If its trending on TikTok, it was at Magic Las Vegas last week.
From crystal-embellished jeans to pink denim, the women’s trend and young contemporary apparel and accessories show was home to all the statement-making items Gen Z consumers are scooping up for concerts, Rush week and other occasions.
The influence and billion-dollar box-office success of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” was evident in many denim collections on display. From shorts and jackets to cargo jeans and pleated miniskirts, Barbiecore denim dominated the show floor. Magic played into the craze with a vignette of Barbie-inspired looks, complete with a pink convertible.
Barbiecore mingled with Y2K motifs in Vibrant’s assortment. Butterfly-printed jeans in pink and purple, as well as butterfly tops were part of the brand’s ultra-girly collection. Vibrant also applied streaky dye-effects, heart- and star-shaped crystal transfers and glitter-coated animal prints to jackets and a variety of jean fits.
Ruffle miniskirts from First Love, laser-printed floral coordinates by Molly Bracken and Cello’s denim bustier tops echoed the feminine theme.
Like Barbie, there was a feeling of playing dress-up in many Magic collections. For example, Cello and Vibrant channeled ABBA with form-fitting jeans that belled at the knee. Pink and crystal embellishments played up the novelty of the retro ’70s fit.
Rhinestones also magnified the kitsch factor of Western-inspired denim pieces like jean jackets, bootcut jeans and cowboy hats. Though Western and rodeo styling have had a strong presence in collections since 2021, the addition of crystal fringe, trim and appliques lean into the popularity of concert dressing, especially for the Taylor Swift and Beyonce tours criss-crossing the country.
Beyonce’s tour wardrobe has put silvery fashion in the spotlight as well. Jeans with metallic silver coatings were seen in collections by KanCan and Kikriki. Brands like Galita and TK also presented silver parachute pants.
The evolution of maxi skirts, which entered the trend scene in a big way last fall, is resulting in new and unexpected shapes. Cello, Signature 8, Hustle N Holla and Tres Bien were among the brands showing versions of the long skirt with a generous side cutout.
In Tres Bien’s collection, the leg-baring style was countered by fuller maxi skirts—some with a slight fluted hem—as well as standard straight silhouettes with front slits and two-tone options. The brand paired the skirts with sporty tees with “Game Day” graphics, tapping into the 10.7 million TikTok views for #gamedayoutfit inspiration.
Hidden was one of the brands in full-on utility mode with a camp set-up that included indigo and camouflage-printed denim cargo vests and cutoff Bermuda cargo shorts with multiple pockets. There was an excess of pockets on wide-leg jeans with many brands applying multiple styles of pockets (zipper, welt, patch, etc.) to one jean. Cargo pockets were also seen on flare fits, miniskirts and knit denim shorts.
Subtle details added newness to Mica’s collection. Coral shorts featured fold-over waistbands while other denim shorts and jeans had crossover waistbands. Braided denim also trimmed pockets and waistbands.
While pink dominated, assortments also featured mint green, lavender and light yellow. Other notable trends at Magic included silver studs on jackets and down the side of legs (Bayjeas and Ceros), patchwork patterns woven into fabrics (Soul of Mu) and denim wrap skirts (Signature 8).