Today’s youth are revisiting the eclectic hipster aesthetic of the late 2000s and early 2010s, with French designer Isabel Marant at the forefront of this trend. Marant, known for her cool designs, made waves back in 2011 when Kate Moss appeared in an advertising campaign wearing her iconic suede lace-up high-top sneakers with a wedge heel, dubbed “The Bekett.” These shoes, named after a close friend of Marant, gained immense popularity following Moss’s endorsement, being spotted on celebrities like Beyoncé and Eva Mendes.
Fast forward fourteen years, and Marant’s sneaker wedge is making a comeback. The new campaign, developed in collaboration with Converse, features Lila Moss—Kate’s daughter and creative director Jefferson Hack’s child. In the advertisements, Lila strolls along a cobblestone street, embodying the relaxed, edgy vibe that her mother used to represent. “People kept asking us to bring the shoes back,” Marant stated in an interview with the BBC. “When something is well-achieved and good, it remains good forever. Kate, she is also forever.”
Lila Moss signifies a new generation, presenting a fresh take on the indie sleaze style, a term coined from a popular Instagram account that showcases the adventurous spirit and aesthetic of the late 2000s and early 2010s. This account shares grainy photos of party-goers clad in distressed clothing—everything from holey T-shirts to ripped tights—taken during a time characterized by carefree revelry. Originally popularized by the UK TV series “Skins” and personalities like Alexa Chung and Sky Ferreira, indie sleaze represented a grittier alternative to the bright bohemian looks of stars like Sienna Miller and Stella McCartney. Since 2022, this style has captured the attention of a new wave of fans.
Isabel Marant reflects on the nostalgic feelings associated with this revival: “On the one hand, you’re nostalgic for a time you lived in – but really, the stronger form of that feeling is being nostalgic for a time you didn’t live in.” The original indie sleaze era saw a shift from delicate lace tops to worn-in tees, emphasizing a laid-back aesthetic through the use of motorcycle boots and skinny jeans, often requiring creative alterations to fit properly. Influential party photographers like Mark Hunter, also known as “The Cobrasnake,” documented these moments with early digital cameras, while independent publications such as Supersuper, Vice, and Paper chronicled the movement, which was deeply rooted in Gen X’s embrace of irony and cultural commentary.