While loungewear and minimalism trends seemed to be everywhere during the pandemic, a new trend from the other end of the spectrum is gaining traction: maximalism. Fans seek out bold colors, mixed prints and high fashion elements to lift their moods in otherwise dreary times.
The trend is supported by maximalist influencers, who share photos and videos of their eccentric looks (think creating an outfit entirely out of newspapers) on Instagram and TikTok. Their content has caught the attention of fashion brands including Coach, H&M and Collina Strada, and other companies looking to partner with creators.
Here, four maximalist fashion influencers talk about the phenomenon, giving insight into their own style, fall fashion trends, and why they think their over-the-top aesthetic is resonating with the masses.
Alix Scherer: @WearingAlix
alix sherer
Fashion influencer Alix Scherer has been a lifelong fan of maximalist attire, but has relied more on creative outlet as a form of self-expression while working in an office for New York City.
“It can be difficult when your job doesn’t involve creativity, but you feel like you need to be creative and you have a creative side,” says Scherer, who uses she/they pronouns. “Going into an office every day where it can be daunting and you don’t necessarily see windows and it lacks color, for me, I was looking for something to find an outlet for self-expression and my clothes have always been a piece of self-expression for me.”
Scherer began sharing her looks on Instagram in February 2020. The influencer has been slowly building up a following over the past two years, now boasting more than 16,700 followers. Scherer’s colorful outfits and uplifting videos have caught the attention of several brands that have chosen them to partner with, including Hush Puppies and Sock Candy.
The influencer defines her style as “colorful business casual,” given her affinity for bold colors and love of dressier styles. Her style consists of bright colors, chunky jewels, and mixed prints. For fall, Scherer says they hope to use sequins and tulle pieces.
Scherer’s main style icon is one of fashion’s original maximalists: fashion icon Iris Apfel (as well as her family, which she describes as “sort of a fashionista family).”
“My style is very uninhibited and I don’t necessarily follow the rules that normally apply to office wear or color theory,” says Scherer. “I think people mainly respect that innovative and uninhibited thinking. As we move forward as a society, more and more people are leaning towards the idea that it is not necessary to follow the style rules established by the standards of the past. It is respected that it is good to push those limits and it is good to lean on who you are instead of who you think you are supposed to be.
Amiaya: @amixxamiaya and @ayaxxamiaya
Ami and Aya Suzuki
Twin girls Ami and Aya Suzuki, known professionally as Amiaya, have long made waves for their colorful and matching style, ever since they started blogging and using social media in the early 2010s.
The twins have held many roles throughout their careers, working as DJs, models and collaborating with Japanese fashion brands, but through it all they have established themselves, and developed over 550,000 followers on Instagram, like some of the maximalists. fashion originals. influential people
They have worked with many top brands including Moschino, H&M, Montblanc, Coach and others.
“Our style mixes various tastes and pursues originality by expressing the joy of fashion through the use of color,” the twins say in a joint interview. “From hair to makeup, our constant goal is to create an individuality that only we can bring out.”
A hallmark of the influencers’ style is their constant mix-and-match, with outfits complementing each other through shared patterns or the same color palette. They also have an affinity for pink, regularly using the color in their clothing and accessories, frequently dyeing their hair different shades of pink.
“For us, the keyword ‘twins’ is one of our identities,” they say. “We try to match each other in clothes and style in some way. This is something we are aware of on a regular basis, not just during fashion week. Our style has a lot to do with the impact of being twins. We express what we can do because we are twins and we complement each other by constantly arguing, looking at each other objectively, and updating each other.”
Their love of pink is something they will keep this fall. In addition to keeping their hairstyles pink, the twins hope to style their looks with pink corsets and vintage pieces.
Sara Camposarcone: @saracamposarcone
Sara Camposarcone
Sara Camposarcone cemented her status as a maximalist fashion influencer thanks to one of her first viral TikTok videos last year, where the Toronto-based creator tries on a dog-themed head-to-toe outfit.
Since then, she has posted many videos that focus on styling an offbeat item, such as a hamburger-themed bra, grape-patterned flip-flops, or a kid’s hair clip. Camposarcone’s bold appearance has earned him more than 900,000 followers on TikTok, in addition to 87,500 followers on Instagram.
“I would describe my style as quite daring,” he explains. “I’m definitely drawn to color. For me, it’s a great mood booster. It makes me so happy, so that’s what I’m looking for. But [my style] it’s quite eccentric and eclectic as well. I love things that make me nostalgic. Anything that reminds me of my childhood, like anything related to a TV show I used to watch. I love playing with my inspiration for what I wear today.”
Camposarcone has had a lifelong interest in fashion and maximalist dress. The influencer started developing her style in high school when she increased her affinity for second-hand shopping. After college, she turned her love of fashion into a career, working in marketing at an apparel company, and now works as a full-time content creator, partnering with fashion brands and major companies like McDonald’s and Samsung. .
She has a lot of style influences for her eccentric outfits, but gets most of her ideas from the ’90s runways of designers like Marc Jacobs and Betsy Johnson, as well as Japanese fashion magazines, she says. This fall, she’s looking forward to wearing layers again, as well as bringing back her favorite furry hats.
“At first it started out like, ‘oh, this person is super weird and her style is really weird,’” she says of her videos. “It’s interesting to watch, but at the same time I don’t think people really thought I’d dress like her, but as time went on it got to this point where people follow and watch my videos not even. not just for fashion, but for the confidence that I exude in my videos, or just the inspiration that you can wear whatever you want and not worry about what people think.”
Source: news.google.com