How Cartoons Like Sailor Moon Became Fashion Inspiration

Fashion seems to be gripped by a wave of nostalgia these days. After bringing back the fads of the 1990s and Y2K, designers are now turning to their childhood cartoons. From Astro Boy to Minnie Mouse, Sailor Moon, and Barbapapa, many cartoon references have been seen in recent weeks, so much so that the trend has gone viral on social media. Welcome to the era of the ‘cartoon core.’

Fashion embraces childhood with a new taste for vintage cartoons, sometimes dating back to the 1960s. This colorful trend gave rise to a new wardrobe that’s fun and retro, as opposed to certain trends that have gone viral in recent months. So while some focus on the ‘recession core’, or minimalist wardrobe, more optimistic fashion fans will surely appreciate the cute side of cartoon outfits that channel a certain carefree vibe. It may even be enough to help us forget — even if only for a moment — the various crises that are befalling people around the world.

The most iconic cartoons took the fashion world by storm

Astro Boy, the new icon of fashion

Art collective MSCHF made headlines by marketing big red boots, or Big Red Boots, reminiscent of the shoes worn by the character “Astro Boy”. This Japanese animated series set in the 1960s has brought back many memories, as people flocked to look for shoes with these eccentric designs. As a result, they sold out in just a few minutes, even though they were priced at USD 350. It didn’t take much more than that for celebrities to start stepping out with little robotic boots on their feet, surfing—and spreading—the hype. Lil Wayne, Rich the Kid, and Sarah Snyder are some of the celebrities who have adopted these unique shoes.

But the MSCHF boots have also proven successful on social networks, with no less than 16 million views for the #astroboyboots hashtag, even though the boots went on sale a few days ago, February 16th. yet an unlikely and not very stylish creation. Be that as it may, the American collective scored hits, raising its profile significantly after the release of its flagship product. According to global fashion search engine Stylelight,* search interest for the label increased by 1,021% on Google over the past week.

Minnie, Sailor Moon, Barbapa

Other, more mainstream brands are now having field days bringing cartoon fashion to our wardrobes. Returning to 2022, the Patou brand pays homage to the Barbapapa family through a collection of clothing and accessories. Since then, the collaboration seems to be thriving. Loewe, for example, created a pair of pumps celebrating Minnie Mouse’ signature style (+1000% click on Loewe’s cartoon core shoes in Stylight), and Balenciaga followed suit with some surprisingly designed shoes for her latest collaboration with Crocs (+90% click) .

Meanwhile, Jimmy Choo unveiled an entire collection of footwear in Sailor Moon colors, and Moschino celebrated last fashion week with a pool party and cartoon themed collection — a veritable ode to childhood, but most importantly a breath of fresh air, fun and optimism. which can only be a good thing.

This trend is still in its infancy, but will no doubt soon win over other designers as well as consumers. A look at recent red carpet fashion shows that the cartoon core can readily spread like wildfire. On Feb. 11, Sam Smith embraced the trend at the Brit Awards by walking the red carpet in a cartoon inflatable suit that didn’t go unnoticed.

*Style figures are based on the period 1 January 2023 – 12 February 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. For TikTok and Google data, figures are based on the previous seven days (6 – 13 February 2023).

This story was published via AFP Relaxnews

(Main image: MSCHF and featured image: Jimmy Choo)

This story first appeared in Prestige Online Singapore