Dazed Publishes Report on the Renaissance of Subcultures
LONDON — Dazed Studio, the creative agency under Dazed Media, the publisher of Dazed, AnOther and Nowness, has released a report about how brands can capitalize on the renaissance of subcultures.
Based on a three-month survey interviewing more than 2,800 18- to 24-year-olds from around the world, as well as insights from industry experts such as Jamie Brett, creative projects, lead at the Museum of Youth Culture, and trend consultant Samutaro, the more than 130-page report offers a deep dive into how youths today live through the mass adoption, revival, and recreation of subcultures.
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Shining a light on brands looking to tap into the power of subcultures, the report said it aims to unravel the complexities of defining subcultures in the digital age, moving past nostalgia to paint a diverse picture of youth culture’s edges.
Ari Versluis, cofounder of Exactitudes, a visual documentation project since 1994, said, “The difference between then to now is that now we live in a complete consumer culture. Youths see themselves as global consumers and that is how they are addressed.
“This is such a shift of thinking of punks — even when they feel the same emotions of aggression — they can’t express it in the same way now. The way we organize cities has changed. There are cameras everywhere. You can’t manifest yourself on the street. There are hardly any spaces where you don’t find places to consume,” added Versluis, who worked on the report as an industry expert.
The research pointed out that in a time when the mainstream ceases to exist and being alternative has become aspirational and a status symbol, subcultures are thriving in new ways and multiplying by the minute.
Some 88 percent of respondents believed that subcultures exist today, and the majority of them believed subcultures are influential to them in their lives.
The report said subcultures are now both niche and mass, community-driven and self-initiated, and are more accessible than ever.
Notable fashion-related subcultural groups the report mentioned include Hipster, Teddy, Bosozoku, Skaters, Skindeads, Punk, Ravers, Visual Kei, Goths, Grunge, Gamers, Indie Slease, Weirdcore and Cottage Core.
On top of answering questions like what are key subcultures to know, how to understand youth identity today, and what’s fueling the renaissance of subcultures, the report offered six case studies on how Balenciaga, Claire Barrow, Corteiz, Rick Owens, Palace and Martine Rose are considered trailblazers in their respective communities.
“What makes a brand most influential is being above the short-term trends,” the report concluded. “If a brand generally cares for the customer is what makes them most powerful.”
The subculture report, which retails for 500 pounds, was based on the findings from its annual youth culture report, published in July.
On Wednesday, Dazed will also unveil its annual Dazed 100, a list since 2014 that features leaders in their communities and creative minds shaping the way that young people think, work, and feel across fashion, beauty, art, photography, music, entertainment, activism and beyond.
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