From seeking meaning to finding comfort in the meaningless, internet speak has grown up in the uncertainty this year. People leaned into inside jokes and shared vocabulary (even when it didn’t make sense) to feel connected, while AI gave rise to a new wave of words and visual trends. Labubus allowed fashion girlies to get nostalgic with their Birkins, the trad look swept social media’s most aesthetic corners, and the TikTok generation (following its near US ban) began farming its auras.
Every year has its defining terms, so we curated the 10 that best reflect ours. Some are among the changes that unfolded in fashion and beyond; others are a consequence of the chaos.
AI slop
The AI-generated content flooding the internet that’s low quality, lacks meaning or appears generic.
Aura farming
The curation of a person’s persona through behaviors that enhance their ‘vibe’.
Debut
A designer’s first official collection or runway show for a fashion house.
Just transition
Where social impact becomes a top consideration amid the rush to decarbonize, including by upskilling or reskilling workers if their roles become redundant.
Labubu
The gremlin-like googly-eyed plush toy you’ve seen hanging from the bags of fashion girlies.
Liberation Day
Named by the President himself, April 2 is the day Trump implemented tariffs on imported goods from almost every other country in the world.
Musical chairs
A reference for the rapid turnover of major design talent at luxury’s biggest fashion houses.
Recession indicator
New or returning fashion trends, like peplum tops and skinny jeans, that many believe reflect a downward economic spiral.
Trad aesthetic
The embrace of traditional values and lifestyles packaged into an aesthetic that leans into a nostalgia for the domestic past.
6-7
A TikTok meme with no real meaning.
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