The Y2K fashion trend is basically a blast from the past, encapsulating the fashion trends from the late 1990s to the early 2000s as the teens back then embraced a new technological age. And it’s coming back, thanks to the likes of TikTok and other social media such as Pinterest and Instagram. Paris Hilton and Mean Girls fans, rejoice! Prepare to fill your wardrobe with spaghetti-strap crop tops, baguette bags, and anything bold, bright, and colourful.
For the past few years, the Y2K trend has been making a fabulous comeback, starting with the Fancy music video by Charli XCX and Iggy Azalea (which was an ode to the Clueless film), followed by Ariana Grande’s thank u, next music video that had drawn inspiration from various 2000s movies such as Mean Girls, Bring It On, Legally Blonde, and 13 Going on 30. Soon after, fashion brands like Dolls Kill and Omighty started hopping on the trend.
But there’s more to this trend than just colourful clothes and nostalgia. There is also a link between this comeback trend and the sustainable and ethical fashion movement that has been prevalent in the last few years. Sustainable fashion refers to designing, upcycling, and distributing clothes in ways that can help the environment.
“My mission is to create innovative and sustainable clothes by recycling used and old ones,” Valerie Wong, the founder of an Instagram thrift shop @fuwarishop, explains why she started her Y2K thrift shop that sells upcycled clothes. The clothes she upcycles follow the Y2K trend, as it is easier for her to connect with and explore the bright and sparkly nature of the style.
Valerie started her thrift shop selling Y2K pieces when her sisters moved out of the family home and left over 10 full boxes of clothing that had been collected over the years. She donated half the boxes to charity and kept the rest to experiment, upcycle, and make some money. During the circuit breaker, she upcycled at least two pieces of clothing every day and has hopes to turn her hobby into her future job!
Now, she is currently enrolled in a part-time diploma in fashion design. “I am always looking for unique patterns and ways to upcycle my clothes,” Valerie says, claiming that her style and brand image is heavily influenced by the Harajuku street style. Whenever she finds interesting and standout fashion pieces on social media, she tries to replicate a similar style using her own clothes.
One of the most important factors Valerie has to consider when upcycling is colour combination. Most of the time, two or more different pieces of clothing are joined together to come up with an entirely new piece, and the colours of those individual pieces have to complement each other in order for the outfit to flow. If they do not fit, she has to find other suitable fabric before continuing.
Here’s a look at some of her favourite clothes that she has upcycled. First up is the orange milkmaid with puffed sleeves dress that was upcycled from an old king size bedsheet that was sitting around in her drawer. Another aesthetic that was trending at that time was the Cottagecore aesthetic (which is an aesthetic that is inspired by a romanticised interpretation of western agricultural life). Flowy lace dresses and big puffy sleeves were the in-thing, flooding the social media feed. To make the dress more feminine-like and sweet, Valerie ordered orange lace off Carousell. Top it off with a cute bag (maybe a baguette one?) and you’ll be rockin’ the Y2K x Cottagecore aesthetic in no time!
The next one is just super kawaii. This Hello Kitty beachwear set was made from a pasar malam pyjamas that Valerie never got the chance to wear. Instead of throwing it away, she used this old set to recreate a pink bikini since the patterns resembled a tropical feel. This stood out from the rest of the clothes she upcycled as she was freehanding it. That’s right, she had no reference! And yet, it looks simply amazing and just as pretty as her other pieces.
Last but not least, the blue sushi warrior anime top. Made using an old school uniform, an old anime print shirt, and blue scrap cheongsam fabric, it all came together beautifully into this one piece. Looking at it, you wouldn’t expect it to be a product of 3 separate pieces. At first, Valerie was trying to recreate it from an image, but she decided to take a risk and switch it up halfway as she was styling the pieces. A bold move, and yet the final piece is still so, so ethereal.
These are only three pieces of a whole Instagram store! Valerie sells a variety of upcycled Y2K clothes on her Instagram page, Depop, and Carousell. The price varies as well, but you can be assured that she donates a percentage of her earnings using the ShareTheMeal application. Donations and funds are raised to feed children in need and help build a world with zero hunger. “I donate to them because the donations are used to feed hungry children and I feel that no child should ever have to feel hungry,” Valerie explains.
And she doesn’t plan to stop soon. When she finishes her fashion design diploma and starts making clothes professionally, she plans to produce her own original styles and eventually sell them. If her digital launches go well, she plans to have a small-scale shop with Instagrammable interiors that bring people together to take funky and cool pictures. The donations will still continue, and Valerie will still fight for the sustainable and ethical fashion movement with her Y2K thrift shop.
It’s so easy to get lost in the world of fast fashion, and understandably so. It’s cheap, it appeals to everyone, it’s trendy. But let’s also appreciate and join the sustainable and ethical fashion movement and support these creators who want to save the environment and help charitable causes by upcycling their old clothes. They’re not only doing their part - you’re doing your part too.
Let’s support the sustainable fashion movement. Let’s save the environment and feed hungry children. Let’s do our part to make a better world for everyone.
