The Tamesis
From seeking meaning to finding solace in meaninglessness, online discourse has grown amid this year’s uncertainty. People tend to feel connected through inside jokes and shared words (even if they don’t make sense), and artificial intelligence has sparked a new wave of vocabulary and visual trends. Labubus gave fashion girls a nostalgic feel for Birkin bags, traditional looks took over the prettiest corners of social media, and the TikTok generation (after being banned in the U.S.) began cultivating its own aura.
Every year has its defining terms, so we’ve selected the 10 terms that best reflect our definitions. Some of these are changes taking place in fashion and beyond; others are the result of chaos.
AI slope
AI-generated content saturates the internet and is of poor quality, lacks meaning, or appears banal.
Aura cultivation
Shape one’s image through behaviors that enhance “vibe.”
debut
A designer’s first official collection or a fashion house’s fashion show.
Just a transition
Social impact is top of mind amid the decarbonization rush, including upskilling or reskilling workers as their roles become redundant.
Labubu
The wide-eyed stuffed animals that look like elf-like things you’ve seen on fashionable girls’ bags.
liberation day
April 2, personally designated by the president, is the day Trump will impose tariffs on imports from nearly every other country in the world.
musical chairs
Luxury brands and the largest fashion houses are a reference for the rapid flow of design talent.
recession indicators
New or returning fashion trends, like ruffled tops and skinny jeans, are seen by many as reflecting the downward economic spiral.
traditional aesthetic
The embrace of traditional values and lifestyles feeds into an aesthetic that leans toward nostalgia for the country’s past.
6-7
TikTok memes that serve no real purpose.
