Anti-Fashion: How the non-fashionable became the new trend
The ‘weird girl’ is almost like a reaction to the minimalist, clean girl aesthetic that has become highly popular among Instagram and Pinterest. The trend is often referred as ‘weird’ or ‘ugly fashion’ but its main focus is to emphasize individuality and personal style.
Supported by it girls like Bella Hadid and Iris Law, the trend has managed to polarize fashion lovers while winking at maximalism. Main focus of the trend is fairly simple; combining elements which don’t usually go together. Using clashing patterns, fabrics and pieces and combining them with unique accessories to individualize each look. Even though the trend has become increasingly popular post-pandemic, the origins of the trend go way back to 2000s Japan and is heavily inspired by Harajuku’s youth subculture.
With people being stuck at home during the pandemic, DIY culture peaked popularity with everything tie-dye, colorful beaded accessories embellished with toys and small objects, hand-knitted beanies, balaclavas, hand and leg warmers. Which are staple pieces for the unusual trend. It’s critical not to shy away from doing the most and layering everything together. Too much is never too much. The weird girl aesthetic has taken Coco Chanel’s famous saying “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” And flipped it upside down. As the feeling of individual style was shaken by the lockdown fashion of pjs and lounge wear, the anti-fashion trend provides a playground to be creative. And the best part is, there are no limits.
Other factors for the growing popularity of the trend are TikTok, the increased demand for vintage and second hand clothing and brands adopting the trend as their own. Launched in 2020 under the Marc Jacobs brand, Heaven by Marc Jacobs worked with Shoichi Aoki for its lookbook. Aoki is the founder of ‘FRUiTS’; a magazine launched in 1997, which celebrated and supported Harajuku’s youth subculture. Heaven stuck with the origins of the trend and with Y2K revival, gained appreciation from the fashion world.
This anti-fashion movement changed the meaning of ‘ugly’, ‘absurd’ and ‘tacky’, most feared words in the fashion world and gave them a new meaning. Not only that, but the trend also challenges the perception that fashion should follow set rules and aesthetics in order to be fashionable.
