Three Cool Accessories You Can Make From the Gucci Runway

“Alessandro Michele is the new punk,” said Tim Blanks at a fashion talk I attended in Berlin. The sentence made me think. What had I missed when clicking through the images from Michele’s first collection for Gucci back in February? I hadn’t been as excited about it as everyone else. There were silk flower dresses and berets and printed wool vests and fur lined loafers. To me, it lacked innovation. But Blanks’ point made me realize I hadn’t actually looked at the collection thoroughly.

Its genius lay in the fact that Michele didn’t need to invent something crazy and futuristic to elicit newness, thus the title of punk. “He refuses everything that’s fashion,” Blanks added. “His models are not girls, but grannies.” It’s true: Michele takes pieces we’ve seen a million times before and combines them in a way that creates this certain kind of quirkiness. His designs make women look not fashionable, but modern. Modern weirdos.

So when I watched Michele’s Spring 2016 collection, I tried to focus on every single detail so as not to overlook the genius again. There were striped pussy bows and ties with embroidered eyes and lady beetle brooches and poppy flowers on sleeves. I saw a million things that were brilliant yet simple enough to make myself. The modern Gucci weirdness is democratic: everyone can embrace it.

Which bring us to yet another edition of How To Fake The Runway. I’ve picked three accessories from Gucci’s Spring 16 Gucci collection to DIY depending on your free time. The poppy flower for your sleeve takes 2 minutes to make, the crystal gloves 5 minutes and the striped pussy bow, about half an hour. Note: you’ll need a glue gun for all three projects.

Ready? Set…Go!

1) The Sleeve Poppy:

Step #1: Buy a silk poppy flower either here or at your local crafting store.

Step #2: Glue the flower on a wide hair tie lying around your house. Check under the couch.

Step #3: Done! Pull the elastic tie over your hand to wear the flower on your wrist or shirt cuff. Now challenge yourself and make the second flower for the other wrist in under 2 minutes.

2) The Crystal Gloves:

Step #1: Buy fingerless leather gloves (I bought mine here) and various beaded jewels, like earrings and brooches (find them on flea markets, at Topshop or H&M). Clip the crystals/stones off the studs.

Step #2: Before gluing, play with the crystals and stones on the gloves so that you know where you want them. Once they’re in place, set them with an all-purpose adhesive or glue gun. (I recommend the latter for better hold.)

3) Striped Pussy Bow With Flower:  

What you’ll need:

• A light, navy blue silk or viscose fabric

• Red satin gift ribbon (measuring 1.5 inches by 45 inches)

• Double-sided adhesive vlieseline

• A pink silk flower

• A baby pin

• Safety pins

• Glue

Step #1: Cut a strip from the navy blue fabric measuring 7.5 inches by 44 inches. Fold the strip lengthways and pin the long open edges.

Step #2: Sew along the long edge, then flip over the strip. The short edges remain open.

Step #3: Cut a strip from the double-sided adhesive that has the exact same measurements as the gift ribbon. Iron the vlieseline with the adhesive side facing downward on the ribbon so that it sticks firmly, then strip the foil off the upper adhesive side of the vlieseline.

Step #4: Place the ribbon (adhesive side facing downward) centered on the navy-blue piece. Iron the ribbon so that it sticks firmly. Plug the loose ends of the ribbon into the short open edges of the blue strip. Close the open ends using small pieces of the double-sided adhesive vlieseline.

Step #5: Fold the striped piece to a bow, then fix it with a few stitches so that it remains in the right shape. Glue the silk flower on the front side of the bow and the baby pin on the backside.

Fin! Now show me your results below!

Follow Berlin-babe Claire on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Go check out her website C’est Clairette, too. Photographed by Sandra Semburg.

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