Where Michelle Obama and Kendall Jenner tread in fashion, others follow. Should they both divert down the same path . . . well, that’s a recipe for a trend to sweep the nation. Such was the case in the fall of 2016, when both the First Lady and the First It Girl of Modeling sported chain-mail dresses. Mrs. Obama’s was a rosy, custom-made Atelier Versace gown that our own Michelle Ruiz called “a mic drop on eight years of fashion slayage.” Jenner’s dress was also custom, a silvery sliver of a thing that evoked Paris Hilton’s metal mesh 21st-birthday dress from 2002. (Maybe it’s no coincidence that Jenner wore the frock to her own 21st-birthday party.) Though dissimilar in style, the pair of evening ensembles set in motion a trend toward chain-mail fashion that’s taken hold of celebrity style—and shows no signs of letting up in 2017.
Those with an eye to the runways could have predicted this happening. After seasons of semi-sheer, embroidered gowns from celebrity-frequented houses like Versace, Balmain, and Gucci, the Spring 2017 catwalks swapped some of that romantic sensuality for more opulent glitz. Chain-mail numbers appeared at Balmain, where Olivier Rousteing paraded a finale of gold, silver, and bronze dresses. Post-show, Kim Kardashian West changed out of the “naked dress” she was wearing in the front row and into a chain-mail number for the after-party, embodying the shift toward this new evening glamour in a single gesture. Over at Paco Rabanne, the house made famous in the 1960s and ’70s by its founder’s chain-mail dresses, Julien Dossena continued to rework the material into smart separates. Versace and Gucci might not always go full metal jacket—okay, or dress—but they did favor glitter, as in the red crystal finale dress at Versace and the gold sequins and beads at Gucci.
The style has become a hit with models too. For her 20th birthday in early October, Bella Hadid effectively predicted the trend with a two-piece silver chain-mail ensemble by Fannie Schiavoni. Her stylist, Elizabeth Sulcer, helped Hadid pick out the winning combo. Citing Paco Rabanne’s link dresses, Sulcer told Vogue.com, “I feel like the style is having a comeback right now. It’s very, very flattering on the body, very lightweight, very comfortable, and they come in a lot of options of color.” By the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show after-party in November, several of Sulcer’s other clients were reaching for the chain mail too—Lais Ribeiro sported a gold Balmain chain-mail minidress, and Alanna Arrington went for a ruby red Paco Rabanne one. Later on in December, Lady Gaga wore a shimmering combination to perform on Saturday Night Live. “I think that the fabric itself is really luxe and very beautiful,” says Sulcer of the style’s appeal. “The girls are excited by the dresses. It’s fun to wear and get photographed in, and it moves really well.”
For the noncelebrity looking to try out metal clothing, the stylist recommends keeping it simple. “You can start with a chain-mail top, it doesn’t have to be a full dress,” she says. “Either way, I think it’s all about feeling good and being confident. You’re wearing the dress, it’s not wearing you.”