During the early 1990s, ‘Riot Grrrl’ was born out of the evolving ‘Hardcore Punk’ movement of the previous decade. Bands such as The Dead Kennedys became overshadowed by newer groups like Bikini Kill. Riot Grrrl refers to a punk music genre embedded with feminist, anti-patriarchal, and DIY ideologies.
In the context of sustainable fashion, the Riot Grrrl movement involves DIY ethos, anti-consumerism, and women’s empowerment. This movement pushed its ideals through music. Kathleen Hanna, pioneer of the Riot Grrrl movement and lead singer of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, dismantled the stereotype of women dressing to attract male attention through Bikini Kill’s song, “White Boy.” The song alternates between an unnamed man and Kathleen Hanna. He claims that girls “ask for it” based on the “way they dress”. Hanna challenges him and sarcastically apologizes on behalf of all women’s fashion choices, stating that she’s “so sorry if [she’s] alienating some of you.” Furthering this concept, Hanna designed a dress with the words ‘kill me’ over her chest.
Riot Grrrl not only dismantles patriarchal ideology and stereotypes, but coined what is known as DIY, an abbreviation for ‘do-it-yourself’. DIY ethos refers to self-sufficiency through clothing, using one’s own skill to create rather than purchasing from large corporations. DIY promotes the idea that anyone is capable of creating something. This ideology not only promotes sustainability and self-sufficiency, but rejects mainstream beauty standards encouraged by capitalism. DIY fashion embraces the limitless spectrum of self-expression. The concept of DIY remains prominent today, through trends such as ‘thrift flips’ and other clothing transformations.
Beyond the physical altering of clothing, the encouragement of DIY inherently embodies anti-establishment ideals. DIY advocates for conscious consumption and the investment in products that align with one’s beliefs and personal values. Riot Grrrl embraces the exploration of unconventional clothing options, emphasizing the environmental benefits of reducing textile waste, and overconsumption. Riot Grrrl monopolizes fashion as a form of activism through the use of clothing as both a political and environmental statement, to channel both feminism and anti-capitalist messages. One can very easily incorporate Riot Grrrl ideologies into their own routine. This can be achieved through investing in clothing brands that possess ethical values that align with one’s own, actively participating in clothing alterations and DIY projects to enhance and personalize one’s own clothing. Most importantly, we can continually challenge and question the patriarchal norms of society.
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