Every year, I forget how much of a fashion event Easter is. Featuring peak florals for spring in shape or color, the outfits I saw online continued to impress me. While some of my favorites were the hats and headpieces from New York’s Bonnet Festival, my favorite news story was actually about “Grandpa Bunny,” a man who loves Easter so much he has started a yearly tradition in which he passes out Easter baskets and candy to children dressed in full costume. 

Still, I loved that the common denominator for Easter outfits remained true to shades and motifs of flowers, bunnies and eggs. With the resulting outfits only being united by the broad associations of Easter, it made me think of a spontaneous night out I had with my old suitemates. 

Reminiscing on freshman year, we decided to do our favorite thing: get dressed up and take digital photos over cocktails. Amid the classic “what are we wearing” FaceTime, I noticed that, especially compared to Easter, there was so much more emphasis on sharing the same vibe in our clothing decisions. 

As if we were a girl band with a carefully curated image, it seemed that if we didn’t match the same energy, it would be a cardinal sin. Of course, while I am heavily overexaggerating, especially since the four of us already have similar styles, I’ve also loved the laughable moments when the energy of outfits does not match at all — that even in fashion-conscious minds, effort and love remain the same despite differing interpretations and subsequent execution.

Seeing that my closet has also started to fall into one style of clothing, Grandpa Bunny’s Easter refresher made me wonder when fashion got so whimsical. Perhaps it is the impending whiffs of recession (knock on wood) that have led to a shift in consumer behavior, with a rise in “long-lasting” purchases over “just because” buys, such as keychains and lipsticks, rather than another pair of shoes or earrings. However, it seems the fashion world has been fighting moody sentiments with a touch of fun. 

Especially in time for summer, the trend of shells and sparkles has been taken to another level. Whether it’s sequins or shining crochet, brands like Mirchi have been going viral for their miniskirts and beaded bags. Although some love it because they’re paying the same amount for a small business as they would for the viral STAUD bags, fun takes on bag designs, like the beaded Lays potato chip bag, add a nostalgic twist similar to that of Susan Alexandra, Tyler McGillivary or Collina Strada. 

This same blend of fun and luxury has also manifested in the Jellycat Birkin bag. While not officially either of the brands, the bag — Jirkin? Bellycat? — is reminiscent of that one bag you were obsessed with as a kid for some reason. Created by Singaporean brand Collective by Aoki, the hand-stitched “little miss fluffy” bags come in gray or orange fur with a brown leather bag and silver hardware. 

Another brand has capitalized on the innocent love of bags and animals through a pop-up event: Marc Jacobs and the Bark Jacobs bags. Strategically aligned with National Pet Day and National Pet Parents Day,  customers can purchase any Marc Jacobs leather, tote or dual bag and have their pet painted on it for free in select stores. Apparently, it can be applied to other leather goods as well, but for those who are dying to do so, the last day in Los Angeles that’s close to us is April 26 at Westfield Century City. 

On the topic of strategy, this fun-focused approach in fashion has also been applied to public relations. 

Some of my favorites have been how fashion has started to blend into food marketing, specifically with Meshki’s collaboration with Sibatable, an artist who creates art from noodles, dumplings and other food items. Whether it’s frog boba or Desigual coats, the collaboration went viral for the creation of pasta noodles in the shape, color and design of the Australian brand’s newest collection. 

It reminds me of the food creations made by another food artist in Japan, Daisuke, or @dimda_ on Instagram. While Daisuke expands beyond dough into mushroom beds and bread serum bottles, my first piece of his content I saw was his Puma dumpling shoes. 

But beyond food, the fun can come in the form of a surprise, like Chanel’s announcement of their newest brand ambassador, musician, rapper and Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar. While I’m not surprised that he has signed with a big name in the fashion space, I was surprised it was Chanel — a very classically French brand, despite Lamar’s American-themed music, either in protest or as a theme. Still, with Chanel being a very careful and deliberate brand, people suspect it may hint at a year of peace for Lamar, putting his beef with stars like Drake behind. 

Still, Lamar makes sense as a new leader in fashion, as his Celine jeans during the Super Bowl led to an estimated $2.3 million in media exposure. While I expected him to go with a big brand, I thought he may have gone to a less “Big 4”-esque house like a Bottega Veneta, Proenza Schouler, or dare I even say, Issey Miyake. 

Fashion continues to adapt and push back against the seriousness of life, and keeping this innocent and youthful exploration keeps the day-to-day exciting. You never know what you’ll see, wear, buy or learn to love, and the ability to foster that sense of growth throughout life is a rare quality in such a consumerism-dominated industry. So, maybe when we want to feel young again, instead of reminiscing over photos, all we have to do is play dress-up in someone else’s closet or bring it to the kitchen. Who knew it could be so simple? 

Hadyn Phillips is a senior writing about fashion in the 21st century, spotlighting new trends and popular controversy in her column, “That’s Fashion, Sweetie,” which runs every Wednesday.