Whilst Elliot Rhodes stands strong in its style and aesthetic, one particular show from this Fall Winter 2024 season caught our eye. Since Virgil Abloh's death in 2021 the position of creative director for Louis Vuitton remained untouched, that was until the executive decision was made to introduce Pharrell Williams as the new innovative designer. His debut sparked up a lot of conversation of his rebranding of the traditional logos and prints that are associated with the power house. What intrigued us here at Elliot Rhodes was the transportation into the western world in Pharrell's third show collection for Louis Vuitton's Fall Winter 2024.
Since Pharrell Williams creative direction take over at Louis Vuitton, western wear has reached the spotlight and intends to stay in the fashion forecasts for the rest of 2024. Reinventing classic western motifs blended with the core components of workwear, whilst exploring the concepts of free masculinity. Key elements including bolo ties, denim jackets, cowboy boots and embroidered fringed coats; Williams set the tone for not only Louis Vuitton but enabled the trickle down of the western look onto other power house runways.
Edward Crutchley has to be highlighted for another innovative use of the western motif, whilst Pharrell used this period to generate his whole SS24 collection, Crutchley focused on western accent points fused with ancient Greece and Egypt. The collection is bold and fearless, with its abnormally broad shoulders that hide the natural human figure, Crutchley dares to play with the unknown. "I know this is not the most commercially viable collection. I kind of don't care." explained Crutchley after the show. His daring animal prints plastered over fur that drowned his models, would have easily been worn by defiant cowboys. Whilst we may not be wearing floor length fur as we transition into spring summer we can definitely take influence from the rise in the motifs on the runway, lets start strong with our Bottle Green Genuine Python Iron Cross Shell Belt. Its unique scale texture coming from its genuine skin makes this belt truly unique, and a standout in its own right. This luxury strap is hand painted with this deep earthy green, showcasing its slightly paler veins in contrast. Paired with an artisan shell cross plate style buckle. The belt is truly a work of art and is an excellent homage to the Wild West. Back in February 2024, Vogue Business were discussing the Womenswear trend predictions of AW24, in which they mentioned the western aesthetic. According to their research, over the last three months the searches for 'cowboy outfit' had increased up to 35 percent in the United States. Whilst in the United Kingdom, the searches for 'Western outfits' had increased by a phenomenal 80 percent. It's evident that this trend will be one of the key driving forces on the year, but this style has always been a favourite here at Elliot Rhodes so we are overjoyed with the increase in demand for the aesthetic.
Shifting the focus back to how this relates to the styling of your belt wardrobe, plate style buckles have been plastered all over magazine publications and social media for their inevitable homage to the wild west. Whilst this is a style that we have always catered to in our catalogue we decided to reinvent the look with some new additions, one of our favourite being our Wave Texture Black Supple Steerhead Buckle. This steer head motif rocks the aesthetic with its turquoise crystal eyes to add some contemporary charm to this vintage feel belt. Sticking on theme one of our old but beloved buckles would have to be our Handmade Steer's Head Design Oyster Shell Buckle, this particular piece works with a more rustic aesthetic. The open plate style is hand encrusted with Pearl Oyster Shell, enabling a backdrop for this beautiful steer head to really pop as a centre piece in this design.
Whilst we are transitioning into fashion styles that cater to sleek minimalism, we feel this trend can help to keep the excitement of the extravagance we saw in previous years with the return of Y2K. Whilst as an industry we reset into softer forms of experimentation, at Elliot Rhodes we believe a solid belt is one of the main ways to tie together your fashion pieces, the beauty lies in your creativeness to create your own desired belt combination. It's evident that this style is one of the biggest trends of 2024, with Pinterest unveiling its 2024 fashion predictions back in December 2023. Uncovering that the term 'Vintage American Style' had increased by 145%. Whether it's a trend you want to explore, a western themed event, or just your usual taste, the plethora of western straps and buckles we supply will help guide you through the process. Shop the full Western Collection here, including new styles and old fan favourites!