Cow print is the latest addition to the ever-spinning carousel of micro trends in fashion. For those who are chronically online, it is hard to miss the black and white (or brown and white) abstract motif slathered on every accessory and clothing item you see.
The Rise of Bovine Chic
Animal prints have a way of resurging every few seasons, but what is making this particular cattle-inspired print appealing for the fashion enthusiasts? Think of it as the cousin who studied abroad and came back with a polished accent—unlike the ones who stayed behind (we’re looking at the loud leopard, tiger and zebra prints). The subdued colour palette and uneven patterning were reason enough for both luxury fashion houses and fast fashion labels to bank on it.
Having said that, cow print isn’t a new phenomenon in fashion. It can be traced back to 1991, when Prada introduced it as an alternative to leopard print in its Spring/Summer 1991 collection. Fast forward to its comeback in fashion—a number of luxury houses, including Bottega Veneta under former CD Matthieu Blazy’s leadership and Dior for its Resort 2024 collection, showcased an iteration of this trend. After which, hyper-consumer labels replicated it in every form and shape—faster than you could say Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé. From Massimo Dutti’s cropped jacket to Adidas’ cow-print Taekwondo trainers, cow print quickly found its way into everyone’s wardrobe in varying items.
The Micro-Trend Dilemma
As urbane and sophisticated as it might be, cow print is still a micro trend whose popularity will eventually fade—despite its current facelift on everyone’s social media feeds. It raises an important question about the nature of contemporary fashion consumption and what accelerates it. The mechanics couldn’t be more apparent. The combination of influencer marketing, social media algorithms, celebrity branding and lightning-speed production from fast fashion retailers create the perfect conditions for the rapid…
