'80s Fashion Influencers Are Going Viral For Creating Scenes That Looks Just Like The Decade, And I'm Obsessed
Recently, I came across this tweet, which I completely obsessed over and fell down a rabbit hole on:
so fascinated by these 80s vintage influencers who dress up to take pictures at dead malls pic.twitter.com/IKwf0lI3MW
— marykate! (@daintyboop) May 12, 2024
@glitterwave80s / @cantbuyme80s_ / Via instagram.com
While I thought most influencers were mainly doting on the latest trends and next-best products, I was blown away to find that there are actually influencers for the '80s. THE '80s!!!!!
They scope out locations, like this neon food court, to recreate '80s-style scenes:
Complete with an ESPRIT shopping bag.
They're even doin' their hair with göt2b in the neon food court (which wasn't around in the '80s, but is definitely some of the strongest hairspray money can buy):
@glitterwave80s / Via instagram.com
And getting custom airbrush shorts.
It's like they're trapped in time.
I had soooo many questions. Like, ummm, why the '80s? What's the inspo? TELL ME EVERYTHING.
So, I got in touch with the '80s content creators featured (yes, there's a whole community), and they answered allll my questions like total '80s sweethearts.
@cantbuyme80s_ / Via instagram.com, @ronnie.wheels / Via instagram.com
Despite looking straight out of the 1980's catalog, Violet Sky (@glitterwave80s), a singer, media archivist, and '80s lifestyle content creator from NYC, wasn't born in the '80s (she's only 23!).
And Jordan Rumsey (@cantbuyme80s_), an '80s content creator from Maryland, is only 21!
Veronica (@ronnie.wheels), who's actually a classic Mercedes technician in New Jersey, is 24! Here she is with her 1987 Buick Riviera:
They each got into the '80s in different ways, whether through movies, music, or their parents. Violet told me she first really discovered the '80s in 2016 (!) when she watched the 1985 movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun.
She said, "The soundtrack (produced by Don Perry) had so many synthesizers, and that sound immediately hooked me on '80s music."
She continued, "At the time, I had no personal style, but I’ve always loved bright colors and considered myself outgoing. '80s fashion incorporated a 'go big or go home' attitude in its style, and that really spoke to me, so I started attempting 1980s looks later that year."
"I think that’s what really draws me to it in terms of fashion and pop culture. Back then, nothing was 'too much' or cringey or cheesy. The hair wasn’t too big; it was an art form where people got to express themselves! I think that’s a lot of what this generation lacks in terms of mainstream fashion, since it’s really minimalistic."
She added, "That goes for interior design, too, where everything is grey! '80s fashion and pop culture really did push it to the limit (pun intended), and I really appreciate that unapologetic attitude when it comes to self-expression."
Similarly, Veronica said she got into an "'80s obsession" in middle school after watching Back to the Future and Knight Rider, which led her to discover '80s car culture, and eventually get her first Trans Am (she's now got a whooole fleet of vintage cars). Between '80s movies, cars, and her mom always playing '80s freestyle music around the house, she said that allowed her to discover everything else about the '80s, too — including fashion, decor, and tech.
She told BuzzFeed, "I just really dig the general design language of the '80s. The fashion was fun and loud; the cars were boxy or wedges. I’m not quite sure what specifically speaks to me, but it’s just such a fun era for everything aesthetically and mechanically. It was a transition from analog to digital, which I really enjoy."
For Jordan, her parents were a huge inspiration for her love of the '80s, as they often played '80s music in the car and frequently had a cable TV station tuned to solely '80s music, she said. As a high school freshman (in 2017), she started dressing in '80s fashion. She told BuzzFeed, "It started out not looking too good, but throughout the years, I have really perfected the look."
She said, "I have a lot of inspirations from [the '80s], but I would definitely say looking at my parents' old high school photos is what really made me want to start dressing like they used to."
She continued, "I feel like everyone has that one decade that really resonates with them. For me, it is the 1980s. I’m not entirely sure why, but I feel nostalgic for it, and it truly seems like a better time to live."
Jordan added that while every decade has its own problems, what consistently brings her back to the '80s is the vibrant colors, the movies and TV shows, and the music. She said, "The music brings me such joy, and I feel like music is not made the same anymore."
She continued, "I love it when people who are Gen X tell me about their experiences, what they went through, and how much fun they had during that time. I really wish I could’ve experienced that."
While Violet, Veronica, and Jordan weren't born in the '80s and didn't experience the decade themselves — they do their best to try and recreate it. As pictured, they often scout out locations trapped in time with '80s design (aka, never been renovated), many referred to as "dead malls." The neon lights at the Berkshire Mall in Pennsylvania are a favorite:
"The Berkshire Mall is one of my all-time favorite malls. Its food court opened in 1989 with its really awesome neon columns," Violet told BuzzFeed. "I first went in 2019 and found it by looking up 'dead malls' on YouTube. It's not really a dead mall, but creators made videos about it because of how stuck in time the interior design is."
Violet has also visited fast-food places (like the Taco Bell below), grocery stores, hotels, and diners that still have their "'80s charm." She said, "I love going to places that never updated their interiors. It’s like stepping into a time machine, and it's the closest I’ll get to looking around and knowing what the era really looked like."
@glitterwave80s / Via tiktok.com, @glitterwave80s / Via instagram.com
She added, "I try to document them as much as I can before renovations, unfortunately, happen."
And despite some haters, they say the response has been generally positive. "My only goal is to bring smiles to people's faces and to give people a sense of nostalgia from when they were younger," Jordan said. "It makes my day when people tell me that I bring joy to their lives because of my videos. Some people feel like they can relive their teenage years through me, which I absolutely love."
She added, "When you have a lot of eyes on you, you’re going to expect to get some hate or really mean people. I try not to let it get to me, but it is disheartening when adults feel the need to bully someone younger than them online." Still, Jordan said, "90% of the people who reach out to me and the people in my comments are very sweet and very kind."
Violet added, "I’ve been able to meet so many amazing people, and I’m thankful for how supportive the people who follow me online are."
"Of course, there are going to be mean and negative people too, but you really only do live once and you can’t listen to people like that!"
And for Violet, sharing her love for '80s music online actually led her to produce and release authentic "lost" '80s music. In 2020, she came across an album by the 1980s band Shy Talk at a record store, which at the time was pretty much non-existent on the Internet. "Being a media archivist, I digitized it and uploaded it to YouTube for people to listen to," she said. "It wasn’t on streaming services at the time, but it was a great album, and I wanted more people to know about it."
@glitterwave80s / Via tiktok.com
After that, Violet made an Instagram video about their music, which ended up in the eyes of David Bravo, the keyboard player of the band. He got in touch with Violet and sent her unreleased material Shy Talk had to help archive as well.
One thing led to another, and after David discovered Violet was a singer herself, he asked Violet if she'd want to put her vocals on some unreleased tapes he produced in the '80s (almost 40 years later!).
So, Violet genuinely released '80s music in 2021, with her vocals being the only new addition. Violet said she and David are also working on an album now.
"We changed nothing about the songs, so the only new thing you’ll hear with my music are my vocals, which I try and keep as authentic as possible," Violet said.
Violet also mentioned that thanks to her sharing underrated and lesser-known '80s music and artists, she helped Don Perry, the music producer for Girls Just Want to Have Fun (aka the movie that got her into the '80s), release the soundtrack for the 1986 movie The Malibu Bikini Shop.
Essentially, the only way to hear the songs was to watch the movie—they weren't available to stream. Now, thanks to Violet's help, the original master recordings are available on YouTube. She said, "That was a really full circle moment for me!"
I guess this is just another lesson to share your interests—you never know who might be watching, or what connections await! And one of the things that shocked me the most about the '80s content creators was that there seemed to be so much community among them. Like, I found all these gals separately, but they all know one another.
"There is an '80s community, which I’m so happy I get to even say that!," Violet told me. "There was a time when I thought I was the only one doing this, but thanks to social media, I’ve met some of my closest friends who also live the '80s lifestyle."
Violet said they collaborate to host '80s events, and she's even flown across the country to meet up with other people in the '80s community.
"I spent such a long time feeling like no one really understood me and the things I liked, so to have the community I do now has been really, really fulfilling," she said.
Jordan added, "As someone who never really fit in as a kid, getting to have friends that are similar in age to me that like the same things as me makes me really happy."
So, perhaps it's the niche, or the fierce dedication (after all, that hair takes WORK) that brings them all together. As Veronica said, "Many of us got into it for different reasons. It’s not too dissimilar to the people who enjoy Y2K or '60s-'70s fashion, but the '80s look is definitely more of a statement and commitment, haha."
That's a wrap from our modern-day '80s gals! But, before they go, they wanted to impart you all with a little wisdom:
"If you ever want to start living your life as your authentic self, I feel like there is no harm to it," Jordan said. "You definitely will find a group of people who love you and support you for who you are."
"Be yourself! You don’t have to wait until something is 'in' or on-trend to enjoy," Violet added. "You only get one life to live, so do what makes you happy (as long as it’s not hurting anyone else, of course)!"
"People that try and bring you down for dressing a certain way are just projecting their insecurities onto you, and you shouldn’t listen to them. Just be you!"
And lastly, Veronica said, "All I have to add is have fun and live as yourself unashamedly! Life is short; find what speaks to you, enjoy it loudly, and find your people. It’s more fun that way!"
Personally, I think it's so cool to see people being unabashedly themselves while also finding community in the process. And I can't complain about seeing some '80s looks on my feed to break up all the modern-day trends!
For more '80s content, you can keep up with the gals online:
Violet (@glitterwave80s) / Instagram, TikTok
