Having spent the last few years craving luxury, I've almost had my fill. I said almost. The Chanel flap bag and Hermes watch were both totally worth saving for and the novelty still hasn't worn off the Valextra pochette I bought in January (albeit at 80% off in the Harrods sale). But all those were stealth buys, non-flashy symbols of quiet luxury that will never date. What I want now is to mix it up, I want luxury but I want it to be fun! So enter tacky-luxe, the ultimate hybrid trend.
When dreaming up a hybrid trend, the more contradictory the trends the better. Hence tacky and luxe - what could be more disparate? I'm thinking gaudy Boucheron macaroon rings, flashy De Grisogono lipstick watches and glitzy finger-candy from Ritz Fine Jewellery.
How to wear? Always, always with casual classics. And maybe a bit shabby around the edges. Scratch that, I think nonchalance is the word I'm looking for. So yes to relaxing the overstated bling with an old pink Helmut Lang sweatshirt and white skinny crop jeans with just-scuffed-enough brogues, but no to wearing anything with interlocking Cs or made from the pelt of a large cat. Oui to an oversized grey marl American Apparel tee, teamed with army fatigues and Converse - the perfect blank canvas in my book for a fabulous OTT jewel to shine. But non to a pristine blazer or in fact, anything that needs ironing.
Of course, the disposable income may not quite stretch to Old Bond Street in which case, not to worry. Tacky-luxe can be easily achieved with costume jewels from granny's attic (or Accessorize) - it's all in the execution.
