Part 8/14:
Influencers like Isabelle Tan showcased her “haul,” including hideous shoes with witchy long toes and basic black trousers that could have come from Uniqlo. The message: expensive fashion often looks just as generic, and the obsession with exclusivity fuels consumer frenzy over clothing that’s no better than generic retail.
Adding to the decline, celebrity campaigns for luxury brands feature aging stars like John Malkovich, posing in ridiculous, homeless-evoking outfits that look more like costume or parody than high fashion. Pam Anderson’s recent photos exude a scuzzy, authenticity-over-style aesthetic, which some interpret as a rebellious rejection of her former sex-symbol persona — but others see it as a taste-decline trend that the fashion industry is now embracing as “chic.”