Dua Lipa's Jeans Confirm Craftcore Is The DIY Fashion Trend Of 2021

Forget adult coloring books, Dua Lipa's latest pants make a case for applying your markers directly onto your clothes. In a recent Instagram post, Lipa wore colorful, hand-painted pants and proved she's already mastered the emerging trend of elevated DIY fashion. Hand-crafted aesthetics in clothes, or craftcore as it's fondly referred to, rose to popularity from past runway shows like Bode's Fall/Winter 2019 menswear collection. The hand-painted method didn't reach its full potential, however, until quarantine, when people honed in on finding their go-to DIY hobbies — tie-dye sweatsuits, anyone?

On Feb. 24, Lipa posted an image carousel on her Instagram with the caption "snap crackle pop." The photos featured the singer in an Iron Maiden T-shirt with a mesh long-sleeve underneath and a silver chain necklace shining on top. While Lipa's band tee was a statement in and of itself, the outfit's hero piece was a quirky pair of technicolor trousers designed by Kat Rose. Lipa's stylist Lorenzo Posocco had spotted Rose's work on Instagram and then arranged for the pop star to get a pair of the artist's creations. In an interview with Vogue, Rose revealed she uses fabric paint and markers to create her signature pieces and often scours eBay to find her fashion canvases. Such was the case for Lipa's pants, which were a vintage pair of Levi jeans that received a custom makeover. Smiley faces and fantastical creatures adorned Lipa's quirky denim bottoms, and Rose even simulated a patchwork effect with rows of colored squares.

This delightfully nifty DIY trend is perfect for those who crave the opposite of luxury fashion escapism. Craftcore shatters any illusion of perfection and presents itself exactly as it is: handmade. Below, you'll find several pairs of painted bottoms that are similar to Dua's. If you don't see one that matches up with your artistic vision, grab an old pair of jeans and paintbrushes to try your hand at this genius trend. Then, pair your bottoms with a graphic tee or opt for a more controlled craftcore chaos with a handmade crochet sweater.

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