For the past couple of years or so, many have claimed that an Indie Sleaze revival is brewing. The style, popularised in the latter half of the 2000s, consists of maximalism, smudged makeup and all things ‘messy—miles away from the careful curation that has permeated popular culture for the first half of the 2020s. This pushback has largely been due to internet trends such as being a ‘clean girl’ or ‘cottagecore’, with fast fashion brands such as Shein playing a crucial role in these short trend cycles and a sense of rigid uniform created by social media to be a part of them. However, the fashion pendulum always swings back in time eventually, and we are left wondering if this alleged ‘revival’ is a pushback against the sanitisation of more recent styles or just a nostalgic pipe dream?
Round one of Indie Sleaze was very much embedded in the era in which it spawned; perpetuated by indie bands such as Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs and Arctic Monkeys. A clear product of the times, it marked a period in which celebrities did not have the glam teams or social media curators that they had today. Instead, Indie Sleaze icons such as model Alexa Chung and musician Pete Doherty perpetuated an overwhelming sense of authenticity. Indie Sleaze was inherently grubby – it truly seemed like ‘anything goes’ stylistically, that you could throw anything together and make it work. This is perhaps best summarised by El Hunt, who deemed it an era of “chaotic spontaneity”. This notion seems to be the crux of many people’s argument regarding why Indie Sleaze won’t make a comeback. “For me, my biggest qualm with Indie Sleaze in 2024 is…the lack of sleaze,” states Senior Fashion and Style Writer for Vogue, Christian Allaire. “Back in the early 2010s, it really felt authentic…There was a sloppiness to the look that I found charming.”
Hence the following questions: To what degree is this style rooted in the hedonism and chaos of a time long gone? Is it imperative that any ‘revival’ follows suit, or is Indie Sleaze in 2024 more concerned with vintage clothing and digital cameras? Perhaps it’s somewhere in between. Contemporary artists such as Charli XCX, Snow Strippers and The Dare have made headway in bridging this gap. Emily Sandstrom of Dazed writes, “The current music scene offers a real semblance of community, tying together a mesh of on and offline personalities and providing an opportunity to connect with people over new music. A socially driven music scene is no doubt refreshing in a post-pandemic landscape, and particularly to a generation that has been long devoid of IRL connection.” Understanding this is crucial to understanding the role that Indie Sleaze would play now, and arguably already is within certain communities. Following the pandemic there was an inevitable sense of restlessness, and maybe Indie Sleaze is that much needed outlet?
In a world where trend cycles have become alarmingly short, styles such as Indie Sleaze are a breath of fresh air. Again, there is no uniform, not even essential set pieces, unlike many trends that the internet has spawned in recent times. This return to a bygone era could do wonders for the planet, given that 92 million tonnes of discarded clothes end up in landfills each year. However, within the current climate of instant gratification and miniscule attention spans, perhaps this style revival will only further perpetuate the rapid disregarding of garments? Longevity is never assured, even within a style so intertwined with authenticity and renewal. We observed a y2k revival come and go within a couple of years, so who’s to say that this could be any different? Similarly to the y2k movement, Indie Sleaze’s 00s origin means that a revival could never fully emulate what came before it. These days, social media allows for anything and everything to be recorded, played back, and broadcast to millions online within a touch of a button. Though this has some benefits in relation to these trend’s revivals, such as the glorification of drugs being under constant scrutiny, it also means that a degree of honesty and hedonism is sadly lost. Unless we undo a great deal of internet teaching, in regards to careful curation of both image and self, I fear that the spirit of Indie Sleaze will never quite translate to our present day.
As Chris Black puts it, “Nostalgia is the last true guilty pleasure.” And perhaps this is the root cause of this revival. At the very least, nostalgia no doubt plays a role in all the speculation surrounding it. Nonetheless, the authenticity that Indie Sleaze promotes can never be deemed a bad thing, even if its resurgence is a reflection of rapid trend cycles and a general distaste for the way social media is going. In a world where most social media accounts are a mere showcase of all the ‘best bits’ in one’s life, we could all do with a bit more of the liberation that Indie Sleaze has to offer.