Trashy Clothing’s “Bikini Diplomacy” signals nostalgia fatigue

Trashy Clothing has never shied away from social commentary. In fact, commentary sits at the core of its brand DNA. For SS26, the label’s collection titled “Bikini Diplomacy” tackles the question currently haunting every creative industry: why does everything have to be a reference?

Fashion today feels caught in its own loop, with trends chasing their tails, the dollar reigning supreme, and profit driving endless reproductions of the past. Y2K nostalgia has clung on for years, only to make way for the hipster revival, or the newly dubbed “Indie Sleeze” era. But are these resurgences nourishing our culture, or simply filling the void with hollow déjà vu?

Echoing the words of archaeologist Steven Erikson: “Nostalgia was like a disease, one that crept in and stole the colour from the world and the time you lived in. Made for bitter people. Dangerous people, when they wanted back what never was.” The ethos behind “Bikini Diplomacy” is rooted in this critique, a warning wrapped in sequins. While the collection may shimmer with glamour and nod to the fond memories of a bygone era, it exposes the cultural and political stagnation beneath that glossy surface. These cyclical trends promise evolution while quietly paralysing it.

Each garment embodies an identity pretending to be original, yet on closer inspection, is simply another iteration. This critique extends beyond fashion to art, politics and power itself. As Trashy founders Shukri and Omar put it, nostalgia blinds the people from progress and protects the powerful from the people.