Love this. I feel that this has now extended out beyond fashion too. Fashion collabs with FMCG brands (JW Anderson x Guinness) blur the boundaries. If the olive oil you choose to buy is heavily based on the canister design then there is a cyclical nature to this too. Checking out of trend trajectories but maintaining a level of curation and intentionality is key.
Totally agree! The crossover has gone wayyy beyond fashion. FMCG collabs are such a good example of how brand worlds are bleeding into each other, and we (the people, the consumers) are responding less to category and more to general vibes, storytelling, and design language.
I also think that aesthetic decision-making has become a kind of everyday curation. Even when we claim to have opted out of trends, we’re still navigating a visual ecosystem that shapes choices almost subconsciously... whether that's a good or bad thing remains to be seen.
The sweet spot really is what you said: staying intentional without getting swept up in the churn. It's less about rejecting trends and more about choosing what aligns with your personal lens, and if that's playing into the trendscape, so be it.
I feel like you’re reading my mind! The notion that loserdom is becoming a new aesthetic has been on my radar. One designer that I think leans far into this concept is Marc Jacobs. His ever-present “tote bags” have become cringe for me, but I also think that’s the point. He’s so tongue-in-cheek that some of his designs feel like a dad joke. I don’t remember who wrote this, but someone on Substack recently posted a note that she saw MJ in a restaurant with not one, but FIVE Labubus hanging from his bag. Case in point.
Cringe is cool! Irony is in! Laughing at yourself is being in on the joke! When fashion mines an aesthetic agenda, it does so tenfold and this is another example of that. And I mean, when the world around us is so serious and bleak, I get why this shift is happening now. Why not have a laugh and a giggle? Maybe we should be less serious and just start having fun with fashion again, even if we do become the butt of the joke
The conclusion of being the "loser", and how it will become a status symbol does play to me how influencers have cracked a code of staying silent and proud of their brand even after the cancellation. Many with strong fandoms after the crash have kept it that way by giving themselves unlimited chances. A brand doing the same seems on point with a world in a micro trend epidemic and a recession. It seems the consumers are going to be skipping over most trends and will keep with what they own. The need to consume at the "fast" and modern speed will start to be de-influenced and to make sure the brands stay during this they will keep the trend going long as it can.
Loser status really can flip into a kind of ironic prestige, especially now that being unbothered is basically its own form of confidence. Influencers and brands that go silent after being cancelled but stick to their original identity have kind of created the blueprint: stay consistent, say nothing, and let the audience rebuild the narrative. It's a weird loop that moves fast, but when you keep your head down, sometimes sitting back and doing nothing is what puts you ahead
Oh what a lovely read! And it made me really sad because look at us, wanting to consume new things at the drop of a hat. We can't imagine a world where we are not on trend, doesn't matter if it's early or late.
Beyond Major! 🙌🏿
Love this. I feel that this has now extended out beyond fashion too. Fashion collabs with FMCG brands (JW Anderson x Guinness) blur the boundaries. If the olive oil you choose to buy is heavily based on the canister design then there is a cyclical nature to this too. Checking out of trend trajectories but maintaining a level of curation and intentionality is key.
Totally agree! The crossover has gone wayyy beyond fashion. FMCG collabs are such a good example of how brand worlds are bleeding into each other, and we (the people, the consumers) are responding less to category and more to general vibes, storytelling, and design language.
I also think that aesthetic decision-making has become a kind of everyday curation. Even when we claim to have opted out of trends, we’re still navigating a visual ecosystem that shapes choices almost subconsciously... whether that's a good or bad thing remains to be seen.
The sweet spot really is what you said: staying intentional without getting swept up in the churn. It's less about rejecting trends and more about choosing what aligns with your personal lens, and if that's playing into the trendscape, so be it.
And tysm for reading!
You have essentially enumerated why I hate fashion! And your final submission is the reason I love it… great post 👌🏾
Tysm for reading! And fashion can really be like that sometimes, it will have you feeling all the feels!
I feel like you’re reading my mind! The notion that loserdom is becoming a new aesthetic has been on my radar. One designer that I think leans far into this concept is Marc Jacobs. His ever-present “tote bags” have become cringe for me, but I also think that’s the point. He’s so tongue-in-cheek that some of his designs feel like a dad joke. I don’t remember who wrote this, but someone on Substack recently posted a note that she saw MJ in a restaurant with not one, but FIVE Labubus hanging from his bag. Case in point.
Cringe is cool! Irony is in! Laughing at yourself is being in on the joke! When fashion mines an aesthetic agenda, it does so tenfold and this is another example of that. And I mean, when the world around us is so serious and bleak, I get why this shift is happening now. Why not have a laugh and a giggle? Maybe we should be less serious and just start having fun with fashion again, even if we do become the butt of the joke
The conclusion of being the "loser", and how it will become a status symbol does play to me how influencers have cracked a code of staying silent and proud of their brand even after the cancellation. Many with strong fandoms after the crash have kept it that way by giving themselves unlimited chances. A brand doing the same seems on point with a world in a micro trend epidemic and a recession. It seems the consumers are going to be skipping over most trends and will keep with what they own. The need to consume at the "fast" and modern speed will start to be de-influenced and to make sure the brands stay during this they will keep the trend going long as it can.
Loser status really can flip into a kind of ironic prestige, especially now that being unbothered is basically its own form of confidence. Influencers and brands that go silent after being cancelled but stick to their original identity have kind of created the blueprint: stay consistent, say nothing, and let the audience rebuild the narrative. It's a weird loop that moves fast, but when you keep your head down, sometimes sitting back and doing nothing is what puts you ahead
Great post! So much here to read again.
tysm for reading!
Oh what a lovely read! And it made me really sad because look at us, wanting to consume new things at the drop of a hat. We can't imagine a world where we are not on trend, doesn't matter if it's early or late.
Hard agree, and also, embrace the cringe!