Trend Revivals

By Amber Bennett

Photography by Amber Bennett Modelling by Giacomo Tanner, Szymon P Kogut, Sara Etukudo and Mihika Kumar

In fashion, moments where we look back in retrospect to periods of the past are most commonly found during the formation of a new trend. The reason being that fashion trends are cyclical: we revive trends which emerged years ago, and resuscitate them alongside the contemporary fashion of today.

Multiple factors can give rise to a trend resurging. Nostalgia for eras of the past is a prominent one, which in general is elicited by the huge amount of content we have access to on social media, whereby we witness others’ ideas, art and music, and get inspired to reevaluate current trends which start to appear boring in comparison. Social and cultural factors are also at play: an old trend cannot just succeed out of nowhere, the right socioeconomic climate must also create the appropriate conditions. Additionally, people nowadays are utilising fashion more than ever to communicate a message — whether it is to showcase their political views or to show alliance with a movement, clothes can be a means of expressing political defiance or raising awareness of a particular social issue. This means that trends which were once the face of past political movements are making comebacks in the light of similar protests and attitudes.

One such example is the most recently forecasted trend revival, that of the Indie Sleaze. Indie Sleaze is the so-called ‘Tumblr grunge’ aesthetic, which reigned in the early 2000’s. It was an era characterised by an ‘I-don’t-give-a-f**k’, hedonistic attitude, and saw the rise and consolidation of the definitive hipster style, 80s splendour, 90s grunge and candid, amateur flash photography. The fashion items of the day ranged from knee high socks, cringy-tees, tight denim, skinny scarves and disco pants to subversive basics, platform boots and chunky necklaces. The effortless ‘it’ girls of the movement included Alexa Chung, and Kate Moss, both of whom embraced the rockstar girlfriend attire of sheer, studded or metallic dresses, thigh high boots, and a statement fur jacket, paired with dishevelled hair, smudged eyeliner and a cigarette in hand. The resurrection of Indie Sleaze fashion can plausibly be said to have been triggered by the current socio-political state of the world, and its likeness to the time when the Indie Sleaze aesthetic first surfaced. Following the COVID-19 lockdown and the current cost of living crisis, trust in the government is at an all-time low, with young people feeling more and more exasperated at the way our country is being run. This attitude is reminiscent of the beliefs held by the generation implicated in Indie Sleaze’s origins, as the Great Recession of 2008 turned young people towards rebellious, hedonistic acts of partying and doing whatever they liked in the spirit of discontent and anger at the ruling classes. In a fascinating meeting of fashion, history and culture, we are currently observing a reaction to the current economic climate, and a nostalgia for a world in which you could still live cheaply.

The way I see it, if Indie Sleaze is truly having a revival, the most fundamental page we can take from this trend’s followers’ book is their mentality of wearing practical clothes which they like to not care what other people think, and to just dress in ways which please you. Ultimately, the clothes you buy should not reflect a trend, but rather your style, and your identity.