Why Does Fashion Needs a Third Summer of Love?

How designers are looking to 1980’s rave culture to cope with the present. HYPEBEAST [Features]( August 17, 2018 [Why Fashion Needs a Third Summer of Love]( How designers are looking to 1980’s rave culture to cope with the present. [Fashion]( VICTOR BOYKO / INDIGITAL.TV In the late 1980s, a generation of young DJs returned from Ibiza to the United Kingdom with visions for a new clubbing experience. Against a backdrop of fractured right-wing politics and the arrival of ecstasy, a new youth culture movement began. Soundtracked by a new subgenre of music known as Acid House, raves quickly spread across the country, with parties in nightclubs, gyms and fields attracting thousands of attendees. The summer of 1988 kickstarted the so-called Second Summer of Love, a brief but important cultural moment that all but faded away just two years later. Although short-lived, the era’s influence on club culture and dance music is still felt 30 years later. The importance of the culture is not limited to its musical lineage. With political tensions and reactionary leaders once again on the rise across the world, the Second Summer of Love has increasingly become a fashion industry reference point for an alternative. With the 30th anniversary of the summer of ‘88 upon us, brands have taken the opportunity to celebrate the cultural moment and its influence. Gucci marked the anniversary by partnering with Frieze on a new video project featuring artists Jeremy Deller, Wu Tsang and Arthur Jafa. Similarly, both adidas Spezial and Nike ACG paid tribute to the era with their Spring/Summer 2018 collections. It was about democracy, it was about freedom, it was about openness, not being corporate. [Fashion]( END In addition to these explicit references to the Second Summer of Love, the culture’s influence can be traced in other collections. Gosha Rubchinskiy’s Spring/Summer 2018 collection owes a clear debt to Acid House, while labels including Cactus Plant Flea Market, AMI and Chinatown Market have all repurposed the ubiquitous smiley face motif. The rave inspiration also found its way to Versace, where bright colors and clashing patterns were a centerpoint of the Italian brand’s Spring/Summer 2019 collection. The classic style of that time was derived through function rather than form. “The Second Summer of Love style was baggy,” remembers Fiona Cartledge, designer and owner of the influential Sign of the Times store, a focal point of the London rave scene known for stocking emerging designers. “It was very hot in the clubs, so the clothing was loose,” Cartledge adds, pointing to brands including Stüssy, Komodo and Mash as well as clothing imported from Thailand and Bali. For Cartledge, the Acid House style was also a natural contrast to the fashion that had preceded it, describing it as “a reaction to the ‘80s designer looks that had gone before.” [READ FULL ARTICLE ON HYPEBEAST →](   [Go To Preference Centre](     [More HYPEBEAST Features]( [[FASHION]( [Who’s the Next Off-White™?]( [[FASHION]( [8 Drops You Don't Want to Miss This Week]( Get The App Free on iOS and Android Follow 2018 HYPEBEAST Limited. All Rights Reserved [Manage Subscriptions]( [Unsubscribe]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to HYPEBEAST's marketing emails. You can unsubscribe from us any time by clicking [here](. Our Mailing Address: HYPEBEAST, 12F, 10-16 Kwai Ting Road, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong