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The real meaning of Normcore and how it has been overlooked
Actually, Normcore is not a mere trend. Rather, it symbolises the end of the existing system that generates trends.
Whether you have heard of Normcore or not, you are probably wondering what I mean. In order to fully explain my intention, let us first go back to its origin. Surprisingly, Normcore’s real meaning is not well-known. But it is crucial to grasp it, if we were to think of our future society.
Normcore ≠ A Fashion Trend Term?
As a fashion term, Normcore refers to a style mixing items like grey hoodies, plain white t-shirts, simple sneakers etc. All without a logo. Which makes it an “extremely normal fashion”* using easily purchased plain items. Names like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg are associated with this style.
The original meaning is just the contrary
But as a matter of fact, the word Normcore was created as a guideline to a more free and happy life.
In October 2013, K-HOLE, a trend forecasting group based in New York, published a report YOUTH MODE A REPORT ON FREEDOM in which they argued that generational theory no longer applies to the modern globalized world. Furthermore, they categorized people’s attitude into three types, all reaching their own limit.
ALTERNATIVE: Those who become lonely as a result of seeking their own individuality while despising both affiliation with certain groups and the crave to being different.
MASS INDIE: Those who always try to stay between weirdness and normalness.
ACTING BASIC: Those who counter MASS INDIE and seek to be basic instead. But not a fundamental solution for MASS INDIE because it also bases itself on being different from others.
In this report, Normcore is proposed as an attitude that transcends the above-mentioned attitudes.
Normcore proposed by K-HOLE is an attitude to accept, adapt and overcome everything. Such as, belonging to a certain group, being the same as everyone else, the monotony of daily life and so on. It is an understanding that normalcy itself is fundamentally an illusion. Hence, one no longer needs to worry about their uniqueness or normalcy. K-HOLE argues that this is the only way to liberate ourselves.
The original concept did not come across
Why, then, did Normcore come to be understood as a type of a new fashion trend? It is because the word has been spread all over the internet via a fashion essay published on THE CUT magazine’s website which is quite different from the original K-HOLE report.
After witnessing this misunderstanding, I could not help but write this essay, because Normcore is not a mere trend.
Fashion industry has consistently been producing a new different-from-everyone-else style AND now it’s telling people that normal is the latest trend.
To take in a word that indicates the destruction of trend as a social system and turn it into a trend is rather like the system surrendering.
As a matter of fact, this Normcore corresponds to K-HOLE’s Acting Basic but not Normcore. To sum up, it was Acting Basic disguised as Normcore. Then, if our society was to change as K-HOLE has suggested, the next “trend” is without doubt the original Normcore = normal is an illusion = embrace diversity = down fall of trend.
Yes, Normcore as a fashion trend was a phenomenon that denoted the death of trend.
In the next chapter, I will demonstrate why Normcore as a fashion style became so popular. Then as we move on forward, I will elaborate on the current social structure seen from fashion and as a conclusion present a specific vision of our future society. You think I can’t pull it off? Well, just stick around with me for a while. I’m sure you’ll be excited.
- “GINZA, January Issue, 2015”
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