Breaking the Hype: Rediscovering fashion’s roots amidst a culture of narcissism

In the whirlwind of ever-changing fashion trends and the allure of hype brands, we’ve lost sight of fashion’s roots. From humble beginnings on the streets to a culture of conspicuous consumption, the journey of fashion reflects societal shifts. Yet, amid the frenzy, a new narrative emerges—a call for authenticity and sustainability. From the birth of denim in Genoa to the rise of streetwear with Run-DMC, fashion has mirrored cultural movements. However, today’s obsession with hype culture and luxury labels perpetuates a cycle of narcissism and materialism. Yet, hope glimmers in sustainable fashion and thrifting, offering a path back to individuality and conscious consumption. The article was first published on FirstRand Perspectives.

Narcissism and Street Fashion

By Rachel Edelstein

Fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg once said, “Everything in fashion begins in the streets”. Amid our consumer culture, where fashion trends change quarterly, and we feel pressure to adhere, we have become out of touch with the true ingenuity and creativity with which it all began. We have developed a form of tunnel vision where we’ll only wear acclaimed hype brands’ pieces or those that influencers have endorsed. This begs the question, how did a generation of pioneering artists and designers who dared to be different on the streets advance into a culture of trend-driven conformists obsessed with their conspicuous consumption?

In the 15th century, denim was used as the core ingredient in manufacturing utility trousers and workwear for sailors in Genoa, Italy.

In 1853, Levi Strauss moved to San Francisco and was approached by his customer, Jacob Davis, who was looking to go into business patenting a robust trouser design. 20 years later, Davis and Strauss received the patent to create this new form of workwear, known as the blue jean

About a century later, actor James Dean famously wore jeans, a plain white T-shirt, a leather jacket and some boots, propelling denim jeans into mainstream fashion.

Fashion, particularly streetwear and work attire, has historically mirrored the movements of culture and society. In the 1970s, New York City witnessed a transformative wave in music and fashion driven by b-boys and Hip-Hop groups. Among them, Run-DMC pioneered a distinctive “street” style, prominently featuring Adidas tracksuits and laceless sneakers as their signature look. Their influence was pivotal in reshaping the fashion landscape within the music world. While rejecting certain established fashion norms, Run-DMC, alongside other artists of that era, contributed collaboratively to create a new aesthetic, setting a standard for 21st-century Hip-Hop musicians. It’s crucial to acknowledge the collective effort and diverse influences that shaped the evolution of Hip-Hop fashion during that time rather than attributing the rejection of fashion norms solely to one group.

Who What Wear, an online fashion blog, maintains that streetwear began as a subculture movement and a way to describe comfortable clothing worn mostly by skateboarders and surfers in Los Angeles. (Today, this style might be known as athleisure).

Streetwear once gave ‘outsiders’ a sense of expression, creativity and belonging and formed part of an accessible culture where durable, utilitarian pieces like cargo pants, jeans and tracksuits were standard. How has it now warped into an exclusive club of narcissists where a particular Nike Air Jordan sneaker released in 2013 resulted in an average resell price of $6,400?

Christopher Lasch, in his book, “The Culture of Narcissism”, investigates the influence of “the cult of consumption” on the rise of narcissistic personality. If this was true in 1979, when the book was written, it could only be more relevant now in an era where Instagram likes can make or break your self-worth.

An era where Instagram likes can make or break your self-worth. Today, we are quick to label anyone slightly arrogant or self-obsessed as a narcissist. A narcissist, though, by definition, is much more complex.

Although the root cause of narcissistic personality disorder is unknown, narcissistic character traits often manifest as an exaggerated sense of self-importance or superiority complex, entitlement, the need for constant adulation and, perhaps surprisingly, envy and a deep-seated insecurity

So what does our obsession with stuff have to do with nice clothes?

According to the fashion and pop culture magazine Highsnobiety, “Hype culture is uniquely positioned to tap into the narcissistic world order by creating artificial scarcity and equating the possession of limited-edition goods with self-worth.”

Hype culture describes the need to get your hands on the next, biggest and best thing in the fashion and pop culture world. It attracts a large following and often reveals itself as a damaging by-product of 21st-century street fashion.

Luxury streetwear brand Supreme directly contributes to the world of hype. The brand was established in 1994 and started as a streetwear line popular among skateboarders. It has, however, quickly grown into one of the many labels in the streetwear industry that exploits social media and the notion of scarcity to create hype around the brand and upcoming releases. As BBC puts it, “This is the world of the ‘drop’”. Collaborations between brands, artists (and even sometimes celebrity personalities) are announced on Instagram, instantly fuelling excitement among consumers and spiking the value of these products. Shoppers are anxious to be in and amongst this hype and will go to lengths to ensure they can be seen wearing the Supreme or Kith box logo t-shirts and the like

The very nature of our conspicuous consumption means that the need for nice things is never-ending. Once you finally splurge on the Dior and Off-White sneaker collaboration, there is a newer, better and more expensive drop, and someone you know has already bought it. Simply put, the relationship between our consumption of nice stuff and true happiness is not directly proportional. Clinical psychologist and visiting professor at The University of Johannesburg, Dr Ramani Durvasula, says, “The entire way fashion is marketed is that if you don’t have that latest something, you are lacking”. If this is true, then this, perhaps, forms the foundation of the selling that continually perpetuates a culture of fashionable narcissists.

What if you refuse to buy into this superficial culture but remain interested in fashion and looking good?

Look towards sustainable fashion brands. These days, there are more and more brands aimed at the longevity of the fashion industry. They focus on ethical and environmentally sustainable sourcing and manufacturing methods. Yorkshire-based clothing brand Lucy and Yak have a factory in North India where workers are paid four times the state minimum wage. All of their postage material is 100% recyclable and bio-degradable. Loungewear brand Pangaia aims to be a ‘carbon positive, regenerative business’ with a positive social and environmental impact. They use bio-based fibres and innovative materials from recycled plastic to create their pieces. The possibilities of sustainable brands are endless. Finding sustainable brands with inspiring visions and clothes that are easy on the eye takes five minutes of research.

Similarly, thrifting is a new and exciting addition to the fashion world. Not that thrifting is new, but it has become more popular among fashion fiends who value increased environmental efforts. There is a certain skill to thrifting, though – it’s not always as easy as walking into any second-hand store and hoping for the best. Researching the best thrifting stores in your city will help, and so will the many online thrifting apps with some real hidden gems. This way, you can abandon hype culture, contribute to fashion sustainability and look chic.

No one is saying fashion is outright bad. It’s a way to flex your creative muscles and push yourself to step out of your comfort zone in a minor way. The way we choose to get involved, though, is what matters. Opt for some individualism – you don’t need to shop at Nike or wear Yeezy’s to dress well. You don’t have to participate in fast fashion by shopping solely at cheap, global chain stores. It just requires a little extra effort to bring back the bold originality and edge that the streetwear and fashion industry once had.