Rather than simply stepping into the spring/summer style season, consider sashaying your way forward with the transformative power of a fringe dress. Thanks to the cascades of tassels and strings dripping from its fabric, a fringed dress will move as you move, turning even the plainest of outfits into something with pizzazz, with little effort required.
Ahead, we've rounded up five different fringe dress styles with shoppable options for each.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy or click on something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Norma Kamali Fringed Slip Minidress, $, available at mytheresa
Fringe Mini Dress
Nothing says summer-ready like a barely there dress with a flirty twist. Keep it short, keep it simple, and, most of all, keep it fun.
Topshop Fringe Mini Dress in Black, $, available at ASOS
NA-KD Sequin Fringes Midi Dress, $, available at NA-KD
Just Cavalli Fringed Mini Dress, $, available at Farfetch
Metallic Fringe Dress
Shiny, sparkly, silvery fabrics and accessories were quickly identified as a major spring/summer 2023 trend, so why not add an inspired metallic touch to your tassels? It doesn't take much convincing for us to say yes to a style dripping with rhinestones, like this Zara fringe dress.
ASOS DESIGN Body-Conscious Mini Sweats Dress with Diamante Fringing, $, available at ASOS
LoveShackFancy | Free People Wink Dress, $, available at Free People
Cut-out Fringe Dress
If there's anything we've learned from observing the style on runways and celebrities alike over the past two years, it's that when it comes to the cut-out trend, the limit does not exist. Apply the skin-baring look to the waist, shoulders, back, or sides of your fringe dress and you end up with the ultimate combination of flirty and fun.
Leslie Amon Sol Cutout Fringed Stretch-jersey Halterneck Midi Dress, $, available at Net-A-Porter
Karen Millen Plus Size Cut Out Fringed Bandage Knit Midi Dress, $, available at KAREN MILLEN
Amy Lynn Annabelle Cut-Out Sequin Dress, $, available at Wolf & Badger
Fringe Trim Dress
If full-on flapper is not for you, consider a dress that limits the fringe to its edges. A fringed hemline can be as subtle or as dramatic as you desire, depending on the tassel length.
Sandro Paris Fringed Bustier Dress, $, available at Sandro Paris
Although tonight’s Met Gala is met with excitement, it’s also one of the most controversial in its decades-long history. While Lagerfeld was a celebrated designer, he’s also remembered for fatphobic, classist, and misogynist remarks he made to the press throughout his life. Some of these include calling Adele “a little too fat” in The Guardian in 2015 and disapproving of allegations made by models against the former creative director of Interviewamid #MeToo movement, saying, “If you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a model!”
Critics, including the actress Jameela Jamil, have argued that the designer’s offensive comments outweigh the celebratory nature of the exhibition and gala, while Grazia editor-in-chief Hattie Brett told The Daily News that if Lagerfeld were still alive “he would be called out for some of the problematic comments he made, and rightly so.” Meanwhile, Vogue editor-in-chief and Met Gala co-chair Anna Wintour, who was a close friend, responded to Lagerfeld’s comments in a recent interview with CBS News, saying, “Karl was a complicated man.”
Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/MG23/Getty Images/The Met Museum/Vogue.Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/MG23/Getty Images/The Met Museum/Vogue.
Ice Spice
Ice Spice in Balmain. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images.
Liu Wen
Liu Wen in Tory Burch.Photo: Kevin Mazur/MG23/Getty Images/The Met Museum/Vogue.
Michaela Coel
Michael Coel in Schiaparelli.Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images.Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images.Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images/The Met Museum/Vogue.Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images/The Met Museum/Vogue.
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Fashion’s night of nights is here once again, and this time, it’s honoring the designer Karl Lagerfeld.
The biggest event in the fashion calendar sees VIP upon VIP flock to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Each year, the prestigious night comes with a theme. Most recently, “Gilded Glamour” took center stage with in line with the exhibition ‘In America: An Anthology of Fashion,’ transforming the red carpet into a sea of shiny gold and opulent jewels.
But the Met Gala isn’t without its controversy, though. The lack of BIPOC designers has been an ongoing issue, which is only accentuated by the recent American themes; there are mixed opinions about wearing historical artifacts, and performative activism continues to spark questions of authenticity.
Audiences at home seem to have become more critical and skeptical about the extravagant displays of wealth and fame that we used to laud over without a second thought. It makes sense — a globally watched event with millions of eyeballs often acts as a boiling pot for systemic issues to rise to the surface: racism, classism, gender inequality and fatphobia, to name a few. This upcoming Met Gala is no exception, with outrage surfacing in the lead-up to tonight’s event.
What is the theme of 2023’s Met Gala?
Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld (C) poses backstage with models (L-R) Karen Mulder, Carla Bruni, Nadja Auermann, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer and Helena Christensen during the Chloe Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 1995 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 10, 1994 in Paris, France.(Photo by Stephane Cardinale/Sygma via Getty Images)
The theme of this year’s Costume Institute exhibition is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, with attendees asked to wear clothing in honor of the designer to the Met Gala. This is not the first time the Met has done a designer-themed exhibition and gala, though, with designers like Charles James, Rei Kawakubo, and Alexander McQueen having being honored.
At the time of this year’s announcement, Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director of The Met, said, “Karl Lagerfeld was one of the most captivating, prolific and recognizable forces in fashion and culture, known as much for his extraordinary designs and tireless creative output as for his legendary persona. This immersive exhibition will unpack his singular artistic practice, inviting the public to experience an essential part of Lagerfeld’s boundless imagination and passion for innovation.”
“This man… was indeed, supremely talented, but used his platform is such a distinctly hateful way, mostly towards women, so repeatedly and up until the last years of his life, showing no remorse, offering no atonement, no apology, no help to groups he attacked… there was no explanation for his cruel outbursts,” Jameela Jamil said on Instagram.
“Sorry, but no. This isn’t the ’90s. We didn’t fight all this shit just to throw it all away because some white guy made some pretty clothes for people’s skinny faves… come on now.”
On fatphobia
Lagerfeld was outspoken about his belief that runway models should be sample sized. “No one wants to see curvy women,” he told Focus in 2009. Lagerfeld also dubbed supermodel Heidi Klum “too heavy” and said that Adele was “a little too fat.”
He defended fashion’s obsession with thin women, calling fatness “dangerous and very bad for the health.” When asked about Chanel’s obligation to represent “slightly healthier models” as opposed to “very thin models,” Lagerfeld brushed off the question and labeled it as a “bore” and “ridiculous” before touting the dangers of obesity.
On the #MeToo movement
Lagerfeld famously disapproved of the #MeToo movement. In 2018, a year before his death, he said, “If you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a model! Join a nunnery, there’ll always be a place for you in the convent.”
“What shocks me most in all of this are the starlets who have taken 20 years to remember what happened. Not to mention the fact there are no prosecution witnesses,” he said.
Lagerfeld also allegedly sent flowers to former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn after he was accused of sexual assault. “They all do it in the political world. They get horny from politics, from power. And he had unbelievable charms. He is really charming. He’s fun, he’s great. He’s a sweet guy — as long as you’re not a woman,” Lagerfeld said.
On queerness
As a gay man himself, Lagerfeld held contradicting and stifling thoughts about the LGBTQIA+ community.
Back in 2010, he told Vice that he was against the idea of gay marriage. “I’m against it for a very simple reason: In the ’60s, they all said we had the right to the difference. And now, suddenly, they want a bourgeois life,” he said.
“For me, it’s difficult to imagine — one of the papas at work and the other at home with the baby. How would that be for the baby? I don’t know. I see more lesbians married with babies than I see boys married with babies. And I also believe more in the relationship between mother and child than in that between father and child,” he said.
When is the Met Gala?
The Met Gala is on May 1, 2023. The Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty exhibition will be on display at The Met’s Costume Institute from May 5 to July 16, 2023.
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Amazon makes treating yourself incredibly easy. With fast delivery and free returns — all backed up by credible retailers that verify the legitimacy of the brands — shopping luxury is easy at Amazon. So, before you head to a department store, turn your gaze to the designer dresses, shoes, accessories, jewelry, and handbags calling your name at Amazon. Your wardrobe wants new items to play with this summer, so why don’t you grant its wish?
Amazon’s Luxury Dresses
Amazon’s vast collection of luxury dresses is filled with whimsical ’70s printed minis, breezy summer maxis, and abstract water-colored silhouettes that are from the latest seasons. If you fell head over heels for a look while watching fashion week’s most-loved runway shows, the exact one might be lingering on Amazon.
Amazon’s Luxury Clothing
Polish up your wardrobe with a sleek pantsuit from Sergio Hudson or spruce up your everyday staples with elevated Y2K-inspired crystal chain wide-leg jeans. If you want a one-of-a-kind piece, PatBo has a glossy eye-catching bikini top that can be styled as a summer night-out piece or swimsuit.
Although paying a hefty amount for accessories may seem insignificant, it adds the crucial finishing touch to any look. Scroll through for chic styles from top labels like Hermès, Chanel, and Gucci. Any one of the chic pieces will harmoniously bring any ensemble together. Why wait in line at a department store when you can look fabulous this week with just a click on your phone from your bed?
Amazon’s Luxury Jewelry
Lavish jewelry always comes with a high price. However, at the same time, they tend to last for a longer time. Peruse through our picks and find your forever piece, from dainty necklaces by Jennifer Meyer and Mateo New York to bold earrings by Sordo.
Amazon’s Designer Handbags
We understand shopping for designer handbags is an investment, but it never hurts to save to your wishlist. Yet, if there’s a specific bag you’ve fallen in love with, feel free to splurge immediately. Amazon has one for everyone, with pre-loved buckets bags from Louis Vuitton and caviar leather flap bags from Chanel.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
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