In this deep dive into rave fashion, we reflect on how microtrends, economic uncertainty, and e-commerce are changing the way ravers are shopping today.
Since the rise of rave culture in the late ’80s, fashion has been an integral part of the cultural phenomenon. After raving caught like wildfire in the UK through the acid house explosion, it made its way overseas to the US. Electronic music quickly gained traction with teens and young adults in the early ’90s, and with its rise in popularity came a surge of self-expression in the form of fashion.
JNCO jeans, brightly colored baggy tees, and comfortable sneakers flooded the underground dancefloors of the ’90s as ravers sought out good vibes and a safe place to be themselves. Fashion became a uniting factor in the rave community, as well as a statement of rebellion toward the norms of society. The 2000s ushered in the rise of dark cybergoth looks, while in the early 2010s, kandi kids reigned supreme with handmade bras, fluffies, and neon accessories being prevalent.
As the popularity of subgenres changed, the fashion trends that shaped the community evolved. Social media reached new heights in the late 2010s, and rave fashion exploded through an influx of rave-themed businesses. As algorithms began to dictate what was popular, the first “rave influencers” emerged, promoting bold bodysuits, tube tops, and cheeky bottoms specially designed for their next Instagram posts. With more options to display personal style than ever before, ravers took advantage of the creativity of small businesses and flaunted their looks online.
Flash forward to today, many mainstream retailers have adopted “festival fashion,” creating collections on their sites specifically for the occasion. With fast fashion retailers offering trendy outfits for a fraction of the price, there’s been an increase in rave-specific small businesses closing their operations, while others are fighting to stay afloat by focusing on their niche demographic.
Influencers are shaping fashion trends more than ever, causing crowds of ravers to don the same Y2K-inspired looks. On the flip side, thrifting has become increasingly popular for those who are looking to stand out among the sea of copy-and-paste looks. It seems we’re at a crossroads. What do fast-changing fashion trends and the financial pressure facing many Americans mean for the future of rave fashion and the self-expression it represents?
The price you pay for shopping at fast fashion retailers is not the cost of the garment; it’s the environmental impact.
Hopping on any social media platform, you can hardly scroll through your feed without an advertisement from a fast fashion retailer. After the mass shift to online shopping during COVID, many shoppers didn’t return to malls. Instead, retailers like Amazon and SHEIN became the go-to for consumers looking for affordably priced clothing from the comfort of their home.
As ravers search for the hottest trends, many have become accustomed to ordering hauls from fast fashion sites. They find themselves lured in by the enticing pricing, size inclusivity, and sheer amount of clothing options offered by these high-inventory shops with competitive pricing.
Nicolle Glover, owner of BrasByNicolle, weighed in on the matter, saying, “Raving isn’t cheap, and if someone is choosing not to spend a lot on rave fits because they don’t have the finances for an outfit to support a small business, I cannot fault them for that.” She highlights a stark truth: fast fashion provides an alternative to the higher costs of small rave businesses. For many, it’s the only affordable option.
In contrast, Kylee McKay, known on Instagram as Disko Kitty, is adamant about not supporting fast fashion. With a degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising, the bold creative has long been outspoken about her desire to shop sustainably. “Fashion is one of the top three biggest pollutants in the world, and I feel like it’s very important as an influencer to promote smaller businesses,” said Kylee. As one of the rave scene’s biggest fashion icons, she has stuck to her guns, not promoting a single fast fashion brand throughout the growth of her page.
As ravers face the moral dilemma of purchasing fast fashion, world governments are stepping in. In July 2025, France took a stand against ultra-fast fashion as it unveiled a bill targeting retailers and their use of influencer marketing. The legislation is an attack on fashion giants, featuring increased taxes and implementing penalties for influencers of the retailers. With 35 clothing items discarded every second in France, the unprecedented bill is the first step in promoting sustainable shopping.
Shopping small is not only sustainable, but you’re directly supporting another human.
While fast fashion serves as a quick and inexpensive way to get your hands on trending styles, making a purchase with a small business brings the connection that many of us fervently desire. Carly Scully launched her ravewear business as Mystique Apparel in 2017 after seeing a lack of rave and festival wear brands based in Canada. Now known as 1:11 The Label, her colorful shop has become a staple for ravers looking for high-quality, handmade stylings in vibrant patterns.
Offering limited-run pieces and the opportunity for custom outfits, Carly has amassed a loyal customer base through her creativity and endless pursuit to develop styles that can be worn for years without going out of style. “When people shop from 1:11 The Label, they know they are getting something so unique,” she exclaimed. “Only a handful of people will have the same piece, if not the only piece of its kind. Everything in my shop is made by either me or my part-time employee. I think that’s so special, and people understand that.”
While slow fashion is already a more sustainable option, Carly has implemented ways to keep her business as waste free as possible. While she’ll never stop purchasing new fabric and prints, the creative makes a point to save all scrap pieces larger than 2″x2″.
“I love coming up with new ways I can incorporate small scrap pieces into my work, and it’s fun to push my boundaries in that way,” said Carly. “Not to mention, when creating something from scraps, it’s 100% unique and one of a kind. Although it’s more time consuming, it makes each piece more special. I believe that we can all do and be better for Mother Earth, and it’s important for us all to do our part for our future.”
Although coming at a higher price, handmade designs from small ravewear businesses allow for superior quality and individuality. Each handcrafted piece tells a story and directly affects the livelihood of the creator. These unique, fashion-forward pieces aren’t just fabric that will fall apart after a few washes, but art that was tirelessly pored over by a member of our community.
Consumers are not the only ones feeling the impact of rising costs, as businesses grapple tariffs and slower sales.
According to the Bureau of Labor, the core inflation rate was 3.7% as of July 2025. With everyday costs rising across the board, consumers are left with less disposable income, causing a decline in purchasing of non-essential goods. Many ravers are cutting back on spending on new outfits, opting to recycle looks from the past or shop at lower-priced retailers.
Itzel Martínez has felt the pressures of the current economic struggles in her business, Fractal Witch. “The global economy is currently sluggish. I’ve definitely felt it in my business and have seen it everywhere. People think twice before making a purchase and are more intentional about who they’re supporting with their money,” she stated.
Launched in 2022, the small business based in Mexico has been a labor of love born from a well-timed redirection in life as well as childhood memories of watching her grandmother sew. Itzel has an optimistic outlook on her business as she fights to keep creating her rave fairy designs. “As a small business owner, I choose to keep going and put in the work, knowing the sun will rise for all of us,” she said. “Keeping my content on-trend and designing unique pieces always helps to maintain a good flow of sales. This year, we also started running paid ads, and that’s definitely helped increase our cash flow.”
In addition to inflation, the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump to promote domestic manufacturing have thrown curveballs for consumers and business owners alike. This has added an extra stressor to small business owners, who find themselves confused by constant changes around levies.
When asked about the effects on her business, Carly remarked, “I’m not going to lie, it’s been extremely difficult. This year, I’ve had to find new sources for my fabric and supplies. I got used to paying customs of $100-300 on every fabric order purchased as my suppliers were in the US, but I quickly had to find a new Canadian supplier when that number changed to $400-700 per fabric order.”
This is just a small glimpse into the realities of sustaining a self-run operation in today’s climate. “It’s a difficult balance trying to keep my pricing as affordable as possible, while managing the huge increase in material costs. This is the first time since going full time in my biz in 2022 that I’ve considered getting a part-time job to help make ends meet,” said Carly, who nonetheless remains faithful that things will settle in due time.
As these female-led ravewear businesses fight to survive, they’ve pivoted and found new ways to engage with potential customers while keeping overhead costs low. As they lean on social media to help push their creations to new screens, the changing dynamic between influencers and these small businesses can also be felt. “Brands don’t even send out as many packages for free for influencers anymore because costs are just going up and up,” said Kylee.
Whether you like them or not, rave influencers are here to stay.
As groups like The Festival Babes and Collective Festival Management continue to grow their influencer marketing communities, the number of influencers entering the picture continues to soar. While many of them focus on promoting events within the scene, the individuals who branch into the realm of fashion should feel a duty to uplift sustainable businesses as opposed to defaulting to fast fashion retailers.
Kyrstin Nicole and Sydney Settle have been sharing their love for small businesses through their Instagram posts for years. Promoting a slew of handcrafted female designers, the trendsetters have helped their followers find unique jewelry, whimsical outfits, and various other accessories to express themselves through their personal style.
While the pair place their focus on small businesses, other influencers have shared their love for thrifting and DIY through their content, showing that sustainability can come in different forms. Brooklyn Karasack, one half of Controlled Chaos, has struck social media gold with her seamless transition videos showing off her next-level thrift flips. Amber Lewandowski‘s LewCe Reworks upcycles old artist merch into new and exciting pathwork creations. Their eco-friendly outlook on rave fashion has inspired a new generation of DIYers through their documentation on various platforms.
As they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Kylee’s favorite outfit to date came from upcycling and reworking an old bodysuit she found. Inspired by a chandelier, the look received praise for its uniqueness among mass-produced mini skirt sets. “The whole message was basically that a chandelier emulates light and is the light source in the center of the room,” said Kylee. “I wanted to embody what it means to be the chandelier. I wanted people to also be inspired to feel they’re allowed to shine, and nobody should dim their light.”
In the midst of fast fashion’s tight grip on society, rave fashion is starting to feel similar to what it was in the beginning of its evolution.
As microtrends overtake our everyday wardrobe, there seems to be a stronger desire than ever to break free of the mold of society when immersed in the haven that is the rave. Looking to feel like their most authentic selves, ravers are reaching for loud pieces that make them shine — both literally and figuratively.
When asked what wearing one of her handmade rave bras or rhinestone tops feels like, Nicolle remarked that she feels powerful, confident, and complete. “Even on days when I am not feeling my best at a festival or going to a show, when I put on one of my pieces, it suddenly feels like bad bitch o’clock.”
The goal of rave fashion from the beginning was plain and simple self-expression, allowing the community to put their imaginative minds on display in a way that feels true to them. As we shift into a hybrid model where we accept that the SHEINs of the world are here to stay, I ask one thing: Never lose sight of yourself.
Whether you decide to change your purchasing habits after reading this article or feel indifferent, I hope you never dull your sparkle. In a world where everyone is trying to fit in, be the person who stands out.
Our inclusive and diverse community is one of the few places you can show up wearing just about anything and be greeted with compliments and, quite possibly, a trinket. At the end of the day, the choices we make as a community are what will shape the future of fashion for ravers. What side of history do you want to be on?
