5 steps to understanding the 'goblincore' trend

From Stella McCartney and Hermès using mushroom leather to an ever-growing sense of environmental awareness, we’re seeing the fashion industry change and adapt slowly to more eco-conscious practices. The younger generations - particularly gen Z and Millennials - appear to have a closer bond to nature and a need to go back to their roots, especially post-pandemic. The latest trend to illustrate this shift? Goblincore.

It’s an evolution of the ‘cottagecore’ trend

The cottagecore trend appeared over the last couple of years, celebrating a poetic return to nature, a pure and idealised relationship with the outdoors. Popularised by TikTok and other social media platforms, it was developed around the notions of gardening, interacting with nature and honouring its wonders. However, goblincore - also dubbed mushroomcore and mosscore - is a less glamorous version: it’s rough, raw and true to what nature actually is.

It originated on TikTok

While it’s been around since 2019, more people stumbled upon the trend during the pandemic and TikTok’s dazzling rise in popularity. The goblincore hashtag has almost 500m views on the platform, but is also part of Instagram’s and Pinterest’s research, providing endless inspirations to users curious to discover - and adopt - the movement. TikTok’s @froggiecrocs is one of the trend’s OGs, with more than 90,000 followers and goblincore-oriented content.

It’s a raw vision of nature

Goblincore consists of a genuine celebration of nature in all its diversity and roughness. Clothes are flocked with mushrooms, toads, frogs and snails prints, accessories are designed in slugs shapes and moss colours and aesthetics embody a love for dirt, animal skulls and worms. The goal is to represent nature as it truly is, without romanticising it and forgetting about the less elegant details. There’s no filter on this trend - it’s raw and honest.

It lets go of genders

Gen Z and Millenials have found in goblincore a positive outlook on life: it’s a trend that praises imperfection and rawness and celebrates our roots, where we come from and what nature stands for. Goblincore also defies genders and the norms associated with them, one of the main arguments being that bugs aren’t seen as feminine or masculine, but as animals of their own.

It’s an escape from our ever-connected daily life

Countless industries have witnessed a - necessary - shift to more eco-conscious practices, and goblincore embodies just that. Young people develop an interest in the wonders nature has to offer and become aware of changes that need to be made for a more sustainable future. Goblincore then comes as a natural consequence: it appears as an escape from our digital world and ever-connected everyday life. A much-needed getaway that provides an outlook on what nature really entails.