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Chicago is a city that has been built on rebellion and has continued to be a city that houses rebellion. These themes of rebellion and innovation can be found all over the city of Chicago whether it is an organization that is educating the youth about the importance of voting or a new underground band. This Chicago rebellion has broken off into a more significant movement, Chicago style, a fashion movement that is mixing rebellion with innovative trends that have taken the city by storm.

Sophomores at DePaul University, Alec Baumrind, and Ethan Lawrence are both involved in the Chicago fashion scene paying attention to the ever-changing trends and new designers popping up on the scene. A constant theme is rebellion in the streetwear of Chicago, but it is more about the people that are wearing the clothes than the clothes itself.

“My style is rebellious in the sense that my style is just an extension of me,” said Lawrence. “Whether it is obvious or not who you are as a person is automatically extend into what you wear, what you say and how you interact with other people.”

Rebellion is not just about the clothes and breaking fashion norms, it is about the rebellious people creating rebellious pieces. Self-made Chicago designer, Joe Freshgoods has created cutting edge designs that have been worn by LeBron James and Chance the Rapper. Freshgoods is the creative mind behind the brand Don’t be Mad and is taking Chicago and the rest of the world by storm with his rebellious approaches to fashion.
“Even if you don’t think my shit is that good, you are going to know about it,” said Freshgoods.

While Freshgoods is becoming more popular on the mainstream level that comes with some downsides and continues to push the envelope to make Chicago a more fashion-forward city. The people that support Freshgoods and Don’t be Mad don’t do it because they like the brand and what it represents.

“Chicago Twitter told me to go crazy so I go crazy,” said Freshgoods.

Freshgoods is one of the many people taking steps to create more rebellious themes in the fashion industry, but these revolutionary movements start small with local creators.

“I see it more on a local level, than with the people high up in the industry,” said Baumrind. “People are creating at a better level when they have less resources. The creator is pretty rebellious in the first place to create.”

Local creators are trying to break fashion norms whether it is piecing together items that don’t make sense, putting chains on their shoes, or even making their own clothes altogether.

As a whole, the fashion industry has become more rebellious due to the number of people setting out to create. These small creators are influencing the mainstream trends. Freshgoods knows all about this due to the fact that some of his designs have been imitated before.

“People at the top are getting their ideas and inspiration from people that aren’t as well known, and that’s why what you think is new is something that you have already seen before,” said Baumrind.

Rebellion is becoming a bigger statement in the fashion industry because more people are being more rebellious in all walks of life. These people are the ones that are creating the trends that eventually become mainstream.

“I think more especially today,” said Lawrence. “I see way more different looks then I used to and people are leaving the house wearing stuff that you normally wouldn’t see.”

Some of the most common rebellious trends in fashion currently are but not limited to oversized clothing, wearing a lot of accessories, piercings and unisex clothing and blending the lines of masculinity and femininity. These trends can be found all over social media and the streets of Chicago.