Archives of a young man: where fashionable hipsters have disappeared
Animeshniki, quadrobers, gamers and cosplayers are the most iconic youth groups of recent times. Meanwhile, nothing has been heard about the once-popular hipsters for a long time. Even memes and jokes involving them are a thing of the past. Izvestia investigated where representatives of this and other subcultures had disappeared, as well as why people were uniting in communities.
A platform for experiments
Our culture is a single large system consisting of many small forms, which include various subcultures, notes Katerina Tikhomirova, PhD, Professor, leading expert at the Laboratory of Digital Technologies in the Humanities at the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI. These forms are constantly changing depending on how humanity matures. There is even a special section in philosophy — the morphology of culture (from the Latin morphus — to change).
— From the point of view of scientists, cultural evolution, that is, the change of forms, follows the biological evolution. Biology involves a variety of species. For example, there is a family of oysters, and there are several species in this family. It's the same with culture: when a person creates his own world, he creates a variety of subcultures," says Katerina Tikhomirova.
Each subculture has its own set of values. Some make up their eyes and dress in black, others buy pink unicorns, and others listen to certain music. But all these sets are mobile, they change, following the course of history, Tikhomirova notes.
Subculture is not just a fashion trend, but a deep process of self—discovery and finding one's place in the world, says psychologist Anna Guseva. In such groups, a person finds support, understanding, as well as ready-made behavioral patterns that help him understand himself.
— This is a training ground, the safest space to experiment on yourself. The group gives a person a sense of support and understanding, it forms basic ideas about themselves and the world," says the expert.
The most striking subcultures of recent times may be:
- K-pop fans are fans of Korean pop culture who actively follow the work of their idols, study the traditions of South Korea and practice cover dance.
- Minimalists strive to simplify their lives by avoiding excessive consumption and focusing on the most necessary things.
- Geeks are passionate about comics, video games, science fiction, fantasy, technology, and other aspects of geek culture.
- Workouts are a subculture whose members strive to develop strength and endurance in outdoor conditions. They practice on outdoor playgrounds, and also use everything that catches their eye — stone stairs, garage roofs, and other urban obstacles. They lead a healthy lifestyle and monitor their diet.
- Fans — at first, the name stood for "near-football fans." Then we went beyond the subculture of fans. That's what teenagers who are ready to get into a fight at any time were called and asked to "explain the clothes" of those who dress differently from them. Today, these are mostly teenagers who gather in groups in parks, shopping malls, and courtyards.
- Dedinsides (from the English "dead insider"). A subculture of people who are passionate about anime or the game Dota 2. Most often they have ash-colored hair, black clothes with anime character prints.
- Running subculture is a lifestyle that unites people who are passionate about running and everything related to it. They participate in races, buy slots for similar events in other cities, and purchase fashionable and relevant clothing and shoes that are designed directly for this community. They advocate for a healthy lifestyle and are engaged in charity work.
- Y2K — young people are inspired by the style of the noughties. Their main attributes are low—rise jeans, lots of accessories, cargo pants, mini skirts, crop tops, racing jackets and rhinestones with sequins.
- Quadrobers are engaged in imitating the appearance, actions and habits of animals. They can be recognized by their masks, false tails, and movement on all fours in the style of the chosen animal.
- Animeshniki are fans of Japanese and anime culture. Animeshniks can form themed communities, attend special festivals, and engage in cosplay.
Where did the hipsters go?
Subcultural fashion, as in the case of clothing, repeats itself periodically, but on a different level. Hipsters, which modern generations first learned about in 2008, are nothing more than a community of the same name that originated in the United States in the 40s of the 20th century. The name of the phenomenon comes from the slang expression to be hip ("to be in the topic").
This group was formed among jazz fans, and then moved beyond the musical community and music lovers. That's what people who challenge society, dress in original ways, and set a new fashion began to be called. And the first Russian hipsters were the dudes (literally, "style hunters"), who expressed themselves in the Soviet Union in the 50s and the first half of the 60s of the last century.
In the 21st century, hipsters have experienced another reincarnation. Bearded fashionistas in vintage outfits belonged to this trend. Hipsters preferred alternative music, were interested in arthouse cinema, and attended all contemporary art exhibitions. They are responsible for the promotion of coffee producers and coffee shop owners — aesthetes popularized an invigorating drink and consolidated the fashion of sitting for hours in a cafe with a laptop.
Gradually, hipsters faded into the shadows. There is an opinion that the pandemic, in particular, contributed to this, when attitudes towards style and clothing in general became simpler. Socio-political relations have also influenced the fact that their movement is less noticeable than before.
— Hipsters were in plain sight while they were in the underground, they stood out among the numerous representatives of traditional culture. And then they became less noticeable, as subcultures arise and fade away, and something new constantly appears. The same is the case with quadrobers — they flashed, but now they are not talked about much," comments Katerina Tikhomirova.
Consequently, hipsters, like metallers from the last century, Goths from the noughties and quadrobers popular yesterday, have not disappeared anywhere, but simply got used to them, stopped attracting attention to themselves.
Anna Guseva also believes that mustachioed fashionistas have gone through a certain transformation and eventually shared their features with the world.
— The core values of hipsters are creative self—expression, attention to detail, and conscious consumption. In fact, all this is already a part of our lives. And it is quite natural that some once revolutionary states are turning into everyday life. Many of them have outgrown subcultural frameworks and have become part of a broader movement, such as healthy lifestyle. Such positive aspects as proper nutrition, creative development, self—realization, and self-knowledge have become a natural state for many people, the psychologist argues.
What is body transformation?
Many groups live for years and decades without attracting much attention. Fans still unite around rock music, reconstruction of historical events, and fashion trends.
— There is one active community that clearly stands out from the others, and it has existed for quite a long time, for at least a dozen years. These are animeshniki. Young people, of course, are growing up, but they are being replaced by other fans of this trend, and interest continues unabated," comments Katerina Tikhomirova.
The professor also considers Zozhnikov to be one of the most popular modern subcultures. Her followers preach proper nutrition, sports, running, outdoor recreation, eco-friendly clothing and a natural appearance. But it turns out that here, too, the challenge to society and its trends plays a role.
According to Katerina Tikhomirova, zozhniks contrast themselves and their bodies with what civilization dictates now — unnaturalness, swollen lips, synthetic nails. In turn, swollen lips, laser facial resurfacing and fillers are also a subculture, the interlocutor believes.
In the wake of glamorous body transformation, even the same type of face appears. It is possible that another crisis will come and "transformers" will be pushed aside by people with natural features — thin lips, irregular noses and without a hint of Hollywood cheekbones. There is a constant change of preferences, the expert emphasizes.
— Recently I came across such a joke on the Internet: Moscow is divided into wide-legged and narrow-legged. And when you look around, you realize that there is something in it," says Katerina Tikhomirova ironically.
She emphasizes that it is difficult to determine unequivocally why people choose a particular subculture, whether it is some kind of challenge to society, a bold step or a repetition of the crowd against the background of fashion.
— Everyone has their own motivations. For some, subculture is like a step on a social ladder or as part of a social elevator. It is important to organize so-called vertical or horizontal social connections that will give something in life. And someone goes to such groups because they are looking for the meaning of life," says the specialist.
Be yourself
Psychologist Anna Guseva advises not to get stuck in a subculture, but only to use it as a kind of platform for further growth. As people grow up and develop, they leave groups and already perceive their patterns as a limitation.
— A person denies the past, but this is not a betrayal, but a natural process of personality evolution, a normal stage of development. And subculture is not a cage, but a platform for experimenting with identity, helping to form one's own self. The skills acquired in such groups help in communication, at work, and in building a career," the Izvestia interlocutor continues.
The psychologist emphasizes that it is not difficult for teenagers to adapt to such groups and, as they grow up, they move on to the next levels. If people of mature age belong to a certain youth subculture, then they "interrogate" those stages and processes that could not be felt at a certain time.
According to Katerina Tikhomirova, many groups belong to countercultures, that is, they conflict with dominant value systems. But they still cannot rise to the dominant heights, because traditional ideologies fit more into the universal space, as they promote classical goodness, beauty, and justice. Eventually, people come to a universal, unified culture and begin to identify themselves with it, the professor notes.
— They suddenly realize that happiness is very simple. As a result, they tend towards family, children, reading classical literature and other traditional values. And this is good, because the human world must be reproduced not only biologically, but also in the system of these values," sums up the interlocutor of Izvestia.
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