A question I ask myself a lot lately: Where are the subcultures in fashion today? As far as I can tell, they have been replaced entirely by trends, or more specifically, by populations of individuals who cycle through trends like they scroll Reels or TikToks. Trends are fleeting aesthetic markings. But a subculture is a community, a system of values—the foundation of a unique identity.
I wrote recently in a column that we are post-brand. Some people didn’t like that. I’ve been hearing some version of the phrase “Everyone is a brand now” for years, but it has become apparent that this is no longer the case.
People aren’t brands. Brands aren’t even brands anymore. And brands are the backbone of a fashion subculture.
A brand has a unique vision, a point of view, and an identity that is related to an aesthetic. But people are now entrepreneurs. They’re founders.
Entrepreneurs have a plan for scaling. They see opportunity and develop strategies around seizing it. The brands these founders create have ceased to propose anything like a vision or a point of view.
They propose new products and marketing content and little else. The old notion of a brand has been wholly subsumed by conglomerates, and the idea that we are all brands has gone with it. Brands that were once subcultural beacons are now part of large corporate entities.
Supreme, for example, has changed hands between various large private equity and holding companies three times since 2017. But for years, it.