Indie Sleaze for a Recession, Groundbreaking

At the Haute Couture shows of recent, Dazed asked attendees what was in and out for 2024. Lyas, @ly.as0 on TikTok, responded that ‘Indie Sleaze’ was in. A sentiment I have been very much aligned with over the past year or so. Summer 2023 was a summer of the early 2010s for my wardrobe. As Winter eclipsed the tank tops and ballet flats, I fell even deeper into the black (and gold and studded) hole of Indie Sleaze, as did the world of fashion.

To me, there are some beautifully camp aspects of this era, and it is those that I see coming to the forefront in this modern revival. Whilst it may not be historically accurate, my image of Indie Sleaze pictures Serena Van Der Woodsen wearing Zadig & Voltaire, Ke$ha pumping through wired earphones, Lana Del Rey-Americana on tumblr, Allsaints spikes, pleather, faux fur, American Apparel, Isabel Marant trainers, chunky gold bangles, feather earrings, side partings, ripped jeans, Nicki Minaj Pink Friday-era, and of course, Gossip Girl.

The era was c*nty, provocative, messy, and gorgeous. Gossip Girl in particular has a certain magnetism that makes me want to go clubbing in spiky, open toe wedges, a bandage body-con dress, and take selfies on my Blackberry.

Modern retellings of Indie Sleaze feel less Skins, and more jovial. The chaotic party atmosphere of the late naughties to the early 2010s have given way to an almost ironic resurgence. There are the slogan tees and filtered Instagram selfies, messy makeup, and almost ugly layering. At the same time, designers have been playing with similar themes, pushing the boundaries of wearable attire in light-hearted, self aware ways.

Vaquera did this well for Spring 2024 Ready-to-Wear. From some very Aezelia Banks 212 looks, to oversized pouffes, hoodies, hats, shirts and accessories. There was the ‘Comme des Fuckdown’ snapback - a veteran of its time - and plenty of gold, black and green. Ashley Williams Spring 2024 Ready-to-Wear captured a similar essence. Familiar shapes from the og era; tunics, trucker hats, uggs, paired beautifully with ‘I <3 me’ prints and messy, long hair. 

Ripped jeans, distressed leather, faux fur (in black especially), wedges, grey hoods, soft long sleeve jumpers, leopard print, lace tights, silver and gold, studs, tassles, and skinny jeans, are more apparent than they have been for a while. Creator, Lara Violetta, should also be mentioned here, due to her incredible reworking of classic Indie Sleaze into high fashion. For a visual representation, look here.

This resurgence makes sense, given our current socio-economic backdrop. YouTube’s aestheticsexplained points to the global economic crisis of 2007 as a contributing factor to the birth of Indie Sleaze. The video essay titled ‘let’s talk indie sleaze’ acknowledges a dismissal of highly-material fashion, in the wake of the recession. It talks at length about the style and its contextual factors, some of which mirror modern day. 

At the same time, with a decreased length in trend cycles - thanks to social media and TikTok in particular - it makes sense that we are already looking at a style from just 10 years ago. It also just so happens that this Indie Sleaze revival closely follows the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic. The messy, slouchy, untamed appearance seems to directly rebel against this tight, beige, slicked bun, no makeup-makeup, Zara-infused style. Credit where credit is due, the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic really had its day in the sun and certainly outlasted many of the micro trend cycles we see. But it seems that people are bored. Like with any style, the more popular it gets, the more people that want to run away from it. 

Modern Indie Sleaze is already well underway in the high fashion stratosphere, and it works right now. Perhaps it too will fade out once it creeps into the mainstream. Until then, there is much from the era to be explored, and I am personally very excited to see what will come of it.

Note: the images used are collages made from fashion magazines.