With recent tariffs placed on exports to the US, a recession could be possible. In the past, pop culture has shown that economic declines have a grip on all sorts of media trends. The first recorded impact of an economic recession on culture is in the Great Depression. Genres that focused more on the struggles of everyday people like blues and folk/country music grew more popular. For fashion, practicality and versatility trumped all else as people adapted to their economic struggles. Wearability was important as people could not afford to buy much more.
On the other hand, glamour became huge as well. With an economic disaster, people turned to Hollywood and opulent musicals as a distraction, romanticising what could become. Even though diving into economic hardship themes was growing in music, art was mostly seen as a way to escape from the crisis.This, too, happened with the economic downturn during the 1980s. The tv show portraying an uber-rich family, “Dynasty,” became wildly successful.
In the Great Recession of 2008, the acknowledgement of the economic problems started to become more acceptable and normalized in pop culture. The recession not only led to economic sparingness, mass unemployment, and retirement savings concerns, but also led to “party hard just in case this is our last night alive” pop music, indie sleaze style, and art about middle-class struggles.
Although the “party hard” pop music was somewhat used as a distraction from the recession, the lyrical content still acknowledged it. Many songs made during this era focused on the idea that death could always be around the corner – quite dark for a dance pop song – or lyrics about partying with little money. Some artists who grew popular in this era were Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, Pitbull, and Flo Rida.
Fashion in the 2000s turned from Y2K bling and maximalism to boho chic to muted colors and grungier minimalism. Blacks, browns, greys, and navy grew in popularity at the end of the decade and longer, more durable silhouettes did as well.
After the recession, Broadway revived the musical “West Side Story,” a script involving class divides and the social issues that come with it. Even with many shows ending early or postponing during the 2008-2009 season, Broadway grosses were high, indicating that people turn to art and media in times of disaster.
Recently, the economy has not been too hot either. Inflation has been a big discussion for a few years now, Countries have been placing taxes on imports and exports, and with the bird flu and the ICE raids, eggs are nowhere to be found.
Last year marked an integral election year in our country. Tensions are always high in election years but with Trump almost getting assassinated and Biden dropping out 107 days before the election, last year was one that will go down in the books. LA wildfires and fatal hurricanes have destroyed homes and employment. With this tension and the current economic climate, art has been utilized as a distraction and an outlet for recent crises.
In times of crisis, clubbing and nightlife becomes widely utilized; dancing helps people with trauma in trying times. In 2024, we saw an increase in mainstream dance music. Charli XCX’s “Brat” was the forefront of this movement, but other artists like The Dare, Troye Sivan, Beyonce, and Tame Impala have been making this genre of music lately as well.
Also, fashion has been changing in this recent time of crisis. Although times are hard for many and wearability is needed, some have turned to fashion to feel glamorous as a distraction. Gold is wildly popular – I walked into Anthropology, Reformation, J. Crew, and Madewell recently, and saw a large amount of gold jewelry, but almost no silver.
Consumers are less likely to spend buckets of money on fashion; price sensitivity is increasing. This can be seen through the massive rise of dupes. DHGate is a Chinese website known for its near-uncanny designer dupes. This website has gained a lot of traction in the last year. The new “Walmart Birkin” dupe has been a topic of interest for fashion influencers as well. Bethenny Frankel, former Real Housewives of New York star and current TikTok chicken salad, caviar, and Swedish candy guru, has discussed the scam of luxury. Frankel believes that although independent, less-popular and more affordable designer bags are the way to go, dupes are a great thing for society to use as a tool for realizing that luxury does not really exist.
With rising international tension and inflation, it is interesting to see how the art and fashion world is adapting and evolving. Changes in the industry are likely to happen in the next year, and new trends will arise. Luxury is seen as faux for many, yet wanting to feel luxurious in fashion is on the rise, and dance music is being turned to as a distraction. These trying times are already influencing changes in pop culture, and the fashion industry is changing, what could be next?
By: Sam Tritto
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