The Feed: The return of indie style, a new skincare fan, fandom-led concert themes, and more
The Feed
The Feed (@thefeed.global) is powered by We Are Social’s Cultural Insights team. We’re diving into the top posts from the past few months – trends include Barbour and Alexa Chung updating OG indie style, teen boys jumping on the TikTok skincare trend, and Victoria’s Secret bringing place-based hype to online events.
Read on to find out what they all mean, and why they’ve been taking over our social feeds.
Barbour x Alexa Chung is updating original indie style for 2024
After a two year hiatus, Barbour has resurrected its collaboration with Alexa Chung, original queen of Indie Sleaze. It’s not the only brand leaning into that specific slice of history – Madewell, who first collaborated with Alexa 14 years ago, released a collection with her this September. Both collections give a more grown up flavour to Alexa’s youthful style, and signal a desire to update a subculture of yesteryear to reflect modern values and taste.
What do these collabs tell us about our current culture’s relationship with past style tribes and their icons?
TikTok’s skincare obsession is catching up with teen boys
An obsession with perfect skin was once the purview of adult women – but in recent times, TikTok and Instagram have brought gaggles of tween girls into the anti-aging discourse. If that reach wasn’t enough, young boys are now entering the fold, with a boom in TikTok content detailing lengthy skincare routines for tween and teen ‘men’.
Given that research finds almost 70% of Gen Z men use skin-care products, what does this mean about the gendering of beauty content on social? (And, for all that is holy, what will it mean for the once-glossy halls of Sephora?)
Victoria’s Secret NYC MetroCards are bringing place-based hype to online events
After a four year hiatus, infamous lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret is bringing back the parade of sumptuous hotness it calls its ‘fashion show’. But to tease the show itself – which is watched on TikTok and Instagram livestreams, unless you’re part of the small fashion elite cadre that watches live – the brand is handing out some IRL paraphernalia: VS-branded metrocards for the New York subway. In the days coming up to the show, these candy-striped metrocards are all over social, with users either flaunting their offline papers or mourning not having them.
What does the hype around Victoria’s Secret metrocards tell us about the future of online-offline activations?
Burberry is reimagining British eccentricity for 2024
Killing time with thumb wars on a countryside train, dousing a posh breakfast in cheap brown sauce, an idle day fishing in quiet solitude – these are just some of the quintessentially British scenes depicted in “It’s Always Burberry Weather”. The fashion house’s latest campaign is a nuanced mashup of cultural ideas of ‘Britishness’ – from aristocratic nepo babies (Cara Delevingne) to pop cultural icons from London’s working class (Little Sims, Eberechi Eze).
In a divided Britain in search of renewal and a shared identity, what does Burberry’s campaign tell us about how heritage brands should shape their brand communications?
A$AP Rocky’s bid on Tranmere Rovers is a controversial play in fan culture
A$AP Rocky buying a minor English football team wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card for 2024. And yet, here we are, with the rapper allegedly set to invest in a majority stake of Tranmere Rovers – a move that’s been met with surprise, excitement, and apprehension by the club’s small-but-loyal fan base.
On social, people have been fondly imagining a world-famous American rapper taking Rihanna for date nights in Birkenhead, the working-class town near Liverpool that Tranmere calls home. But among Tranmere’s supporters, sentiment is divided. Is this an exciting crossover of culture and sport, or a move that will undermine the club’s grassroots identity?
Chappell Roan’s themed concerts cater to fandom-led desires
On Chappell Roan’s latest tour, no two concerts are the same – she’s making sure of that. For every stop on her tour, the artist is picking a new theme, from “Midwest Princess” (an Americana-inspired mix of camo, cowboy hats, and the rustic outdoors), to “Mermaid”, an underwater motif inspired by one of her music videos. In these shows – and her Instagram post where she showcases their set designs, costumes, and aesthetics – Roan is drawing directly on her songs and music videos to craft unique, immersive experiences for each stop on her tour.
Follow @thefeed.global to discover more trends and learn why they’ve been dominating our social feeds.
