Take it to the max
A safe little black dress? Not on your life. These party icons prove that embellishment is the new black.
Crank up your party dressing
This season, dressing up has been cranked way, way up. You know how Coco Chanel famously said you should always look in the mirror and take o one thing before you leave the house? Well, forget that this season and do the opposite.
Anna Dello R usso
ADR’S style might be out there, but she’s refined the art of the clash. Pink vs red, sequins vs quilting, evening wear vs hiking gear – on paper, this should be a mess, but highcontrast clashing is just the thing to stand out. Example: the cherry and fuchsia number at the autumn/winter ’17 Balenciaga show. Try nylon against sequins, leather against feathers and denim against neoprene. YOU’LL NEED: A Pantone chart, door-knocker necklace and Daily Paper.
Rihanna
“What would I wear if I were a box of candy?” is, we imagine, a question Rihanna asks herself daily as she peruses the rails of her wardrobe, then opts for a metallic, draped dress, strappy heels and yellowgold jewellery. If – before you learnt what you ‘should’ and ‘shouldn’t’ wear – you always wanted to dress up as Quality Street packaging film, then do it now. YOU’LL NEED: A very large chocolate foil.
Cher
If we could turn back time, we would party with Cher. Or, perhaps, follow her around the shops and work out where she got her wardrobe from. Maximalist party dressing doesn’t get better than a sheer sequinned dress. YOU’LL NEED: Nude underwear (or a very thorough fullbody wax).
Grace Jones
For their spring/summer ’18 show, Chanel, champion of tweed skirt suits and quilted bags, sent what can only be described as futuristic Perspex go-go boots down the runway. We suggest you ditch your go-to leather ankle boots in favour of more maximalist options, with Grace Jones as your muse. Look for texture, length and a completely see-through upper. YOU’LL NEED: A maximalist headpiece – because more really is more.
Bianca Jagger
Studio 54 regular, and social and human rights advocate Bianca Jagger knows how to nail a look. Back in the ’70s, that meant riding horses in the club, sequinned dresses with matching berets and Rolling Stones’ Mick on her arm – and she’s still nailing it today at age 73. YOU’LL NEED: A rock star plus-one.
Iris Apf el
The general expectation is that ladies ‘of a certain age’ should use ‘tasteful’ and ‘timeless’ as their style keywords. It seems Iris Apfel threw away that rule book. She’s a walking endorsement for throwing everything at an outfit. Why dress down leather trousers when you can dress them up with feathers in the same sharp shade of crimson? YOU’LL NEED: XXL accessories. There’s no such thing as too much here.
Zendaya
Few women could have survived wearing a structured leather bell dress to an event. But few women are Zendaya. Architectural shapes, head-to-toe sequins and bold colour make up the wardrobe of this 22-year-old. With the help of stylist Law Roach, she’s been spotted in looks by Akris, August Getty Atelier and Versace, and showed o lots of must-see hair moments. Always ladylike with an edge, she certainly knows how to make an entrance. YOU’LL NEED: A fearless attitude – and a wardrobe to match.