Adopted by Dua Lipa, String Ting’s Y2K phone charms are the next big ting

By Monica Athnasious

Published Jun 26, 2021 at 09:30 AM

Reading time: 2 minutes

Nowadays, trends—whether global or burgeoning in specific areas like dance, tech, music or fashion—usually explode onto the scene. It feels like it happens overnight. There are some trends, however, that silently sneak their way to the top, and before you know it, every celebrity has bead strings hanging off their phones. We’ve all noticed that, right? It’s not just me? This new “techcessory” is in every celebrity selfie, it seems. Sported by the likes of Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus—and literally so many others I can’t name—it looks like phone charms is the latest gen Z fashion trend to inundate our social media feeds. In all seriousness though, where can I get one?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kendall (@kendalljenner)

The pioneering brand behind this viral 90s-inspired accessory is London-based String Ting. Its founder, Canadian-born Rachel-Steed Middleton initially started the brand as a fundraiser during quarantine for various charitable causes. The main ones being for those severely affected by the pandemic as well as for a number of AIDS organisations. Middleton called the brand “a happy accident” when speaking to The Zoe Report—“It started as a fundraiser during the pandemic, really as a way to teach my kids about giving back and just keeping them busy. It was the equivalent of a lemonade stand.” Now? Everyone wants a glass.

According to Vogue, “String Ting wristlets are, by this point, non-negotiable for Gen-Z influencers.” This falls into the continuing re-emergence of Y2K inspiration in today’s fashion—no but seriously, I feel like I’m reliving my six-year-old Bratz fantasy—with the bead lanyards sitting among the latest childlike fads.

Featured in second place on MashableUK’s list of the best phone trends of 2021—it appears that String Ting is here to stay. Who knows, perhaps the absolute trauma of the past year has left us yearning for the days of our 2000s childhoods? Honestly, take me back, I don’t like it here—it’s scary.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by String Ting (@string_ting)

It seems like we’re all scared. In an article for CR Fashion Book, Alyssa Davis writes that “the allure to these playful jewels simply comes from the fact that children have more fun. In today’s unsettling times we crave that sense of safety and escapism that comes from being a kid. While we can’t turn back time, adults have collectively noticed wearing an element of kiddie culture can give them a sense of freedom from adulthood.” Sign me up.

Camp bead jewellery is set to dominate the summer according to Who What Wear. Similar style brands have also popped up and gained quick popularity. Worn by the likes of Bella Hadid, Joe Jonas, Barbie Ferreira and Jaden SmithIan Charms is the latest bead jewellery company to get the celebrity stamp of approval. A part of the popularity of this trend could be due to its ‘DIY aesthetic’—with many citing that DIY fashion is the future of the industry. And if Ian Charms doesn’t ring a bell, you must at least know one brand out of the 90s renaissance ‘holy trinity’; La Manso, éliou, mon cher moi.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ian charms🍒 (@iancharms)

Speaking to L’Officiel on the viral popularity of String Ting’s designs, Middleton stated how “the smartphone has become the new it bag,” and I couldn’t agree more. The phone has become perhaps the most important accessory to any outfit—especially for those must-see mirror selfies. String Ting’s high-quality colourful beadwork blends both the fashionable and the functional to create the perfect phone strap.

The brand writes on its website that “Every Ting has her thing. From Czech glass and Japanese Miyuki seeds; to Swarovski crystal and up-cycled vintage beads, every String Ting owns their style. Each one is unique in the way they look but not in the quality of how they-re crafted: hand-tied and sealed—every String Ting is assembled on a hard-wearing satin-cord.”

It looks like we really are having a second coming of the 2000s, the question is are you going to join in? I might. I mean, I am 24, but I still want to be a Bratz doll. Move aside Wildflower Cases, your successors have already arrived.

Keep On Reading

By Alma Fabiani

Netizens think Taylor Swift attended a New York Jets game to detract from her private jet controversy

By Charlie Sawyer

GB News presenter calls Russell Brand her hero following sexual assault allegations

By Alma Fabiani

Real Madrid players arrested for sharing explicit video involving a minor

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Why are thousands of Reddit pages going offline for 48 hours?

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Latest femicide in Italy sparks protests following reports of 102 women killed in 2023

By Abby Amoakuh

Grand Theft Auto 6 leak reveals game’s first female protagonist and a glimpse into franchise’s future

By Abby Amoakuh

The most controversial Supreme Court cases that lie ahead and what they mean for the US

By Charlie Sawyer

Is the internet finally falling out of love with Emma Chamberlain?

By Louis Shankar

Sorry everyone, but Saltburn is a car crash of a film

By Abby Amoakuh

Gen Z girlies are rushing to freeze their eggs: Everything you need to know about the new trend

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Why did Travis Scott’s Utopia concert at the Pyramids of Giza get cancelled? Wild theory goes viral

By Abby Amoakuh

Why is Swedish influencer Matilda Djerf being cancelled on TikTok right now?

By Mason Berlinka

Barbie movie ban: Why Hollywood is constantly bending the knee to China

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Spanish reporter groped on live TV confronts man and has him arrested

By Charlie Sawyer

Think climate change isn’t real? Watch this shocking video of the plastic in the Guatemalan sea

By Charlie Sawyer

Either I’m delulu or Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones are finally dating

By Jack Ramage

Is gen Z bringing dairy back or moo-ving on from milk for good?

By Charlie Sawyer

How to invest in stocks, from one beginner to another

By Charlie Sawyer

Updated release dates for 5 of the most popular TV shows affected by Hollywood writers’ strikes

By Charlie Sawyer

The death of independent media. VICE may have been the first victim, but it won’t be the last