking graphics – a prelude to the logo-mania trend – ensured it was worn by some of the biggest names in fashion throughout 2013.
Céline Alphabet Necklace
Paul Jeong/Hypebae
News of Phoebe Philo‘s departure from Céline rocked the fashion world at the tail-end of 2017, so it seems fitting that the most-beloved street style item throughout 2018 was one of her final accessories for the French brand. The brass Alphabet pendant necklace was genuinely worn by an almost unquantifiable number of people during the fashion months of 2018, everywhere from Paris to Stockholm. While its popularity may have dwindled now, it will forever be remembered as an emblem of Phoebe Philo’s “old Céline,” earning a special place in fashion archives everywhere.
