The flashy, logo-loving designer style of the early 21st century is back in all its glory, thanks in immense part to Gen Z’s penchant for nostalgia and the ubiquitous mob wife aesthetic currently dominating TikTok. Although the latter trend appears mainly in our wardrobes with bold jewelry and luxurious fabrics, it is slowly but surely coming back to our homes as well. Only this time it’s less about Tuscan kitchen decor and more about incorporating some of those lavish (and oh-so-maximalist) animal motifs you’d find in a mafia wife’s wardrobe.
Alex Bass, interior designer, art curator and founder of an art and design studio Living room 21, recommends immersing yourself in exaggerated patterns and overall aesthetics before jumping all in. “Introduce tiny print pieces into your home that are a little whimsical,” she notes. This will allow you to refer to the wife of the crowd trend, while maintaining a more subtle, timeless character, thanks to which your space will not be too intrusive and will be able to fit better with current design solutions.
Animal motifs happen to have a luxurious history in design, which makes them surprisingly versatile in employ. “Animal patterns bring to mind iconic eras such as the glamorous 1950s and the opulent 1980s,” says the interior designer Erin Lichy. Like the suburban mansions of our favorite mob wives (hello, Carmela Soprano), these eras celebrated the indulgence and sophistication that we associate animal prints with today.
In addition to versatility, Lindsie Davis, interior designer and founder Blueberry Jones Project says that animal motifs are intended to add character to your space. “What I love about them is that they add character to a room, making even the most sophisticated spaces feel unexpectedly fun,” she explains.
Leopard and cheetah are the most iconic and obvious animal motifs of the crowd’s wives – and they happen to be considered neutrals in the design world (as far as prints go) because they complement most color palettes, making them incredibly uncomplicated to decorate. That said, zebra and tiger prints also work particularly well here, especially when paired with saturated colors, luxurious textures (think: velvet and fur), and brass motifs. (If you want to try the mob wife look but prefer a more minimalist look, Lichy advises you go for tiger because it tends to be less busy compared to leopard and cheetah prints.)
How to decorate with animal prints
The décor of a mob wife’s house is usually gaudy. Bass says that if you want to give this style a more current character, you should focus on animal motifs as expressive decorations. “Make sure you employ it [prints] as an accent element, not as a whole [scheme], so it really has its own moment,” he explains. This might look like adding a leopard print and brass table lamp to the hall table, throwing some leopard print pillows on the sofa, or adding a tiny rug to the office.
Although animal print can be used in a more subtle, contrasting way, Sarah Latham, an interior designer at the company Latham Interiors, says that when a leopard print is splashed all over the space alone, it can seem too predictable. Instead, she recommends pairing these patterns with other prints, textures, and bold shades (jewel tones are a great choice) to make them more purposeful and compelling. To take it even further, Davis recommends combining animal motifs for an extra bold effect. “The key to effective mixing is to employ patterns of different scales,” he notes. “If the leopard print is smaller and the tiger print is larger, they will complement each other and blend well tonally.”
Whether you prefer a leopard-print mob wife or a classic tiger stripe, there are plenty of ways to make your mob wife aesthetically pleasing this season. Here are some pieces with animal prints – from subtle to bold – that will support you start your fashion journey. Carousel products:
