A Brief History of the Sequin

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Gareth Pugh’s spectacular S/S16 collection was an ode to Soho, and the libertine nightlife the London district has played host to since the 1700s. Mini dresses with plunging necklines were covered from top to bottom with coin paillettes, a symbol of hedonism, refracting light and creating surface embellishment akin to the disco ball – and Pugh's decision to use them in this way draws on a long and rich tradition.

The origins of the word sequin can be found, in fact,…