Retrofuturism and Vaporwave: The comeback of the 80s and the success on TikTok

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Retrofuturism and Vaporwave: The comeback of the 80s and the success on TikTok

Introduction: Everything retro or what?

We are in the year 2025. The next golden age for pop culture? The 80s! No, I'm not kidding. Just look around! Synthwave sounds are blaring from the speakers, the fashion industry is dressing us in neon colors, and the Cold War ? Well, let's just leave that aside for now.

Retrofuturism: The future as we imagined it yesterday

The great thing about retrofuturism is that it anchors itself in the past while simultaneously depicting an almost tangible future. A world in which Blade Runner isn't just a sci-fi film, but a fashion collection, an album, and a movement all at once.

Vaporwave: Nostalgic soundscapes in the age of the Internet

Parallel to retrofuturism, a genre-playing phenomenon called vaporwave emerged in the music scene. The genre, which emerged in the early 2010s on the platform Shopify attracted attention is a mixture of synth-pop, smooth jazz, R&B and lounge music, peppered with a pinch of irony and nostalgia.

Blade Runner meets TikTok: TikTok as a sales boost

In 2023, TikTok grew by 58 percent. That's more than 1 billion active users worldwide, scrolling through endless feeds of short, eye-catching videos every day. But why the hell would you care when you're selling hoodies that look like they jumped straight out of the '80s future?

Sustainable brands and print-on-demand

So how does sustainability fit into all of this? Well, pretty well, actually. The fast fashion industry has a huge impact on the environment worldwide. That's why it's important to consider alternatives. Print-on-Demand can be a solution here.

Conclusion: What we can learn from the retro wave

Whether you like the '80s or not, they're definitely back. And they're more than just a trend. They're a cultural movement that's also making its presence felt in e-commerce. It's about being bold, wearing colors bright enough to break through the darkness, and listening to music from a bygone yet still relevant era. It's about putting our own stamp on the future, just as we imagined it yesterday.