Yet the elements of this current trend go beyond Harajuku style, though. While the trend does embody the contrasting and fantasy-like nature of this Japanese style (which given the 20-year fashion cycle was bound to come back soon), it also derives from the reality we’ve lived over the past two years, thanks to the pandemic, and the fashion items we’ve used to cope. Think about it: Thrifting and vintage shopping have become the go-to sources of fashion, while knitting crochet tops, hats, and jackets are popular pastimes. Tie dye, a signature psychedelic print of the ’90s and early 2000s, made a triumphant comeback as many were bored during lockdown, managing their anxiety by hand-dyeing T-shirts at home. Fantasy fashion has also grown during this time, with brands like Selkie, Teuta Matoshi, and Lirika Matoshi offering dresses fit for a Disney princess (and people actually like one in their everyday lives). Victorian fashion, cottagecore, fetishcore… One aesthetic after the other promising the key to cope with a messed-up world.
