Swirling prints, piles of sequins, clumps of fur and swatches of neon pink: Paris Fashion Week thus far has been anything but boring. After a long reign of minimalism and “normcore,” it seems that designers are ready to once again inject fashion with fun and glamour.

The once-dominating aesthetic of minimalism was all about simplicity and effortlessness, often featuring muted colors and basic silhouettes. It could look polished and chic, sure, but it could also look dull. This season, Paris Fashion Week showed a sense of fashion maximalism — dressing with the motto that “more is more.” Maximalism embraces excess; it embraces a desire to wear three different prints and something shimmery and something bright all at the same time and somehow still pull it off.

At Dries Van Noten, that is exactly what happened. Van Noten sent his models down the runway wearing combinations of clashing prints on rich silks and jacquards, hot pink bralettes either under or over other printed tops and sequin details to top off the busiest looks. Even with all that plus a somewhat jarring color palette, the collection looked incredible. It was whimsical and unique. Most of all, it was fun.

Several designers this past week also decided to nix minimalism in favor of sparkling silvers. Isabel Marant adorned her models with shiny tin foil-looking pants, shorts and skirts. Jonathan Anderson’s collection for Loewe featured clothes decorated with smashed mirrors to achieve a similar glistening effect. John Galliano for Maison Margiela showed off this same silver head-to-toe, with foil glove details and mirror-like pieces smashed under a transparent dress. All of these collections pointed to a futuristic trend — a style that never plays it safe.

Other designers also went the glamorous route this season with sequins and furs. At Lanvin, one model walked in a complete ensemble of sequins with a flowing wine sequin top, a bright red bedazzled midi skirt and matching shoes. Comme des Garçons tacked on fur for spring atop huge sculpture-like garments. Maximalism was also shown at Kenzo, where dozens of prints flooded the runway in each look.

While maximalism is definitely hard to pull off, it is not runway-only. You can tailor the concept to fit your own wardrobe and lifestyle with just a few tweaks. The easiest way to own this trend is to mix prints, textures and colors.

Don’t stick with just one pattern, and don’t opt for neutrals or a soft color palette. Instead, go crazy in your closet: try on things you’ve never paired together before. Girls and guys should ditch minimalism by deciding to have fun with fashion. After all, a large part of this trend is simply the confidence to participate in it.

Jackie Homan is a sophomore magazine journalism major. You can email her at jahoman@syr.edu or follow her @jackie_homan on Twitter.

Published on October 5, 2015 at 9:40 pm