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Portada: Indie Sleaze Revival: How 2000s Nostalgia is Reshaping TikTok and Depop

Indie Sleaze Revival: How 2000s Nostalgia is Reshaping TikTok and Depop

By Alberto Luengo|07/15/25
content creationsocial mediabrand strategyinfluencerai editingfashionugc
From TikTok to Depop, the 'indie sleaze' look is fueling a raw, anti-polish wave of nostalgia—and brands are taking notice.

The messy, nightlife-soaked ‘indie sleaze’ aesthetic—think thrifted clothes, grainy flash, DIY edits, and 2000s alt-rock—has roared back across TikTok and Depop. With a 43% surge in search volume and brands quickly adapting, the trend is more than a meme: it’s a playbook for authentic, high-engagement content creation in 2025.

2000s Nostalgia Returns: “Indie Sleaze” Storms TikTok and Depop

Every few years, an old aesthetic gets a new lease on digital life. Right now, it’s “indie sleaze”—the chaotic, party-grunge vibe of the late-2000s Tumblr and Myspace underground—surging across TikTok, Depop, and Instagram.

Polaroid-flash nightlife snaps, thrifted band tees, messy eyeliner, disposable cameras, mixtape playlists, and unfiltered DIY edits are everywhere again. Fashion shows from London to New York have sent models down runways in glitter, leather, and thrift-shop mesh, and the effect is unmistakable: a real, anti-corporate, anti-polish nostalgia that Gen Z and young Millennials are devouring.

Why the Trend Works: Authenticity > Perfection

The numbers back up the vibe shift:

  • Searches for “indie sleaze” on Depop are up 43% since spring 2025.
  • On TikTok, the hashtag #indiesleaze has clocked over 600 million views, with thousands of micro-creators and style influencers remixing the look.
  • Instagram UGC featuring thrifted outfits is up 38% year over year.
  • Posts with raw, candid, behind-the-scenes visuals earn twice the engagement of glossy brand content, according to 2025 social media analytics.

But the real story isn’t just numbers—it’s a hunger for something less manufactured. In an era of AI avatars and endless “slop” content, indie sleaze offers a return to messy reality: real people, real nights, real outfits.

The Playbook for Brands and Creators

For brands in fashion, music, lifestyle, or creative tech, the opportunity is obvious—but only if approached with a sense of authenticity and play:

  • Launch a #IndieSleazeChallenge: Invite creators to remix the aesthetic—think glitter, thrift flips, chaotic bedroom shoots, Polaroid filters, and grungy, nostalgic soundtracks.
  • Thrift flip tutorials: Show how to turn $10 finds into runway-ready looks, or reveal the brand team’s real-life closets.
  • Behind the chaos: Give followers a candid look at how shoots, styling, or songwriting actually happens—messy, unfiltered, and fun.
  • UGC amplification: Repost and credit micro-influencers who are living the aesthetic. The more collaborative, the more community builds around the vibe.

Brands that lean into the trend can generate high volumes of user-generated content (UGC) and engagement, without the need for expensive production or hyper-polished edits. AI-powered editing tools (like Rkive) can help creators cut, sequence, and stylize “sloppy” footage into something uniquely shareable—while keeping the energy raw and personal.

How Far Can It Go? The Future of Raw Content

Will indie sleaze last forever? Of course not. But it’s a revealing signal: as AI-generated visuals, faceless memes, and commercial polish fill the feed, audiences crave stories that feel like they came from a friend’s camera roll—not a marketing deck.

For brands and creators alike, 2025 is a moment to experiment with fast, authentic, nostalgic, and community-driven content creation.
The result? Higher engagement, lower production costs, and a much more interesting social feed.

Want to turn your messy moments into memorable content? Rkive AI makes it easy to edit, schedule, and analyze posts that feel as real as your feed. Try it and ride the next wave of nostalgia.