Street style, otherwise also known as your everyday look on street is now a fashion trend. Who would have thought we would see the day GUCCI and urban outfitters embrace the world of small street fashionistas in their runway trend?
But it’s a reality now. From big holly wood names to the average person, we are obsessed with street fashion. We have gone through a various number of different street fashion styles. From the boho Coachella style to hoodies and sweats, there is a taste of street fashion for everyone.
After all, it really is our everyday style but with an exclusive look.
The emergence of lifestyle brands along with runway high-end fashion brands created the most beautiful line of street fashion. The fashion industry took a turning point when the world became more accessible through the internet.
Of course, it was the voice of the internet that tipped the power into the hands of the consumers. Consumers now dictate how we establish fashion. They rebranded the concept of how we approached affordable street styles and simply revamped it. It was only a matter of time lifestyle brand emerged with high-end fashion.
Internet And The Booming Street Fashion
Before the birth of the internet, before the popularization of fancy internet packages such as unifi internet in Malaysia, fashion trends belonged to runway models. It was inaccessible to the average consumer and created a system of discrimination. As we mentioned earlier, the internet gave the normal average person or the consumer a voice. Our voices tend to be louder when we all agree on one thing.
We now live in an age where we can literally cancel any brand or product with the power of the internet. While it is a blessing and a curse, brands are aware of the power we hold and the demand we have. Internet is the democratic podium for fashion influence.
When I say democracy, I mean the way consumers used street style to demand power over the internet. Small influencers back in the day used street style to break out of societal norms and make a difference. Small creators in Malaysia utilized their unifi broadband plans to show the world what their streetwear is like much the way Parisians did. Streetwear aims to be bolder, vibrant, and expressive.
It was also their way of being opinionated in the snooty world of fashion. Fashion was never meant to create social classes. Street style made it possible for us to come together and enjoy it. Bobby Hundreds of the OG Streetwear brand, The Hundreds once said, ‘without community’ streetwear is just fashion.
Countries That Made Street Style Mainstream
Street style existed even before the internet became the playground for acceptance. Several major countries were centered around street style as their defining moments. Who remembers the Japanese street style or the Chinese street fashion taking over the world? This was well before the era of Instagram became so popular.
Major countries are also responsible for changing our perception of street style. They made it cooler, approachable, and natural to wear. It went from being dull to a form of self-expression.
Japan
In the 1990s Japan was one of the countries that exploded the notion of streetwear. They took inspiration from the hip-hop streetwear emergence in New York to creating a streetwear style that propagated elements of heavy metal, punk aesthetics, and Metallica vibes. We won’t have what we call authentic, punk-style streetwear if it weren’t for the revolution created by artists of Japan as well. The streetwear of Tokyo now has a different landscape but the foundations and basics have come as far into 2021 as well. Japan popularized the concepts we love and live today. The Kawai street style, cyberpunk style, neon brightness to pastel aesthetics.
China
Chinese street style is currently taking over the world right now. We rarely see much authentic content from this country where they have their own internet platform. Unlike Malaysians who can access a world full of information through unifi Malaysia, Chinese have their own internet bubble. But TikTok made it possible for us to take a peek into their very sleek street fashion style. It is not a surprise that the western world is envious of the Chinese streetwear brands and their fashion industry.
Milan
This list won’t be complete without Milan. When we talk about street fashion in Milan, the city of chic fashion comes on top. The country combines culture with street fashion. Hints of indie, rock, punk combined with comfort and chic, make the casual streetwear look elite. No wonder streetwear became a mainstream fashion trend that set the world on fire.
London
Oh London, you cannot walk in this beautiful city without being in awe of their street fashion sense. London has made a name for itself by combining its high-end fashion with streetwear. The world of streetwear that belonged to highly individualistic people is now belonging to a community of artists, skaters, music lovers, thanks to how London mainstreamed streetwear. It is not only the work of the locals and the runways that made streetwear mainstream in the center of London. It is how the young generation used social media to create the biggest hype over this form of self-expression.