A young man walks down the street wearing a distressed tee and tight jeans. He is carrying his old disc-man, listening to his acquaintance’s basement band while strolling out of an art class- all while maintaining a confident stride. He makes a stop in front of a second hand shop, takes a swig of his coffee and eagerly enters. This boy is no longer thought of as odd or weird, but the epitome of what every current trend-follower aims to subconsciously accomplish: the persona of a hipster.
Take a stroll down Queen W in Toronto and you will inevitably see clusters of people from teens to those in their twenties who would have been considered eccentric- had they made that very same appearance just a few short years ago.
Walk into a second hand shop or a Value Village and take note of the multiple young crowds scavenging to find articles of clothing and accessories derived from the 80’s that one would never imagine to be trendy; and watch them turn it into an ensemble.
Turn on your radio, your television; flip through the glossy pages of recent magazines, look up at the billboards.
It’s beginning to be incorporated into every medium of communication and every aspect of society. The concept of fashion, music, film and art being ‘indie’ or alternative has diminished and formed the walls that make up mainstream. A once ‘sub culture’ has taken over Western civilization and consumed popular culture.
One must wonder- is this new indie trend here to stay, or is it simply a passing fad? Has the word ‘indie’ lost it’s validity over the years?
Ricky Bionix is a former independent music store owner and currently an electronic specializing DJ. He has been immersed in this culture for years, and agrees that society has changed the meaning of what ‘independent’ truly stands for. “I find that since the late nineties electronic music (drum & bass, house, techno, electro) has really taken over as background music; in commercials, newscasts, sportscasts, video games, you name it,” Bionix says. “I think the word ‘independent’ is going to be thrown around like a wiener in a food fight and basically lose it's meaning just as ‘alternative’ did.” Nowadays, many people claim they listen to indie music and this phenomenon has never been so popular. Suddenly it’s cool to listen to a band that no one has heard of. “If it's independent that means that some kids are making it in their basement and selling it at their local record shop or on the internet or to their friends,” Bionix confirms. “Indie music will eat itself. It is going mainstream as we speak and hence the word will lose its meaning.”
The same trend has been recognizable in films, not only through the music featured in the film but also the way it has been directed as well as the quirky characters. Films such as Juno, Garden State and 500 Days of Summer were a little different than most films. Again, many unknown bands were featured and the way it was filmed was notably different. That is what contributed to their popularity. Scott McGovern is an independent film maker and the programming director at Ed Video Media Arts Centre in Guelph, ON. He has certainly noticed changes in the industry and believes it is due to the audience demanding something different, and being more open. “I think that the realm of possibilities is just beginning to expand rapidly as far as what is acceptable to the audience.” McGovern says, “Now, mainstream media is trying a lot of directions, taking cues from internet culture, and perhaps taking more risks.” Perhaps society is simply tired of seeing the same images and concepts being repeated in the media and they need that more creative, more shock-provoking aspect thrown in to grab their attention. “People are addicted to video, and they always want new charges, kicks, or thrills from the medium.”
So maybe if society thirsts to speak about and listen to music that isn’t popular, and looks for new visual images and sounds on screen that haven’t been executed before, then the same thing applies to the current fashion trends. Claudia Leigh Grammatico, an intern at Nylon Magazine in New York watches new trends unfold everyday at her workplace. Since the magazine was first published a few years ago, Nylon’s aim was to stand out from other fashion magazines. It features more up-and-coming models and celebrities and the graphic design and photography displayed throughout is eye-catching and certainly unique to other publications. Now, the magazine is bursting in popularity. Grammatico believes that everything now is more ‘real’ and less commercialized- which is apparent throughout the magazine. “It seems to me that people are more into realness, what's really happening in culture today, what the real kids are into and look like. I feel that the whole obsession with models and actors is dying down,” Grammatico states in reference to photography in magazines. In terms of fashion, she believes that people are demanding something different, new and exciting. “People are over the already established. People want to see uniqueness and versatility, fresh faces, the intriguing everyday people you see on the street. That's what it all about.” Fashion has and always will be recycled, taking old ideas and modernizing them for today. Grammatico compares pop culture now to what it was in the 60’s. Nylon recently ran an article called ‘Rebirth of 60s Bohemia and Individualism,’ which addressed aspects of society back then that are similar to today’s trends. “When you think about it, today is very much like the 60's: Art is back, politics are really trendy and making a full liberal 180, good music with talented bands are back in, people are bonding together more than ever,” Grammatico says, incorporating her opinion into the article. “And in terms of fashion, people are into the wild and eclectic once again.” Nylon magazine certainly achieves this and has in the past. It is essentially a magazine that epitomizes society’s demand for eye-catching and unique concepts in fashion and design.
Stores such as American Apparel and Urban Outfitters carry all of the necessities to achieve the ‘hipster’ or ‘vintage’ look. Despite the economic crises, employees have noticed a burst in sales as of late. “The appeal of the clothing at Urban Outfitters is that it gives consumers a sense that they are being unique by wearing it,” says Ania Medrek, current employee. When asked which items were in demand right now Medrek replied “Fake glasses with thick frames for the 'nerdy hipster' look, braided hippie bands to put around ones forehead, super skinny jeans on men and moccasins are examples of really trendy items that were once thought of as ‘weird.’”
Although this recent change in fashion and the media appears to be consuming popular culture, it seems as though it will be yet another passing fad. It is just another cycle in the recycled world of ideas only this time with an accentuated desire to be unique.
Indie stands for independent. Independent stands for the freedom from external control and constraints. Hipster stands for one who chooses to reject established culture. Yet all of these terms are being thrown around and sought after so often that the ‘unique’ and ‘independent’ aspect of them have lost all validity. As it has many a times in the past, a sub culture has taken over the mainstream and currently that happens to be the sub culture of independence. So as ironic as it is, we are all walking around following a trend that stands for something different- or lack there of. It will be interesting to see what society’s demands for new and exciting produce in years to come.
