Studs as a couture detail

 

Credit: Moro Minuterie

 

From an icon of punk rock style to a new romantic hippie touch, studs are an accessory that has crossed fashions and trends, constantly evolving to express different styles and seasons. The latest collections bring them back to the runway, showing their infinite versatility. From the Nellcôte, the first bag designed by Alessandro Michele for Valentino, featuring large round studs with a classic shape but exaggerated diameter, to the maxi studs decorating Altuzarra’s leather skirt and sweater, this metal accessory stands out for the creative use designers are making of it, turning it into a decorative element at the edge of couture.

 

Sean McGirr, the new spokesperson for McQueen’s provocative and bold language, knows it well - he uses them in abundance to create a metal embroidery on a leather jacket. Applied individually by hand, studs and metal rivetsalternate with those set with cabochon stones, creating a precious effect.

 

"To achieve this jewel-like look without making the garment too heavy, we use hollow brass rivets decorated with methacrylate stones, a very resistant yet lightweight plastic material," explains Silvia Moro of Moro Minuterie, a Padua-based company specialising in the production of metal accessories. "The sparkling effect is obtained through a thin aluminium foil that reflects the light, just like a precious stone." The decoration is then set into the brass rivet, with a total weight of 0.25 grams each: they are extremely light.

 

A wow effect that goes hand in hand with the brands’ need for customisation, as they increasingly seek metal detailsthat stand out in size, colour and shape. "For shapes, we use zamak, moulded either in rubber or die casting: the latter guarantees a highly detailed result, ideal when the rivet has a complex shape, but it requires a slightly higher initial investment, so it is recommended when quantities are large," says Moro.

 

The design is what makes the difference: an application like McQueen’s runway jacket requires hours of handwork, due to the complexity of the pattern and the alternation of different studs and rivets. But today, there are also machines capable of applying five types of rivets simultaneously, completing even complex patterns in a time that is sustainable for ready to wear.