In case you've been hiding in a broom cupboard devoid of hair accessories, you may not have realised that those poofy pieces of elasticated 80s joy, aka scrunchies, have been creeping back into the limelight over the past few years.
Model/DJ Alice Dellal started it in 2011 with the (sadly now defunct) haute scrunchie line My Crazy Scrunchie, then they started appearing on the catwalk for clubkid-referencing collections such as Ashish and Sophia Webster. Now, of course, they're on masses of cool chick scrunchie ambassadors such as Adowa Aboah, Cressida Bonas and Phoebe Lettice Thomspon.
Best worn in a top knot, Clarissa Knows It All-style (sans the SJP perm, we hasten to add), the easiest place to get them is American Apparel. Always a fan of the retro athletics, AA have been cultivating an enormous range of them since 2009 (from velour, to velvet, to a silky myriad of prints, it's seriously your one stop scrunchie shop) and judging by a surge they've seen in sales recently it would finally seem that along with chokers, crop tops, frilly socks (and basically the rest of 1987) the scrunchie is officially back.
Of course, with every revitalised trend there is a champion at the helm. Meet the 32-year old digital fashion editor (previously Director of Digital at Chanel), Kata de Solis from New York, who along with her best friend, Ruthie, the Deputy Editor of Elle.com is heralding the return of the scrunchie with their hilarious, nostalgic Instagram account @scrunchiesofinstagram. We caught up with Kata to talk more about scrunchies and their hugely exciting second coming in popular culture. (No irony. It is.)
The Debrief: Hi Kata! Can you tell us a little bit about the birthing of Scrunchies of Instagram, our new guilty pleasure?
Kata de Solis: After a recent screening of the classic '80s movie* Heathers*, my best friend (Ruthie Friedlander - Deputy Editor at Elle.com) and I were inspired by the film's use of the red scrunchie as the physical embodiment of power. We began to remember all the reasons that we loved scrunchies - and somehow this ended up translating into a late-night purchase of our first scrunchies from the past 15 years. As born-proselytizers, we passed them out to all of our friends!
DB: We like that you've taken the scrunchie as an embodiement of power. So how did the Instagram account start?
KTS: A friend asked us in jest if I was going to start an Instagram handle dedicated to scrunchies - and so @scrunchiesofinstagram was born. Once we saw that Cressida Bonas was on board and spearheading the scrunchie revival on the royal circuit, it was a done deal! It originally was just a joke that I think we planned to abandon very quickly when it lost its novelty, but we were quite amazed at the response that we had from fellow scrunchie-aficionados and scrunchie-related photo submissions started pouring in from our other friends in fashion- editors from V Magazine, Vanity Fair, Purple Magazine, CR Fashion Book, etc.
DB: So it's just a bit of fun? Like the scrunchie itself?
KTS: It's an outlet to allow those of us whose personal social media accounts are heavily monitored and scrutinized by the companies that we work for, to have a platform to be a bit more irreverent and allow us to say/do things that we aren't allowed to express on our personal Instagram handles (much less the brands/publications that we work for).
DB: So you're moon-lighting as a scrunchie ambassador?
KTS: We now feel responsibility to serve as the scrunchie's unofficial ambassador - our initial aesthetic distaste for the scrunchie has quickly evolved to a great appreciation of its 'jolie-laide' nature. I am rarely found without one in my hair nowadays! My wardrobe consists of Chanel, Alaia, Bottega Veneta, Christopher Kane - and a lot of scrunchies. Where I once used accessories like an Olympia le Tan book clutch, or a Maison Michel lace animal ear headband to add a bit of levity to my outfits, I have found that a truly audacious scrunchie (made of Star Wars or The Little Mermaid print fabric) can achieve the same effect.
DB: Tis true. A scrunchie is a true elevator. I say that with one in my hair, right now. Are you surprised that the scrunchie has had such a second wind?
KTS: A year ago, it seemed unimaginable to me that the scrunchie would ever have a revival, but if harem pants can do it, then with the right promotion, so can the scrunchie. Next - the fanny pack! [American-English translation: a bum bag. Don't freak out.]
DB: So give us some insider scrunchie tips. Who make the best scrunchies?
KTS: Unfortunately, the United States has not embraced the return of the scrunchie as the more fashion-forward UK has. My scrunchies of preference are made by London-based designer Alexander Lewis as well as a UK-based Etsy vendor Scrunchie Nut. I just recently saw a new oversized bow-scrunchie sold by Etsy vendor Hot Dog and Bun, which I have on my list to purchase ASAP.
**DB: And who are your modern day scrunchie icons? **
KTS: While Cara Delevingne and Cressida Bonas are certainly the most influential scrunchie ambassadors, my personal scrunchie muse is hands-down Paula Goldstein, above (founder of Voyage d'Etudes and editor at P_urple Magazine_), who is able to effortlessly integrate them into even the most formal occasions.
DB: So what's next? Your own scrunchie line?
KTS: Sadly, we both have day jobs. But we certainly harass the designers that we are friends with to add scrunchies to their product lines. Our dream would be for our friends to create an Alaia scrunchie. It's never going to happen, but we have to set our goals high!
In the meantime, if you want to get into the scrunchie revival, here's how:
Jumbo Tartan Scrunchie, £3 Scrunchie Nut at Etsy, Bandana Print Scrunchie, £4 Topshop, Scrunchie With a Big Red Puffy Bow, £8.52 Hot Dog and Bun at Etsy, Nylon Tricot Scrunchie in Blue, £6 American Apparel.
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Pictures: Jason Lloyd-Evans, Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.