Spring technically doesn’t start until the equinox on September 22, but here we are, in Johannesburg specifically, wearing shorts and tees again. At my local mall, I’ve even spotted a few open toes. Why anyone walks around in public with their toes out boggles my mind, but that’s just personal taste. I also believe in freedom of expression, and if that’s anything to go by, many of us are already feeling the summer vibes.
Whatever you choose to wear in these warmer seasons, it’s becoming more and more obvious in fashion and culture that micro-trend fatigue has set in and the zeitgeist is beginning to reflect how the idea of mainstream culture is collapsing on itself.
Fashion, specifically, has always promised novelty, but the constant churn of micro-trends (Balletcore today, Tomato Girl tomorrow) has pushed even the most plugged-in shopper to the brink. The algorithms keep feeding aesthetics like tapas plates: endless, snackable, and forgettable, and now many of us are switching off, instead choosing clothing we can proverbially live inside, not wear only once for The Gram. I declare this the season of “vibes”.
Think of how last year’s “Brat Summer” wasn’t just about lime-green eyeshadow or a single skirt shape. It was Charli XCX’s messy, unbothered energy bleeding into social media feeds and, eventually, fashion, nightlife and marketing campaigns. The clothes followed the attitude, not the other way around.
Luxury fashion houses have noticed this, which is why the industry keeps handing the keys to their creative headquarters to celebrities who can embody a mood, not just sketch a garment. Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton is the prime example. He’s not a fashion graduate, but a cultural behemoth whose aura speaks directly to a generation raised on hip-hop, sneakers and lifestyle marketing. The job of a creative director today is less about cutting patterns and more about curating a world, and a vibe people want to buy into. For LVMH, hiring Pharrell wasn’t about craft so much as capturing cultural gravity.
This is also why fashion has blurred into lifestyle wholesale. A handbag isn’t just a handbag, it’s wellness, status, escapism or a vision board. According to Alo Yoga CEO Danny Harris, the athleisure brand is selling $3,000 handbags as they expand into luxury. But what they’re really selling is a state of mind. One of mindful glamour at a time when self-care, mindfulness and wellness have become trendy. Likewise, quiet luxury wasn’t a cut or colour. It is the vibe of restraint, and a sense of wealth not needing to prove itself. Its counterpoint, the loud and brash maximalism of the so-called “boom boom culture” is equally vibe-driven. It’s the sequins, fur and high-octane, sleazy kind of energy that belongs in a neon-lit club at 3am.
Consumers are leaning into this shift because vibes offer freedom where trends can inspire only fatigue and overspending. Instead of chasing a closet full of soon-to-be-embarrassing TikTok looks, one can instead curate their closet around moods they can inhabit for seasons at a time.
While we’re seeing this playing out globally, probably as a response to the inescapable onslaught of fast fashion and endless streams of social media content, in SA, our sartorial language has always played into this. It’s often been “vibe-driven”, from township street style to fashion week runways that weave music, dance and narrative into the garments themselves. Think of brands from yesteryear, like Stoned Cherrie and Loxion Kulca. They spoke to a way of being, and this is what resonates with us because it feels true to our climate, our communities, and our layered identities. This is how young brands like Artclub and Friends and Studio Banana, among others, are finding resonance with middle-class creative communities. They capture a vibe that is less about seasonal trend shifts and more about a mindset.
This, perhaps overdue, collapse of micro-trends on a wide scale mirrors the collapse of a singular mainstream. The time when we all sat in front of the telly to watch Isidingo at 6.30pm has long passed as many of us are glued to our individual TikTok feeds in a culture that has splintered into niches, each with its own vibe economy. Whereas a few years ago, there were huge hits that would be described as the “song of the summer”, the chances are many of us won’t even hear them because we’re tuned into our own curated playlists on Spotify rather than listening to the Metro or 5FM top 40 for direction on what to respond to.
So, if you find yourself confused this summer because no-one can tell you the one skirt or shoe to buy, relax. That’s the point. Fashion is less about rules and more about resonance now. The vibe is the trend. And maybe, that’s a little liberating.
