Welcome to the 132nd insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we spark up a conversation about smoking, the timeless accessory fashion just can’t seem to kick.
From couture after parties to rock n’ roll studios, fashion, music and drugs have gone hand in hand. Wherever culture wanders, these mind-altering substances follow, demanding copious amounts of money and attention. Aside from the physical chokehold each chemical retains, a glamourized aesthetic is undeniable, seen in the mouths of celebrities and style icons alike.
Despite a push against cigarettes in recent years, a revival of the timeless staple is on the rise. As Y2K style continues to dominate the market, smoking’s allure becomes progressively more enticing, hooking youth with just a puff. When looking back on our heroes of the past, cigarettes seem inseparable from the dingy rockstar look, reeking of rebellion with a detest for social norms.
Seen in film, magazines and luxury ad campaigns, smoking as a whole has pushed romanticized ideals since inception. Houses like Yves Saint Laurent produced their own cigarettes in the 90s, aiming to attract female smokers with the world’s first designer tobacco product. Whether it’s Margiela’s ‘I don’t smoke’ graphics, Louis Vuitton’s cigarette holders, or even Saint Laurent lighters, the narrative is clear, smoking kills, but drug use sells.
While it’s easy to plague tobacco as the sole antagonist in this story, it’s not fair to shy from the rapid increase in marijuana use among today’s youth. Nicotine may be the leading bridge in fashion and substance use, but as trap music takes over the limelight, weed has become a fierce competitor in design and creation. Even as the drug becomes legalized, the image persists, synonymous with the edgy, outcast persona.
Regardless of one’s choice between the two, it’s easy to draw a comparison between the drug’s rise in popularity and revival of 2000’s style, leading many to question the possibility of a modern-day heroin chic era.
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