Why Lace and Crochet Are Everywhere Right Now

Business of Fashion

a day ago

The day H&M launched its Magda Butrym capsule collection, Butrym took her husband and son out of town for a quick vacation.
'I was so nervous it wouldn't do well,' the designer said, 'but when I checked my phone, it had sold out immediately!'
In fact, just minutes after H&M's website went live with the collaboration on April 25, the site and app both crashed. Subsequently, the fast-fashion giant's Instagram was flooded with angry messages from shoppers who weren't fast enough to get their hands on one of the 45 pieces from the line. Clearly, the Polish designer's signature floral appliqués, lace crochet and romantic tailoring at high street prices had hit a nerve. The doorhandles at Magda Butrym's New York pop-up are adorned with crochet. (Magda Butrym)
Butrym, who started her brand in Warsaw in 2014, is certainly having a moment. She is bringing crochet and lace everywhere — even the doorhandles at the brand's New York pop-up are adorned with crochet. But while she is undoubtedly a modern pioneer of the style, which in her hands takes its influence from traditional Slavic and Eastern European clothing, hers is not the only brand driving the momentum.
Fellow Polish brands Chylak and Karen Arcanjo have handwork built into their DNAs. Latvian brand Skarule, by Sabine Skarule, was one of the first to popularise crochet headscarves, pants and tops. UK-brand Shrimps by Hannah Weiland and Canada-based Beaufille, founded by Chloé and Parris Gordon, both tout crochet or lace as key elements of their recent collections.
Lace also graced the runways of fashion giants like Chloé, Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen for their Fall-Winter 2025 collections, signalling that even big brands are returning to romantic, delicate aesthetics.
'In today's world where everything feels industrial and fast fashion, there's a growing demand for things that feel slow-moving and crafted,' said Ofri Weintraub, creative producer and founder of Spotlighttime, a page dedicated to highlighting independent brands and trending aesthetics. 'Intricate handiwork and delicate details feel like a rebellion against the noise of modern life. It's almost a form of soft resistance choosing something made with care, history and emotion over something made with speed.'
Shoppers are taking note. On resale platform Depop, searches for 'Lace' are up 42 percent this year, while searches for 'Crochet' are up 95 percent. Google search interest for 'crochet' hit a five-year high this January.
Part of this growth is driven by the booming bridal industry. Like many non-bridal brands, Magda Butrym has recently added her own bridal capsule collection, leveraging the seamless crossover in production that bridalwear bears with her core collection, along with added benefits like heightened social media exposure and added revenue.
But the romantic connotations of lace and embroidery have also transcended weddings and crept their way, slowly but surely, into daily life.
'After the big trend of quiet luxury, crochet and embroidery are quite dreamy and stand out a lot,' Butrym said. 'I've been doing it already for 10 years, but now it's having its moment.' The Handmade Movement
High street and fast-fashion brands have been quick to adopt the aesthetics of handwork in their collections. Weintraub pointed out that lace and crochet can be found all over platforms like Shein and Aliexpress, as well as at mid-range brands such as Reformation.
Brands like Butrym's, however, are winning over customers with their authenticity.
'I think people are looking for something authentic,' said Weintraub. 'If you want to buy something authentic, you go to this designer where the aesthetic is woven into the DNA.'
'I can totally see how it's exploding, it's nice for me to see the comeback,' said Zofia Chylak, who is also from Poland and is the founder of her namesake brand, Chylak, which features traditional local embroidery and weaving techniques in its most recent collections. 'I feel we need a story when we buy something now, to know where it comes from, who made it. With crochet, lace and embroidery there is so much to say.' Chylak's Wilanow campaign inspired by the traditional clothing of Polish towns. (Chylak)
The brand employs local Polish artisans, all female, to craft its handmade pieces. To make one of its signature collars takes more than 60 hours.
The women who still know the techniques are usually retired and do the work out of love, according to Chylak, who worries that in a matter of years there may be nobody left who knows the craft any longer. Slavic Roots, Global Appeal
Although lace and crochet have centuries-long histories that span various regions, it's no coincidence that Poland is one of the countries at the forefront of the nostalgic handmade aesthetic.
'All Polish grandmothers could crochet,' Butrym said. 'In the 1960s, during communism, there was not much in shops, no nice dresses or cute baby pieces — that pushed women to make things at home if they wanted to stand out.'
Butrym feels there is a certain Slavicness in the romanticism of lace and crochet. One of her brand's recent campaigns was called 'Slavic Chic.' For her, the challenge is making the look feel relevant to the present moment.
'It was very hard for me to do it without looking too folk-ish and outdated for a modern woman,' she said, emphasising the importance of sharp styling and tailoring.
What stands out about the handcrafted aesthetic is its unequivocal female dominance in a world where most big brands' creative direction is still white and male. The labels driving its resurgence tend to be female-founded and led.
Both on the creative and the consumer side, lace, crochet and embroidery are resonating with women globally.
It's helping Butrym connect with a growing number of female shoppers, as well as partners like H&M, despite not being a household name.
'I was surprised,' Butrym said about being approached by the Swedish retailer, 'but H&M told me that when they surveyed who to collaborate with next, my name came up the most.'