From Miu Miu and Thom Browne to Celine and Chopova Lowena, designers taking collegiate-inspired staples to anarchic new highs.

The Chaos Academia crowd can be found at the launch of new print magazines and pop-up poetry readings. They can also be found at warehouse raves and tiny basement shows, or enjoying drinks al fresco at a trendy New York watering hole. Not exclusively high or low-brow, the style reflects the duality of their interests: reading essays in the New Yorker and watching reality TV, debating politics over WhatsApp while listening to the next glitchy autotuned duo.
If Chaos Academia still feels like a fuzzy concept, consider the <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/shows-trends/a37880034/miu-miu-mini-skirts/" target="_blank">cut-off cargo skirt that went viral in Miu Miu’s SS22 show</a>. The ubiquitous piece was worn low-rise and impossibly short, paired with a matching belted top or cut-off oxford shirt and sweater. It was absurdist, a piece made for editorials that would be an audacious sell for even the coolest art-gallery mixers. Since then, the Prada sister label has continued to integrate tartan and pleats, complemented by more mature color palettes such as white, navy and khaki. Multidisciplinary artist FKA twigs closed out the SS23 show in a cardigan over an oxford shirt, paired with a micro-mini skirt and knee-high leather sandals. For the FW23 show at Paris Fashion Week, culty Pearl actress Mia Goth made her runway debut in a conservative cardigan, low-rise midi skirt and stockings, tied together with a disorderly hair style. On anyone else it would be a receptionist’s Tuesday work outfit. On A24’s It girl, it’s the bleeding edge of cool.

For American designer Thom Browne, academic-inspired “modern uniform” styles are &nbsp;the basis of his label. An idiosyncratic outlier occupying a universe of his own creation, he injected his FW23 collection with a dose of Chaos Academia, placing models of all genders in midi dresses, textured blazers and coats. Ties and exposed sock garters further spoke to the concept, while bold, alienesque hair, makeup and nails alluded to a sense of otherworldly pandemonium.
According to Chris Black, How Long Gone podcaster and founder of Done to Death Projects, playing with dimensions is a major component of modern prep and what makes it Chaos Academia instead of WASPy. “The classics are the classics, but the volume has changed. When cut larger, pleated trousers, simple striped oxfords and double-breasted blazers feel more casual and easy to wear,” he says. For the Miu Miu skirt, shrinking the shape created a sense of unruliness. But for Thom Browne, it’s about going oversized.

Celine’s SS23 men’s runway included embellished school uniforms, while London-based designer S.S. Daley leans more academia, less chaos, with his take on the classics, à la Ralph Lauren. Just a year out from its first runway show, Chopova Lowena opts for as much chaos as possible. The brand’s signature carabiner kilts have been seen on everyone from Harry Styles to Dua Lipa. Lowena’s punk flair is an ode to legendary designer Vivienne Westwood, whose house has long been defined by subversive takes on British prep staples.

This trend comes at a time when young people are screaming “Eat the rich!” and &nbsp;coming across more online get-rich-quick hustle scams than ever before. Gen Z has been associated with alternative fashion for so long that classic Nantucket styles are more unusual than platform shoes and nu metal-inspired baggy pants. With Chaos Academia, it’s possible to have both: A prep school fantasy where the popular kids aren’t ones with rich dads and pedigree, but with the best taste and having the most fun.&nbsp;
Academics stereotypically operate on a shoestring budget, so it’s fitting these looks can be created with thrifted staples and elevated through customization. As the <a href="https://www.goat.com/brand/miu-miu">Miu Miu</a> runway proved, a wildcard accessory can transform the look from classic to intentionally chaotic.

Whether this style makes the wearer appear more bookish is up for debate, but the desire to present as more book smart is at an all-time high. Leia Jospe, a camera operator on HBO’s How to With John Wilson, curator of the Instagram <a href="http://instagram.com/favetiktoks420" target="_blank">favetiktoks420</a> and sometimes photographer for Anna Khachiyan and Dasha Nekrasovaof the Red Scare podcast, mentions how being well-read carries cultural cachet. “There are TikTok trends around bringing a book out in public and posing with it, hoping to make eye contact with a potential suitor,” she says.
Perhaps Chaos Academia is a response to this. Engaging in traditionally nerdy hobbies isn’t uncool, but rather a resistance to the mind-rotting ennui of modern life. Instead of relying on institutions, the new generation is teaching themselves through a mix of old and new media, and honoring the actual output—not the pedigree—of their musical, literary and fashion icons. The result? Looks that almost, but don’t quite pass the country club dress code. Conveniently, these trendsetters wouldn’t be caught dead there anyway.

Miu Miu Glen Plaid Mini Skirt 'Slate Grey'

Miu Miu Boucle Cardigan 'Pink'

Vintage Vivienne Westwood Plaid Buckle Pants 'Tan'

Off-White Check Print Blazer 'Mauve'

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