FASHION
Golden Goose and the Irony of ‘Dirty-Chic’
By: Lianna Gourmos Edited by: Eleanor Unsworth
Image of model, Kate Moss
What is it about old, beat-up clothing that is so appealing to young fashionistas? Golden Goose sneakers, which are known for their purposely scruffy appearance and startling price tag, have been described as tacky and unstylish for years past. However, their recent revival is nothing short of a class-ironic phenomenon, blurring the line between style and economic stature.
If the Golden Goose brand has established one rule in the current fashion world, it’s that being effortless does, in fact, require effort. One of the defining elements of “dirty-chic” fashion is distressed clothing, as these pieces appear more authentic and lived-in. Yet, this concept is, unexpectedly, the opposite of frugal, as its staple pieces are designer items that can be expensive to purchase or resurface.
During a trip to Los Angeles, Golden Goose founders Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo, an Italian couple, were “captivated by California’s skate scene and the worn-out look of skate shoes.” Soon after creating a prototype based on a secondhand pair of shoes bought at a Pasadena flea market, the “Super-Star” sneaker was born, taking the designer fashion world by storm. Gallo and Rinaldo strive to craft artisanal products that invite people to “cherish the signs of wear and tear.” Despite the company’s statement, the Golden Goose target market, which consists mainly of upper-class adults, is not looking to embrace this mission at all. Super-Star wearers are dropping over $600 to accomplish seemingly effortless high fashion. They have the means to purchase pristine, new clothing, yet they spend an immense amount of money on shoes that appear as though they have been dragged through a battlefield. However, after years of the company’s designs being criticized, the rebirth of grunge in the fashion world is shining a new light on Golden Goose.
One can achieve the dirty-chic look using items from any clothing brand, but of course, worn-out products that happen to be made by famous designers are immediately considered higher fashion. In “You Can’t Even Tell Who’s Rich Anymore,” journalist Kate Wagner says that “the rich’s appropriation of ‘ugliness,’ ‘normalcy,’ and working-class aesthetics is inherently ironic because they are rich.” A rugged edge is quickly replacing cleanliness as an indicator of wealth, perhaps due to society’s sudden re-obsession with 90s supermodels such as Kate Moss, who is known for her mysterious, grungy appearance. Wagner asks, “Is the guy splattered in paint a house painter, or is he sporting a $1,900 jacket made by the American brand Amiri?” With dirty-chic rapidly taking over the media, the appeal is all about the old and tired. For example, wire earbuds are now favored over higher-technology Apple AirPods for the sake of achieving a cooler look. Similarly, under eye bags have become an accessory that contribute to the odd chicness of exhaustion. Like all trends, not everybody can pull them off. It’s one thing to wear wire earbuds with Old Navy sweatpants–it’s another thing to wear them with Golden Goose sneakers.
Most people, especially young adults, cannot afford to wear purposefully beat-up designer clothes in order to achieve an effortless look. Their solution? The thrift store. As society began to prioritize fashion sustainability in the early 2010s, shopping for secondhand clothing became “cool.” Thrifting is certainly an efficient way to find unique pieces and to explore one’s personal style for cheap. However, in “Are the Rich Ruining Thrifting?”, author Devika Rao says that thrifting’s surge in popularity has resulted in rising prices and competitive resales. Teenagers scavenge online thrifting platforms, such as Depop and Poshmark, to find items that no one else could possibly own. Thrifting seems to have become more of an individuality race rather than a way to reduce waste. In reality, achieving the effortless, lived-in look of dirty-chic doesn’t really require purchasing a $400, “ultra-rare,” Miu Miu 2005 purse from a random person on the Internet. Thrifting also becomes an issue when shoppers purchase an overflow of items simply because of the low price, as this results in accumulating waste which thrifting aims to prevent. For these reasons, it can be argued that purchasing a new pair of Golden Goose sneakers is, surprisingly, more sustainable than thrifting.
What does it truly mean to embrace the dirty-chic aesthetic if it is now so ironically reliant on price tags? The style paradox of the current grunge revival has heightened the complex relationship between clothing, class, and consumerism in various ways. The dirty-chic trend will, without a doubt, continue to rise and fall as it always has, but that doesn’t mean it has to be unachievable. The aesthetic pays homage to skating culture, punk rock, indie sleaze, and many other subcategories with rich histories that should be honored through individual flair. Golden Goose says on their website, “skaters would often use temporary fixes, like glue and duct tape, to hold their kicks together, proudly wearing each sign of wear and tear as a badge of their story.” Contradicting the insane price for their products, this proves that distressed style should not rely on the clothing itself, but how the clothing is worn by each individual.