Knocked Off In 3, 2, 1: Christopher Kane’s Seat-Belt Buckle Closure

Every season, a trend comes down the runway that's so irresistibly covetable, more than just editors and buyers take note. Fast-fashion brands pounce on the look even before the actual garments that inspired your initial delight make it into stores. You’ll start seeing it in every high-street shop, posted in shopping roundups, and — closest to home — on your coworker who always seems to be wearing everything you have your eye on a week after she hears you talking about it. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and that's just the way it goes with production timelines being as they are.

Designer Christopher Kane is used to this kind of “flattery.” His flora-diorama sweatshirts, plastic, gel-pack clutches, and neon-lace dresses are still part of the fast-fashion rotation, and it’s not hard to see why. Insanely fun and whimsical but still sophisticated, Kane’s clothes are for women who don’t take fashion too seriously, but are serious about style. His heavy use of multi-colored seat-belt buckles in his latest collection are inline with that same school of thought. Used to cinch waists on dresses, top off necklines as chokers, and fasten the fronts on plush jackets, the buckles looked like big, Flinstone-sized costume jewels.

It’s going to be a long six-month wait before we’ll see Kane's looks in stores, but if anyone fell as hard for them as we did, you might find some inspired-by versions stocking your local shelves much sooner than that. Peek at the originals, ahead.