Since Prada debuted their seashell necklace last year at the Men’s SS/18 show, shells have unexpectedly become one of the biggest trends in fashion and design.
This nostalgic trend is at the height of its popularity with influencers and models awash with the holiday souvenirs wrapped around their ankles and scattered across fishnet style kaftans and it’s set to continue this summer. The trend is slowly flowing into interiors too with these crustaceans impacting design with shell-shaped furniture, decorative coral objects and fish scale tiles.
Gone are the days of blue and white coastal style interiors with jars filled with shells, starfish and pebbles collected from you recent trip to the seaside. This latest interior trend now adds a touch of playfulness to any space and major players like Sketch and Annabel’s have been taking inspiration from shells for years.
Annabel’s clam shell inspired sinks 
Sketch plush scallop edge velvet seating
During my visit to London Design Week at the Design Centre in Chelsea last month, I saw the trend emerging through the latest designer collaborations and showrooms starting off with Iksel’s latest wall covering; ‘D-Ocean’. The mural took 15 artists over 8 months to complete. “It’s been something that’s been buzzing in my mind for a while – I’ve been collecting seashells forever,” says Dimonah Iksel of the inspiration for the design. “The idea was to create this fantasy underwater landscape, a still life where the corals were as tall as trees.”
D-Ocean Still Life wallpaper by Iksel
Walking through the many pop-ups and latest installations inspiration from shells could be seen everywhere.
Shop the shell trend
Here are some of my favourite shell inspired pieces:
