Is This Grandma-Approved Trend The Next Fashion-to-Home Crossover?

What happens in the world of fashion often trickles down to the home market a season or two later, and I’ve got my eye on a fashion trend that seems to be headed homeward. Last summer, a surprising trend emerged in clothing: The return of crocheted granny squares. Reporting on the trend last spring
Glamour said, “Blame Dior, Gabriela Hearst, or Valentino for the resurgence of the retro design technique — or Parsons student, style icon, and Second Daughter, Ella Emhoff [stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris], who posts crocheted creations all over her Instagram.” Crocheted granny squares were suddenly everywhere! Last summer, the
Wall Street Journal ran a story on the trend under the headline “Crochet Clothes: Not Just for Grannies Anymore” and the WSJ magazine included a Miu Miu jacket in a fall fashion feature.,Now, granny squares seem poised to make a comeback in home decor.,Clé Tile, a design-forward tile brand based in San Rafael, California, has introduced a limited-edition cement tile inspired by retro, crocheted blankets. “I’ve always loved the 70’s vibe and the granny square feels so iconic of that era,” says Deborah Osburn, Clé’s founder (and ardent fashion fan), who noticed this homespun motif being “embraced by streetwear, on runways, and by a new generation in fashion and design.” She says, “That’s what made it perfect for our first tile drop: It’s something unexpected and offbeat that adds fun, serendipity, and spontaneity to what can be a staid material. Bringing it to life in cement felt so right: taking something that feels so hard-edged and functional, bringing it lighthearted warmth.” ,The cement granny square tile ($24/square foot) can be used anywhere the cement tile can be used: walls, floors, and backsplashes, but not in situations where they would be exposed to freeze-thaw situations The new tiles are a “drop” so when they sell out, Clé will move them to their made-to-order section. ,Further down the coast, the founders of Cast Away Yarn Shop in Santa Rosa were also inspired by the fashion renaissance of the granny square and created a modern-day take on the blankets of yore. “We drew a modern palette from the fun and modern colors of Loopy Mango #5, a super-soft, super-chunky yarn that we sell in our yarn shop. We created a giant granny square for fun and quickly realized how cute an entire blanket would be in these bright, fun and poppy colors,” says co-founder Justine Malone. “Taking an old classic granny square design and modernizing it with a super chunky weight and bright modern colors gives the granny square a new modern look.”,If past crossover trends are any indicator, we bet you’ll be seeing more granny squares in the home space. Keep your eyes peeled for modern granny square throws and pillows for sale later this year.,