Indie-sleaze revival: When ‘laziness’ dominates the fashion playground

Once again, Indie-sleaze is threading its way through pop culture. A fresh wave of artists—The Dare, The Hellp, Charli XCX and Olivia Rodrigo among them—are crafting the soundtrack to a new party era. Their appeal is infectious, drawing in fans who find themselves swept up in the aesthetic almost by accident. Harrison Smith, better known as The Dare, stands out as a figurehead for the movement’s resurgence. His track Guess, a collaboration with Charli XCX, has featured in over half a million TikTok videos, including a remix by Billie Eilish. Indie-sleaze-related hashtags now span beauty and fashion categories alike, amassing over 500 million views on the platform.

Indie-sleaze, at its core, champions freedom and abandon. The ‘indie’ in its name stems from ‘independent’—a nod to spontaneity, even contrarianism—while ‘sleaze’ suggests a kind of impulsive excess. Emerging alongside indie rock’s golden era, the style has always existed in opposition to convention. That irreverence is what gives it power: to some, it reads as raw and liberating; to others, it teeters on the edge of being ostentatious—or even downright distasteful.

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Associated with Indie-sleaze is a line-up of fashion staples that virtually everyone owned during the 2000s. Think: the characterful leather jacket, often thrown over shorts and laddered tights; leopard print pieces that channelled untamed rebellion; or the unapologetic edge of studded boots and chunky gold-plated jewellery. Band T-shirts, torn skinny jeans and scuffed high-top Converse were more than wardrobe choices; they were declarations of freedom and kinetic energy. As for the secret to styling it all? A deliberately chaotic mix. But even that wasn’t enough to complete the Indie-sleaze look without the signature smudged eyeliner and bed-head hair of a post-party morning.

In truth, Indie-sleaze began reappearing across social media in 2021. But the current revival would struggle to resonate in 2025 if it simply mirrored the past. For the aesthetic to feel fresh, it must shake off its more problematic extremes: fragile frames, pale complexions and a performative kind of dishevelment. Today’s Indie-sleaze, if it is to last, must embrace a broader spectrum of body types and champion unapologetic self-expression.

In the 2000s, fashion darlings such as Alexa Chung, Cory Kennedy and Kate Moss were front and centre of the movement. Now, actor Timothée Chalamet brings a modern twist to the aesthetic. Whether it’s an Alexander McQueen skull-print scarf, jeans by True Religion, oversized leather outerwear or worn-in flannel shirts and work boots, Chalamet has all the right pieces to embody a present-day Indie-sleaze icon.

If Timothée Chalamet is rewriting Indie-sleaze on the red carpet, then designers are doing so on the runway. Valentino collaborated with Vans to work classic sneakers into its Autumn/Winter 2025 collection. At the same time, Burberry, Acne Studios and Isabel Marant revived skinny denim, while Yohji Yamamoto and Rick Owens crafted deconstructed dresses that felt deliberately unfinished, albeit through a poetic lens. Chloé and Miu Miu, meanwhile, leaned into the trend with dishevelled-yet-desirable silhouettes.

The theory of fashion’s “20-year loop” is well known in style circles. It suggests that trends resurface every two decades, giving designers a loose compass to chart their creative direction. Still, even without that cycle, the return of Indie-sleaze feels pointed. In a world marked by internal anxieties and external uncertainties, there’s something quietly defiant about its resurgence. Some argue that Indie-sleaze tends to flourish during periods of political tension and economic downturn. While it may be too soon to draw firm conclusions, this is an idea that’s likely to resonate ever more strongly if the aesthetic continues its climb.

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