From dark academia to medievalcore: fashion is embracing our need for escapism | Lauren Cochcrane

<p>Much is written about how young people no longer form real-world communities. Well, fashion trends are a stark rejoinder to that</p><p>Wake up babe, a new trend just dropped.</p><p>According to the website <a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/">Know Your Meme</a>, it’s been five years since the “<a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wake-up-babe">wake up babe</a>” format – which sees the phrase pasted over an image of a man waking up his girlfriend to announce a new internet talking point – really took off. I first encountered it at the height of what might be called “core fever” in fashion. A new look seemed to be arriving on social media feeds every week, driven by gen Z’s love of blink-or-miss-it microtrends. “Wake up babe, there’s a new aesthetic,” seemed an apt and amusing way to sum up the times.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/22/dark-academia-medievalcore-fashion-embracing-need-escapism">Continue reading...</a>