Time to give the fringe trend a benefit

Brace yourselves as the free-spirited and vintage fringe style from the ’60s makes a comeback in the world of fashion. With longer lengths and intricate details, the groovy addition was widely embraced in dresses, skirts, tops, blazers and jackets alike by designers lately.
From luxury fashion houses like Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Prada and Giorgio Armani, among others, advocating its resurgence on the fashion week runways to actors Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Alia Bhatt opting for the fringe trim style à la dresses, the playful stringy element is here to stay.
Commenting on its timelessness, designer Rahul Khanna says, “I have always found fringe to be a captivating fashion trend. It is remarkable how it has maintained its timeless appeal, while also being strongly associated with particular time periods. Fringe also exudes a sense of liberated elegance.”
Designer Paras Baroliya of Geisha Designs shares, “The comeback of the fringe trend can be attributed to the pandemic. The flapper era followed by World War I is a great example of this.”
Seen as the golden age of the fringe style, the ’20s fashion saw loose dresses cut from luxurious fabrics and distinctly finished off with a fringed trim. Later, the trim emerged with a rebellious twist in the 1950s via biker leather jackets featuring fringed detailing and was also appreciated by singer Elvis Presley as seen in his signature fringe jackets. Coming full circle in the ’60s and ’70s, many designers became inspired by it as Yves Saint Laurent created two fringe-filled collections in 1967 and celebrities like singer Cher also incorporated the shredded detailing into her looks.
Vastly different from the trim styles in the flapper era, the current fringe trend has more of a street style spin to it. Khanna says, “The fringes that were popular in the ’20s were woven in intricate patterns and left hanging loosely, whereas today’s fringes have been adapted into street styles and are commonly seen in the form of fringe laces. Moreover, with its remarkable versatility, fringes are now incorporated into a wide range of clothing items, including high-end couture pieces.”
Baroliya adds, “The new fringe trend is more statement and detailed, the placements and the unusual pairings are what make it so different. With so many iterations of denim mixed with fringing or gingham mixed with fringe, fringed totes and other such street style variations, this embellishment swiftly made its way into the streetwear scene”
With its playful, fun and full of expression disposition, fringes are the perfect way to wear your heart on your sleeve. The open-to-display embellishment possesses an Instagrammable charm and it seems to have struck a chord with Gen Z. “Of late, everything needs picture perfection with some movement and fringes work perfectly to set this as a trend. It can add playfulness to any attire, making it more fun and festive,” Baroliya ends.
Inputs by stylist Shaziya Memon