Trend Watch: Culture Trails
The aftermath of whitewashed Y2K culture demands cultural celebration + reclamation in fashion
Slinky fabrics, denim and logo mania aside, the resurgence of Y2K style has ignited a cultural shift in fashion, which somewhat feels like a juxtaposition of what I recall 2000’s culture to be. The premise of Y2K style is whiteness and the very convincing push from white media that pop culture is interchangeable with white culture— despite us always being architects of music, grandeur and everything in between. Millennials especially can attest the late 90’s and early 2000’s being a pivotal era of influence filled with thriving Black artists, musicians and cultural pioneers. When we turned on our TV there was programming that made us feel seen like a plethora of TV show’s challenging the complexities of navigating being Black in America or music videos showcasing our inimitable style. We even had a Brandy Barbie, young Black girls were winning! The exponential growth of hip-hop and R&B trickled down to “pop” culture ( I use that term sparingly) and style being embraced and mass produced by the mainstream, but without *us*. This era was a turning point as pop culture was upheld to the standards of the White gaze and interest of White America.
Then, came the cultural obsession with, rich, young ( and White) socialites like the Lindsey Lohans and Hilton sisters, alas the rise of celebrity tabloid culture, reality television . We have always been creating the trends but mainstream media completely whitewashed everything whilst pushing cultural appropriation to a cringy level that was still favored by the masses. Gwen Stefani having her famed Harajuku run, birthing hits like the Isley Brothers sampled “Luxurious”, and Christina Aguilera cosplaying as a Latina woman, walked so Rachel Dolezal could run! From the magazine ads, to canceling foundational Black networks and programming ( UPN we miss you!), our faces became more transparent.
Across the diaspora, we either witnessed or were teased for our cultural differences, whether it was traditional clothing worn or aromatic home-cooked meals brought to lunch. I believe that a number of people raised in traditional backgrounds began to stray away from culturally informed attire as a form or self protection to avoid prejudice, bullying and the unavoidable micro-aggressions. So figure hugging clothing like bedazzled crop tops, lingerie tops, dimple revealing low rise jeans and Herve Leger-esque bodycons entered the chat.
Side note to Millennials: I feel like we all know someone ( or we are the someone!) who would change clothes and make up their face as soon as they got to school to embrace these “aesthetics”.
The blatant exposure of police brutality sparked after the execution of George Floyd in 2020 followed by countless other police brutality cases accompanied by the ongoing conversations of lack of Black representation birthed a new decade of Black rage. The anger and disappointment that we’ve been bubbling for centuries, erupted bringing Black folks across the diaspora together to use our platforms to challenge the status quo, loudly reclaim our culture, unapologetically express our pride and demand equality across industries.