Unconventional couture takes center stage in 2024

The fashion industry is in constant flux, perpetually redefining the boundaries of creativity. We have entered that era where old piles of clothing and decayed shoes are a new luxury, as seen with the bold Balenciaga launches. But that's not all. Brands have evolved to include a variety of bizarre creations. Remember Yves Saint Laurent condoms making their way to couples' bedrooms or Balenciaga’s trash bags (Autumn/Winter 2022)? These absurd launches have not only sparked curiosity but also reshaped our understanding of fashion as a medium of social commentary.

2024 continues to embrace eccentricity, pushing unconventional fashion into new realms. The trends seen on runways and red carpets boldly nod to expressionism, manifesting in absurd fashion launches, collaborations, and campaigns. This trend only justifies the fashion industry's limitless imagination. If you don't believe us, here are some of this year's unconventionally daring yet memorable fashion moments. 

Louis Vuitton Sandwich Bag

Give your spring sandwiches a royal upgrade with the luxurious LV Sandwich Bag in the brand's iconic orange colour, inspired by their recognisable shopping bag. Made with supple cowhide leather, this bag retails for a shiny price of ₹2,80,000 (a cost infinitely higher than the sandwich it contains!). 

Emma Chamberlain's recent 'to wear or not to wear' look

Emma Chamberlain has been known for her experimental fashion and her recent Paris Fashion Week ensemble certainly made a statement. The influencer attended Jean Paul Gaultier's Couture show wearing a white button-down, which she tied around her waist, covering only her torso. Chamberlain took it up a notch with a pair of black leather gloves for a striking contrast to the bizarre button-down-styled work T-shirt.

Balenciaga tape bracelet 

Balenciaga turned tables even before turning tables was a thing. For their Fall/Winter Paris 2024 collection, the brand juxtaposed their high-fashion jewellery with a light blue dress wrapped with transparent tape, amplifying its avant-garde aesthetic. Branded with the iconic Balenciaga logo, this product was circling the internet at a price of ₹3,66,834 approx. 

Charles Jeffery loverboy banana boots

This British label celebrated its 10th anniversary at the Men's Paris Fashion Week A/W 2024 with playful, quirky designs. Look number 32 was particularly amusing; it was a pair of bright yellow banana boots. Talk about fashion gone bananas!

Viktor & Rolf Fall 2024 Couture: An absurd breakthrough collection

Viktor & Rolf is renowned for blending couture with irrationality. Their Spring/Summer 2023 collection featured voluminous dresses that were draped and structured in unexpected ways. For this year's collection, the brand incorporated geometric garments with bizarre shapes. Think boxy pillows and Lego-like blocks that you played with as a child. These geometric pieces were protruding out of the colourful outfits to create strange ensembles, highlighting Viktor & Rolf's penchant for pushing the boundaries of fashion.

Camella Cabello's Ice purse 

Met Gala 2024 had quite a few standout fashion moments, one of them being Camella Cabello's ice purse. That's right, the pop star sported a 22k block of ice as an accessory, leaving the internet frozen (quite literally) with its surreal couture. This melting chunk of ice, containing a copper rose, symbolised the evolution of old-fashioned trends, reawakening the bizarre, avant-garde expressions.

Panera's fashionable bread hat 

The tastiest of it all, Panera, the bakery shop company, released a unique, fashionable bread hat for the Kentucky Derby horse race in May 2024. A limited-edition release, this 3D-printed bread bowl hat was adorned with colourful ostrich feathers and was priced at $21. No doubt, it was quickly sold out, highlighting the year's trend toward quirky fashion.

The Dog Show: LGBTQ 

Over the years, luxury items have surpassed celebrities, now including pets, with unique pet fashion outfits taking centre stage. During Pride month, social media was buzzing over a dog show organised by Pebot, a queer-owned canine fashion brand that featured Donatella Versace and Chappell Ralp. Pebot added a twist to LGBTQ letters by turning "L for Lesbian" into a Labrador retriever. Some of the epic outfits were even inspired by Met Gala looks.

Rick Owen's inflatable rubber boots

Rick Owens is unafraid to set limits on its label. And the brand has proven this once again giving us yet another freakish footwear pairing at the Men's Fall 2024 show. Aptly defined as Alien-like inflatable rubber boots, these unconventional shoes stood out among the elegant and sophisticated Parisian backdrop. Whether you were amazed or bewildered, it certainly got the media talking for days.

The sand dress

Singer Tyla made a statement with her sand dress by Balmain at the Met Gala 2024. Many expected the Garden of Times theme to be a sweet spring-summer flower interpretation, but Tyla's ensemble offered a unique take. What is crazier is that the look was completed with a strange hourglass bag.

Lead image credit: Balenciaga

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