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10 Fashion Items The Defined The 2010s

10 Fashion Items The Defined The 2010s

Written by Natasha Lawrence

We’ve made it kids. The last day of the decade is here. Goodbye 2010s. Hello 2020s! While we can’t wait to see what this new decade has in store for us (sartorially speaking), we wanted to take a walk down memory lane and look at the fashion items that defined the 2010s.

The 2010s saw the rise of street style, the creation of social media and the age of the “It” girl. The decade saw many trends come and go – tiny sunglasses, wedge sneakers, athletisisure, crop tops and logo mania, but these items really stood out among the rest.

1. Valentino Rock Stud Shoes – 2010

The Valentino Rock Stud flats were created in 2010 by the brands then Co-Creative Directors, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chirui. Their use of the “Rock stud” is possibly the most famous detail of the decade, and one that became immediately recognizable as Valentino. They adorned bracelets, bags and most famously, shoes. Heels or flats, the shoes became a must-have of every fashion editor and have entered the annals of sartorial history as a “classic” shoe.

VALENTINO GARAVANI ROCKSTUD PUMPS
VALENTINO GARAVANI ROCKSTUD SLINGBACK BALLERINA SHOES
VALENTINO GARAVANI ROCKSTUD PUMPS

2. Adidas x Stan Smith Sneaker – 2010(ish)

The origin of this shoe isn’t so easy to determine, but in 2010, when Phoebe Philo took her bow at Céline’s fall/winter show, Adidas x Stan Smith sneakers became a must have by every member of the fashion set. In 2014, the brand re-introduced the silhouette with a multitude of colour ways and finishes, but the classic white leather with a flash a green was the classic everyone wanted (and still wants) to have. The shoe is so popular, that Stan Smith (the tennis player), titled his memoir, “Some People Think I’m A Shoe.

STAN SMITH SNEAKER
STELLA STAN SMITH LOW TOP SNEAKER
STAN SMITH SNEAKER

3. Celine Luggage Tote – 2010

*Sigh*, remember the days of Phoebe Philo at Céline? 2008 to 2018 were good years for the brand. While the clothes were the obvious highlight, the Luggage Tote was an item that we still have in our closets today. Created in 2010, the Luggage Tote came in three sizes and was loved by celebrities and street style stars alike.

2018 MICRO LUGGAGE TOTE
BICOLOR MICRO LUGGAGE
NANO LUGGAGE TOTE

4. Chloe Susanna Boots – 2011

In 2008 Chloe released the Susan boots. In 2011, with Hannah MacGibbon at the helm, the brand relaunched the boots as the Susanna and they quickly became a must have. They were worn by everyone who was anyone: Rachel Bilson, Kate Bosworth, and Sienna Miller, to name a few. They were selling out as quickly as stores were stocking them.

SUSANNA BUCKLE 30MM ANKLE BOOTS
SUSANNA ANKLE BOOTS
BLACK SUSANNA 30 STUDDED ANKLE BOOTS

5. Isabel Marant Wedge Sneakers – 2011

We spent days literally daydreaming about all the outfits we would wear our Isabel Marant Wedge Sneakers with. Skinny jeans, leggings, shorts…the options were endless. While Marc Jacobs, Giuseppe Zanotti, Ash and many other brands had their own versions of wedge sneakers, it was Isabel Marant who created the ones that everyone just had to have. We don’t know that we would still wear them today (even Marant herself has said she’s over them), but we’re hesitant to let them go just yet. Fashion is cyclical, after all!

BOBBY WEDGE SNEAKERS
WEDGE SNEAKERS
ÉTOILE BECKETT HI-TOPS

6. Kenzo Tiger Sweatshirt – 2012

In 2011, when Carol Lim and Humberto Leon took over as Co-Creative Directors of Kenzo, their first order of business was to go through the house’s archives. It was there that they came across a tiger graphic used by founder, Kenzo Takada, in the 70s. In 2012, they turned that graphic into one of the house’s most recognizable creations. It was the first time the house had ever created a sweatshirt and it was a hit.

TIGER SWEATSHIRT
TIGER SWEATSHIRT
TIGER SWEATSHIRT

7. Acne Studios Velocite Jacket – 2012

Since its release in 2012, Acne Studios’ Velocite Jacket has been selling out every winter. The Jonny Johansson designed jacket has been given the Rihanna stamp of approval, and has been worn by almost every fashion editor.

VELOCITE SHEARLING JACKET
VELOCITE SHEARLING JACKET
VELOCITE SHEARLING JACKET

8. Gucci Princetown Loafers – 2015

In 2015, Alessandro Michele was appointed Creative Director of Gucci. The same year, Michele created the Gucci Princetown Loafers. Whether fur-lined or fur free, they became a massive success with fashion elite and spawned many copy-cat styles. For much of 2015, it was impossible to follow a style account without seeing a peek of their loafers.

GUCCI PRINCET...
GUCCI PRINCET...
GUCCI PRINCET...

9. Vetement’s “May The Bridges I Burn Light The Way” Hoodie – 2016

In the Vetement’s Fall 2016 show, Demna Gvasalia introduced the “May The Bridges I Burn Light The Way” hoodie. The hoodie ran at a casual price of $1050, but became a favourite of Whoopie Goldberg and almost every street style blogger or icon. It was so popular that it’s still sold out everywhere online.

10. Jacquemus Le Chiquito Bag – 2018

The Jacquemus Le Chiquito bag is peak 2010s. When our children look back at this decade, they are quite possibly going to shake their heads and laugh at the fact that owning the bag that barely fit AirPods was living. Simon Porte first issued the bag in 2018, and it was iPhone-sized. For fall 2019, Jacquemus went even further making it the teeny tiny bag we all know and covet today.

LE CHIQUITI MINI BAG
LE CHIQUITI MINI BAG
LE CHIQUITO MINI BAG

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