As we speed toward festival season, we bring you the month’s newest trends, brands and collabs – from upcycled Barbie jewellery to Insane Clown Posse-inspired streetwear…
Welcome back to Kerrang!'s monthly style column, with me, Kitty Cowell, where I bring you the latest releases, collabs and trends in alternative fashion – and now we're finally getting into festival season, things are really spicing up!
If you're new here, I'm a nu-metal, emo and hardcore kid, and I style music videos and photoshoots for a bunch of your favourite artists – like K! Cover Story stars NOAHFINNCE, Enter Shikari and Scene Queen.
It doesn't matter if you've been dragged into the corporate world and 'grown-up' style or consider yourself something of a fashion connoisseur, I'm here to reignite your love of everything alternative with freshest releases and the hottest new brands. But I do like to deep dive into collections from some of our old favourites too!
So without further ado, let's take a look at what's happening in alt. fashion right now.
In need of festival inspo? Don't worry because heavy metal titans Download are once again collaborating with the queen of alt. clothing, Mary Wyatt.
They've designed a jersey cool enough to make just about anyone look like they can drop into a half pipe without a worry. It's totally unisex, I can see it worn with jorts or as a dress with chunky AF boots and many chains. You know how the chains make the look!
Independent, consciously-produced and London-based, Mary Wyatt has designed a 12-piece collection for Download this June, which will be exclusively available in the arena.
Building on the sell-out success of their first Download collab in 2023, it makes perfect sense to see a round two, especially as Mary Wyatt is born from a relationship with contemporary tattoo culture and the heavy metal scene – the perfect pairing with the Donington faithful.
I love how Mary Wyatt elevates alternative clothing to bring us hybrid pieces that fit into both your office wardrobe and festival outfits, while still holding on to their dark undertone.
The baby tee in the collection is a stand-out piece and I hope to see people of all genders rocking it. We love a male-presenting person in a crop-top – your Slut Era is here for you to embrace. Especially during festival season!
If you're a colourful alt. kid with a love of childish nostalgia then Madrid-based Moco is surely going to be your new obsession. Founded in April last year, they're already making waves in the scene.
Harnessing the upcycling concept of using toys and items found in bazaars and second-hand stores to create luxurious jewellery, they're really forging their own path in alt. fashion.
From plastic Barbie handbags and shoes hanging on silver chains, to using watch faces on chokers, it's truly unique. And there’s a lot of early 2000s nostalgia woven into this brand, particularly reminding me of the nu-rave, Myspace scene with the bold neon colours and childlike plastic jewellery pieces. Are we ready for the Daylglo comeback?
They've just released a new collection where they're experimenting with beads, creating little creatures, flowers and interesting patterns. All pieces are made by hand in Spain, mixing new and old materials to create bespoke items, so you can really stand out from the crowd. Just don’t wear them in a pit, as they will most definitely not come out looking as good.
My favourite kind of streetwear is '90s grunge, hardcore punk, skate-influenced streetwear. And two really cool chicks have just started a brand doing exactly that – Pigsty!
Founded in December 2023 by two best mates between London and Berlin, the brand was born out of frustration with their 9-5 jobs, seeking solace in hardcore shows and needing a creative outlet.
They started out making woven beanies and scarves with their Pigsty logo as an all-over print. Usually brands start off with screen-printed tees, so by having their first release as a beanie they already stood out from the crowd. You can clearly see the influence of band merch in their designs, as well as '90s / early 2000s fonts and graphic design.
Keeping that inspiration flowing, Pigsty have just released a limited-edition jersey, which pays homage to nu-metal and takes cues from vintage Insane Clown Posse designs.
I don’t know why I’m telling you all because this is just going to make it all a lot harder for me to get my hands on now, but you should seriously check out Pigsty.
If you like Nana coded womenswear, then I’ve found a brand for you!
Pristine is a sophisticated womenswear brand combining vintage glamour with a punk spirit. Think leggings and vests with all-over newspaper-style graphics, alongside chokers, drop crystal earrings and whimsical lace trims. It feels very anime-meets-Vivienne Westwood, hence the Nana comparison.
The brand was founded in 2021 by Kathryn Hewitson, having spent many years honing her skills in the studios of some of London's most celebrated cult designers and alt. girl relics (Ashley Williams, Rokit Originals etc). You can see the inspiration of those brands in her collections, combining girly bubblegum pink moments and edgy dark gothic, which juxtapose each other but create some real fun alt. glam collections.
They have a drive to create in an ethical and conscious way, taking into consideration the impact of the production and materials to make each garment, Kathryn says that, 'What is the most ethical way we can create this?' is the one question she always asks when making new collections.
Worn by the likes of Julia Fox, Rosalia, and our new punk queen Kourtney Kardashian, the collections speak to anyone who has a rebellious spirit and a love of great dressing.
One thing I haven’t talked about in this column yet is cosplay. And I’m sorry to all you alt-loving cosplay kids that I’ve underrepresented you. But today, that changes…
Have you ever thought about what kind of bags cosplayers use to carry their belongings in to conventions? Especially when in full head-to-toe costume? I guess you still need a suitcase! Even Superman needs a backpack, right? It wasn't something I'd really thought about untiI I saw the new Eastpak campaign. Am I the only one? Do you lot think about this regularly?!
Anyway... Continuing their ongoing Built To Resist concept, Eastpak have launched their 2024 brand campaign featuring cosplay enthusiasts. As an avid Eastpak user, I can confirm they are indeed 'built to resist' as they last forever. I still have the same Eastpak rucksack I had in school and let’s just say I’ve had it since Limp Bizkit released Significant Other.
The concept of this campaign is an invitation to break free from the ordinary and embrace the true you, or whatever version you want to be! The imagery highlights the world of cosplay in an effort to disrupt the monotony of daily routines. The designs aren’t specifically cosplay related, but Eastpak have done many character collabs in the past, and I’m sure they will again soon. The contrast of a superhero sat on the floor with his rucksack and a demon at the bus stop with his suitcase really has me tickled. Now all they need to do is add a few patches to show off their music taste – like all true Eastpak kids! Surely even superheroes use Spotify? I bet Wolverine listens to Slayer.
And, of course, how would we forget Kerrang!'s own apparel! We've just launched a new collab with Dying Wish, and have loads more tees, caps, jackets, hoodies and longsleeves!
