Small business trend: Ribbons and bows

2 Mar

I don’t know about you but over the past few months by Tik Tok has been literally awash with Balletcore. From videos of ballerinas prepping their pointe shoes to to round-ups of the best little crossover knits you can find on the highstreet, my eyeballs have been saturated with pink silk and long limber limbs doing things mine never will. And I’ve loved every single minute of it! There’s just something so interesting about the whole culture of ballet; the skill, the pomp, the costumes, the productions, the precision, the outfits! I guess it’s kind of like a cult, but one that contributes to the creative and artistic development of the world.

It seems like such a random aesthetic to melt into the mainstream, when by nature ballet is anything but commercial or accessible. I can’t help but think back to 2021 when a pair of Amy Winehouse’s iconic ballet flats that she wore on stage with Mick Jagger were sold at auction, they were only supposed to sell for around $400, but bidding took them to $19,200. At the time of the auction I remember my social media being saturated with videos of her wearing them and I wonder if that image wiggled its way into people’s psyches and has kind of meandered its way down from there.

One of my current favourite follows is @evanysphotography. Evany is a 25 year old dance photographer based in New York; she’s really blown up on Tik Tok with candid BTS videos of professional ballerinas perfecting their moves and has gained three quarters of a million followers in the process. Kind of like Black Swan but without any of the tension, it’s so joyful to see people move in such weird and wonderful ways that sometimes seem absolutely impossible. How do they make their bodies do that!? I’m on her profile multiple times a week. Plus, it’s so interesting to see real ballerinas in action, how they perfect their routines and what they actually wear to practice – a whole lot of ribbons and bows on their shoes and on the costumes they wear on stage.

One other place I noticed an abundance of bows recently was on a visit to the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. I took sooo many pictures of frothy bows, they were here, there and everywhere! It was so interesting to see how historical paintings not only depicted the dramatic bows sitters wore, but also as imagined backdrops to some of the images.

It’s been interesting that big brands seem to have taken on the look quite literally – mainly through footwear and beauty. We’ve seen the return of ultra flat ballet pump shoes as seen at Miu Miu that will now be flip flopping (so flat, poor feet) their way through cities worldwide. But I’ve loved seeing how the small business world has interpreted the look in a more subtle and interesting way: mainly through the use of ribbons and bows that add up to create a sense of whimsy and romance. The look feels almost historical and I’m so here for it; plus it feels especially pertinent now that spring’s on its way. A bow just has a sense of hopefulness and positivity that feels right for this time of the year!

This look, in many guises some very subtle, seems really prevelant in many of our favourite small businesses right now, and it’s made our hearts so excited. So we wanted to share a few of our favourites with you below. So many of the ways they’ve been incorporated are fresh and new, from giant bow shoes at Merrfer (you can also get matching little bags, and earrings!) made using preloved fabric, giant woven ribbon bags from Isla Risa (who have got a new larger style launching soon!) and bow charms that somehow look malleable but are actually rendered in solid silver from Chunky Charms. Some uses are more classic like Em Davies’ new handmade hair ribbons, and the new bow-adorned Gaia dress from iconic small fashion brand Freya Simonne. I also love seeing vintage references; Jess from Foxberry Vintage has sold a number of really beautiful bow-embellished pieces over the past couple of years, everything from bow candelabras to a bow towel ring. And even down to styling, I’ve noticed bows cropping up in small business imagery; my absolute favourite example has to be 510 Laundry who added them all over their place, from the top of pictures hung on walls, to the tops of candles, and even woven up their staircase.

As always, what I love is that small businesses are offering sooo many takes on this look, many that are truly original and I haven’t seen anywhere else. I hope your eyeballs enjoy these references!