THE AVENUE
SO LONG NORMCORE, CATCHING EYES IS COOL AGAIN Written by Alex Kaneshiro Photos courtesy of Mika Ohata
Our concept of the New Year is always the same – out with the old, in with the new, and the start of 2017 fashion has been no exception. Normcore, a trend that has been ever-present since 2013 has overstayed its welcome in the eyes of designers and editors alike. This season, it is out with plain white tees and in with Picasso-esque kimonos. The shift from mundane-chic to colors, patterns and textures may have stemmed from the very genesis of normcore itself. But what is normcore and how did it catch on in the first place? If you are unfamiliar with the style, a typical normcore outfit consists of jeans, some form of a plain top and sneakers. Google, “normcore” and the second image result will be a photo of Steve Jobs, whose signature black turtleneck, dad jeans and modest sneakers make up a great example of a normcore ensemble. Surprisingly, this extreme version of minimalism is a trend that arose from deepseated societal psychology. Many attribute the rise of the trend to K-Hole, the brand consultant agency that popularized the term. In 2013, at the 89plus Marathon in London, K-Hole presented their theory revolving around the recent dismissal of the, then-popular, hipster aesthetic.
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“This season, it is out with the plain white tees and in with the Picassoesque kimonos” In the Vouge UK video series, “Future of Fashion,” K-hole consultants explain that they introduced normcore as a “form of coolness,” rather than a fashion trend. Emily Segal, one of the K-Hole consultants, says that idea behind normcore and “being down with as many people as possible” is actually a rebellion against creative expression, which, according to them is a mainstream value. The consultants believe that simplicity is a way out of the “monotony” of self-expressive fashion. Shortly after their presentation at the 89plus Marathon, normcore became an Internet mega-meme, furiously trending as hashtag on social media. By the end of 2013, the word “normcore” took second place on Oxford English Dictionary’s “Word of the Year” shortlist, sharing the spot with “bae,” losing first place only to the word “vape.”