Adelaide is set to embrace a blast from the past with the arrival of the Y2 SLAY MARKET, the city’s first-ever Y2K Vintage Fashion Market. It will be held on January 13th at the newly revamped ‘My Lover Cindi’ venue.
For those unacquainted with the term, ‘Y2K’ stands for “Year 2000,” and it encapsulates the unique fashion trends that dominated the early 2000s. Think Juicy Couture tracksuits, Ed Hardy graphics, Miss Sixty denim, Von Dutch trucker hats, and more.
Bernie, the brains behind this exciting event, explains her choice of My Lover Cindi as the perfect venue, stating, “The New My Lover Cindi venue is one of my favourites in Adelaide. It’s where the pool hall ‘Shotz’ used to be located on Pirie street in the early 2000s! It has pink and blue Neon Lighting, three different areas, including a small outdoor beer garden. Some of my fondest memories are from venues like Shotz, Crown and Anchor, and Enigma bar from the early 2000s onwards!”
Having run Vintage Markets in Adelaide since 2018, Bernie’s passion for Y2K fashion eventually led to the inception of the Y2 SLAY MARKET.
“I’ve been planning a Y2K themed market for maybe over a year now, but it’s only just fallen into place with the perfect venue, ‘My Lover Cindi,” she says.
Bernie and her friends are fully immersed in the Y2K revival, from revisiting Y2K music, fashion, culture, and TV shows to organising themed events like a sustainable formal where they all arrived in hot pink stretch hummer.
The Y2K trends that Bernie enjoys include bright colours like pink, red, and baby blue, racer-style graphics, diamantes, studs, and Tokyo-inspired rave streetwear.
The Y2K fashion era was known for its bold and unique colour combinations, such as brown or camo with baby pink, and its pop-art-style graphics, including surfwear and skatewear designs. Bernie highly recommends watching documentaries like ‘Christian Audigier The VIF’ and ‘The Curse of Von Dutch’ to gain insights into the fashion industry of the 2000s.
The clothing at Y2 SLAY MARKET will come from various sources. Some stallholders wholesale items from overseas or interstate, while others, like Bernie, prefer to hunt for gems in opshops and online.
“I collect online and in opshops so much that I need to also regularly sell at markets! I can’t think of anything more fun than a day of opshopping or markets,” Bernie says.
Y2 SLAY MARKET is an all-ages event, welcoming anyone interested in the Y2K fashion trend. The entry fee is $5, payable with cash or card on the day.
Bernie is currently running two competitions on her Instagram page (@y2slaymarket): one offering a free stall for Y2K resellers and another for a $100 voucher for a lucky customer to spend at the event.
Reflecting on the resurgence of Y2K fashion, Bernie says that today’s poor quality of clothing is mind-boggling to her.
“I miss 100% cotton hoodies and proper screen printing. To me, today’s clothing isn’t actually even wearable! I can’t breathe in plastic. The high quality of vintage fabrics, unique colour combinations, and bold graphic designs make for undeniably valuable collectible pieces. The Y2K era had been buried so deep that it really feels fresh today. It’s much harder to find Y2K era items when opshopping, making Y2K finds a real score,” Bernie says.
Y2 Slay Market
When: Saturday 13th January, 10:30am – 2pm
Where: My Lover Cindi, 192 Pirie Street Adelaide CBD
Price: $5 ENTRY
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