Pain Fashion

Making a statment with the shocking facade of pain

Implications - Whether these innovations really inflict pain or not, all are intended to look like they do. Creating this disturbing illusion helps keep people at bay, a reflection of the “look at me, but leave me alone” phenom. People partaking in these practices are often labeled “emo,” the new “goth.”

Trend Themes

  1. Illusion of Pain — Creating disturbing designs that give the illusion of pain, and make people keep their distance, is a growing trend in fashion that can be adopted in other industries as a way to stand out.
  2. Extreme Accessories — Incorporating dangerous or taboo objects like razor blades into accessories is becoming more popular, and can be recreated by companies as a way to appeal to an edgier demographic.
  3. Body Modification — Pushing the boundaries of body modification is becoming more mainstream, and could be utilized by businesses in industries such as wearable tech as a way to differentiate and stand out.

Industry Implications

  1. Fashion — The fashion industry is a natural fit for the trend of creating shocking designs that give the illusion of pain, and can also benefit from the trend of incorporating extreme accessories.
  2. Personal Care — Industries involved in personal care, such as beauty and cosmetic products, could adapt the trend of body modification to offer more unique and extreme products to consumers.
  3. Technology — Companies in the technology industry, such as wearable tech or augmented reality, could incorporate the trend of body modification as a way to differentiate their products and offer a more unique user experience.
6.1
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
9 Featured, 4 Examples:
2,106,596 Total Clicks
Date Range:
Jan 08 — Sep 08
Trending:
Viral
Consumer Insight Topics:

Featured Examples

Eyelid Tattoos
Eyelid Tattoos
More Extreme Tattoos
So we thought tattoos had been done to death on Trendhunter, but oh no no no. I have found a new one to us all: Eyelid tattoos! You can see the picture, but why anyone would want to see eyeballs on the… MORE
Killer Heels
Killer Heels
Cruel Designer Shoes
We've seen some innovative shoe designs, but these are truly wicked. Ladies, you think you have a pair of shoes that kills? Unless you've worn some of these, you can't complain about having a tortured… MORE
Extreme Body Modification
Extreme Body Modification
When Rebellion Goes WAY Too Far
Bod mod can be a bit urgh (shiver down spine), except the elf ears which I would considering having done. Just a heads up, this is a very gory image gallery, so don't say I did not warn you! These suspects… MORE
Torture Couture
Torture Couture
John Galliano Prisoner of War Fashions?
John Galliano has been known to be a bit outrageous or as some would say, edgy, but I’m not quite sure what to call his 2008 fall fashion line. The designs looked like some type of terrorist mummy… MORE
Torturous Fashion
Torturous Fashion
10 Tie-Up Designs
Torturous and painful-looking designs are slowly creeping into mainstream fashion. Such designs are not limited to high fashion and eccentric designer runways. Nowadays, we are seeing more and more of… MORE
Eyelid Piercing
Eyelid Piercing
Eyelid piercing is just such a strange idea. I don’t think you could close your eyes with some of these and you have to in order to sleep, don’t you? They are slightly squeamish, even to me, and I can… MORE
Killer Heels IV
Killer Heels IV
Torture Pumps
This is another installment in our “killer heels” series. Designed by Patricia Field, these ridiculously high heeled, S & M-themed black stilettos look super sexy on singing sensation Rihanna. At a… MORE
Razor Blades as Accessories
Razor Blades as Accessories
Cutting Edge
When cocaine was just hitting the fashionable circles, it was chic to wear a razor blade to show that one was among the coke “elite." Now the goth/punk/emo crowd has adopted the double edge razor blade… MORE
Laser-Etched Tattoos
Laser-Etched Tattoos
Burnt Skin Body Art Is So Disturbing
It was only a matter of time before laser-etched tattoos made their way into our culture. The demo video shown here lasts about 11 minutes and I could not stop grimacing for the duration. The tattooing,… MORE