The original rebel accessory is back. Traditionally political, satirical and even anti-establishment, the pin badge has a long history, from the Black Panthers to punks, as a symbol and statement of the wearer’s identity, beliefs and allegiances. Pins have always been a way of dealing with the current political climate, and the present resurgence of pins designed by card publishers is a form of light-hearted escapism from the gloomy climate of global uncertainty.
Designers have turned to adding flair- old-school style enamel pins (and iron-on patches) with a new cute contemporary twist – to decorate and accessorise bags, lapels or denim jackets. Pinterest, as a part of its look at 2017 trends, found that searches for flair have increased 800%, and these retro, pop culture pins are like attachable ‘real-life’ emojis. Playful and nostalgic, you can declare to the world that you love pugs, Marmite or gin, whilst also proclaiming ‘don’t take life too seriously!’
Publisher’s view: Emma Pearce, senior designer for Hotchpotch:
“Embellishing denim and leather jackets with enamel pins and iron-on patches is so popular at the moment. We’ve seen flair all over high street and high-end fashion brands and it follows that enamel pins would be popular on cards. We launched our Flair range in January 2017 and the designs have consistently been our best sellers ever since. The pins are so collectable and customers send them as a card and small gift in one.
Not only are enamel pins on-trend, it also feels quite nostalgic to send or receive a card with a badge on – remember how thrilled you were with a badge at age 5? It felt like a really fresh update to a traditional badge. I create all the pins bespoke for Hotchpotch and the themes are always based on the hottest trends; our newest pins feature gin, a mermaid and a cacti.”
