Y2K aesthetic
Y2K is an Internet aesthetic based around products, styles, and fashion of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The name Y2K is derived from an abbreviation coined by programmer David Eddy for the year 2000 and its potential computer errors. The Y2K aesthetic can include synthetic or metallic materials, inflatable furniture, and computer interfaces of the dotcom era. Y2K may also borrow elements of the McBling aesthetic,[1][2] in which it is sometimes conflated with.[3]
Originally, Y2K as an internet aesthetic retrospectively referred to a retrofuturistic art movement, characterized by metallic materials, blobjects and reflective clothing.[1] As the term "Y2K" garnered mainstream attention over the course of the 2020s, this term has since expanded to refer to 2000s fashion in general;[4] the former definition of Y2K is sometimes known as Cybercore to differentiate itself from the latter.[5]
Origins
[edit]Y2K likely originates from "nowstalgia," a phenomenon where culture changes so quickly that newer generations miss things from the recent past.[6] The fast change in the 2000s came from the September 11 attacks, the war on terror and the 2000s' quick advancements in technology, such as the iPod and iPhone.[7]
See also
[edit]- Frutiger Aero
- Vaporwave
- The Designers Republic, a British graphic design collective sometimes associated with popularizing Y2K[8][9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Alexander, Leigh (May 19, 2016). "The Y2K aesthetic: who knew the look of the year 2000 would endure?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ Friedlander, Emilie (December 28, 2021). "The Year in Aesthetics, From Dark Academia to McBling". VICE. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ Nguyen, Stacey (August 7, 2024). "What counts as the Y2K aesthetic? Here's what you need to know". The Daily Dot. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ Chokrane, Boutayna (December 13, 2023). "Y2K Fashion 101: How 2023 Got the Millennium Bug All Over Again". Vogue. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "Cybercore Is The Next Y2K Fashion Aesthetic Trend". Nylon. February 20, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ Vendrell, David (December 19, 2023). "Nowstalgia is nostalgia hitting lightspeed". TheFutureParty. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ Willingham, A. J. (December 29, 2022). "Y2K aesthetics are so hot right now – and so is the era's existential dread". CNN. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ "Broken Japanese: Exploring exoticisation and stereotyping in graphic design". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ "the a-z of y2k". Retrieved December 19, 2024.
Further reading
[edit]- Alexander, Leigh (May 19, 2016). "The Y2K aesthetic: who knew the look of the year 2000 would endure?". The Guardian. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- Brown, Maria Gemma; Carah, Nicholas; Tan, Xue Ying (Jane); Angus, Daniel; Burgess, Jean (August 1, 2024). "Finding the future in digitally mediated ruin: #nostalgiacores and the algorithmic culture of digital platforms". Convergence. doi:10.1177/13548565241270669. ISSN 1354-8565.
- Cramer, Florian (April 15, 2024). "Speculative photography. An attempt (essay) of making visible (manifesto)". Artnodes (34). doi:10.7238/artnodes.v0i34.424946.
- Kyung-min, Pyo (May 19, 2024). "Y2K aesthetics resurface as cultural mainstay in Korea". The Korea Times. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- Yang, Xiaochun (2023). "Retro Futurism: The Resurgence of Y2K Style in the Fashion Field". SHS Web of Conferences. 167. EDP Sciences: 02003. doi:10.1051/shsconf/202316702003. ISSN 2261-2424.