“After all the bizarre fashion collaborations we’ve seen over the past decade, I was convinced that nothing could surprise me anymore. And then, in late October, I learned that the nu metal band Korn—yes, the Freaks on a Leash themselves—had linked up with Adidas on a full-fledged capsule of apparel and footwear, including a tracksuit riddled with shiny purple sequins. To celebrate the collab’s release, the German sportswear giant even turned its Los Angeles flagship store into a temporary Korn exhibition—and just days after the drop, Adidas announced the collection had completely sold out. This was just the latest in a mounting pile of evidence that nu metal is more than merely relevant again. The genre is now something it’s never been before, even in its 2000s heyday: fashionable.
“The nu metal aesthetic feels like the alt version of the ’90s and early-aughts aesthetics that have been popular as of late, that have generally leaned more [towards] Paris Hilton party girl,” said Sarah Rozansky, head creative at DONEGER I TOBE, a fashion consultancy that specializes in trend forecasting. “Gen Z seems to be gravitating towards this darker aesthetic that marries back to a niche music community.”
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