By Regina Libian a.k.a. Inaya

It’s a trend which we’ve seen brewing the past few seasons and by now, the use of fringe is in full effect on all levels; from the runways to the streets. Seeing early traces of it used in the 2007 collections, it quickly became apparent that this trend was on the rise. And for good reason; it can be extremely extravagant looking or done in a more comfortable and laid back way and therefore is extremely accessible to the everyday woman.

Certain paparazzi-stalked celebrities have provided wide exposure for this trend as well. Mary-Kate Olsen, who has been donning the now notorious Prada fringe “it bag” on and off for the last year or so, caused quite a bit of buzz around the budding trend when she was first seen carrying it. And with much attribution to Kate Moss, there has been a major resurgence of interest in Minnetonka fringed boots, which she’s been wearing frequently since last summer.  Since about that time, many brands have been coming out, left and right, with bags, shoes and other accessories that have all kinds of playful fringe detailing, and you can currently find people rocking a wide variety of these fringed items on the streets, all around the globe.

On the F/W 08 runways, this trend seemed more prominent than ever. It was seen in a big way in collections such as Gareth Pugh’s, for example, which had many pieces which fully constructed of long, tiered and dramatic fringe pieces which were daring and intriguing.