Gen Z Loves Retro
Every generation reminisces their childhood play. Gen Z is no different. Their love for vintage electronics and toys can be translated as a fascinating blend of nostalgia, trendiness, and the desire to reconnect with a simpler, pre-smartphone era. This trend taps into both the cultural significance of the early 2000s and a deeper appreciation for items that hold sentimental value. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram play a massive role in this revival as influences showcase collections of vintage electronics and toys. Environmental consciousness and a rejection of disposable culture pushes many Gen Zers to embrace secondhand shopping, tech, and toys.
Alenuce (Alen) Pinto is a Brazilian cultural anthropology major at Chico State and a professional fashion and fine art photographer with over a decade of experience. Since 2010, Alen has developed a distinct visual language that blends technical skill with an anthropological lens, focusing on the evolving dynamics of contemporary culture. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, Alen continues to push the boundaries of photography as a tool for both art and the exploration of timely social issues. About.Me is her most recent project, using photography as a medium to explore how Generation Z navigates the fashion, identity, and digital culture.
ABOUT.ME
Generation Z, born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, is the first digital-native generation. Gen Z is influencing the way we think about style, fashion consumption, and self-expression. Shaped by the internet, social media, and e-commerce, GenZ is a generation marked by its embrace of individuality, sustainability, and the blurred boundaries of virtual and physical worlds. Photographer, Alenuce (Alen) Pinto, opens a window into Gen Z’s unique relationship with fashion and identity. Step into the artist’s field of view to meet the people behind the portraits.
Y2K Fashion with a Modern Twist
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Gen Z has a unique relationship with the past. They are nostalgic for the 1990s and early 2000s, but they weren’t alive for it, so they reinterpret the trend with a fresh perspective. People were feeling the anxieties of the new millennium (remember the Y2K bug?). There was also an air of optimism and excitement about the future. This was reflected in fashion—bold, futuristic, and experimental styles. Y2K trend reinvented by Gen Z is a mix of vintage finds, thrifted pieces, and modern takes, often combining elements of 2000s fashion with current trends.
