The 2010s are nearly over... but what defined the decade's style? (2024)

19 December 2019

From Rihanna to #OldCeline and Insta-everything, the past decade has seen some big shifts in style; we break down 10 of the key moments of the 2010s.

As we enter the 2020s, we look back at some of the most important style moments of the past 10 years. The start of the decade saw the launch of Instagram and the app proved pivotal to the years that followed. It fostered many of the movements that impacted fashion and beauty (like body positivity, Insta-beauty and influencers) and changed the way brands marketed their products and engaged with their followers – Gucci and Glossier are just two examples, who we explore in more detail below. The way we view celebrities shifted too; movie stars came down to earth as we looked inside their lives, while “normal” people grew huge online followings and gained star status in a new system of fame. Beauty boomed, streetwear dominated the latter half of the decade influencing everything from high street to haute couture, and conversations and innovations around sustainable and ethical fashion became undeniably important.

Scroll down for our dive into the decade.

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2010: Fashion from everywhere

Globalisation had transformed the garment industry as we entered the 2010s with fast fashion in full swing. But with the advent of Instagram – and social-media influencing – we gained a new perspective. Everyday people, celebrities and designers could now share their unique look from all corners of the world.

Read more: 9 inspiring women you should be following on Instagram for a daily dose of empowerment

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2011: The Kate Middleton effect

In April 2011, history of art alumni and former accessories buyer Kate Middleton wed the future king of England in an intricately laced Alexander McQueen gown. With a young and fashionable new royal to focus on, the press was quick to promote the duch*ess’ well-to-do style, inspiring countless polished outfits complete with nude pumps.

Read more: Kate Middleton’s best style moments

2012: The normals

While many were wearing eye-catching styles, from digital prints to statement jewellery, an underground culture emerged in retaliation to fashion’s outrageous looks. Normcore, meaning dressing very normally, was adopted by those who didn’t want to seem invested. It slowly built momentum until, in 2014, it was conflated with a similarly oversaturated fashion concept, ‘acting basic’, and suddenly didn’t seem quite as cool.

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2014: Insta Makeup

With selfie culture sweeping the internet, caking and baking took on new meaning – as makeup techniques to give the appearance of an airbrushed face without using an app. Recognising the trend, Kylie Jenner began to build her beauty empire in 2014. She was right on time – according to research by Fung Global Retail & Technology, the amount of beauty content on YouTube increased by 200 percent between 2015 and 2016, and in 2016, the sale of bronzer almost doubled.

Read more: Did social media kill the facelift?

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2015: Gucci-fication

In a decade of quick-succession creative director appointments at luxury brands, the one that stuck was Alessandro Michele for Gucci. The designer drew on a range of references, including his love of neo-Romantic Italy and retro, to create an eclectic fashion fresco – he’s also reported to have doubled the company’s revenue during his tenure so far.

Read more: All the new Gucci arrivals that are getting us very excited this season

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2016: Natural beauty now

When Instagram makeup was taking over our social media feeds in 2016, one of its main proponents, Kim Kardashian, announced she was done with contouring. Glossier had already primed itself as a skin-first brand for those who didn’t want to cover-up their complexion at its inception in 2014, and the natural trend slowly gained confidence. Of course, beauty pioneers are onto the next iteration. Virtuous clean beauty promises to look after our skin – and the planet – better.

Read more: The new beauty buzz word? ‘Non-touring’

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2017: Streetwear, but elevated

While those in the know have championed streetwear of the skate, surf and hip-hop scenes since the ‘80s, it wasn’t until the 2010s that streetwear was truly embraced by high-fashion brands. Demna Gvasalia of Vetements (now creative director of Balenciaga), and Virgil Abloh of Off-White had already put in the hard design yards since their respective labels launched in 2014. In 2017, streetwear became increasingly visible when Louis Vuitton menswear included a Supreme logo on its artistically slouched silhouettes, and its womenswear collection featured its first designer sneakers – signalling to all of us it was okay to loosen up a bit and wear trainers.

2018: Céline vs Celine

Phoebe Philo became creative director of Céline in 2008 and her premium, pragmatic approach to luxury fashion won her legions of fans up until her resignation in 2017. In the changing of the guard a year later, Hedi Slimane reimagined Celine as a more youthful (read: club) orientated outlet, before reverting to the tried-and-true house codes – cool, calm and collected.

Read more: Hedi Slimane’s greatest runway moments at Saint Laurent

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2019: Savage x Fenty shows us how it’s done

Leave it to Rihanna to redefine how lingerie can look as we enter 2020. The music and fashion mogul gave us a moment to remember with her immersive and inclusive Savage x Fenty show, where models and dancers of diverse shapes, cultures and sizes paraded personalised looks to choreography by our own Parris Goebel.

Read more: Rihanna’s first Savage X Fenty NYFW show was everything lingerie runways should be

#oldceline

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