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Top 100 Bizarre Trends of 2012

From Real-Life Male Barbies to Skin-Embedded Illusions

— January 17, 2013 — Unique
In 2012, the makings of truly bizarre trends were much more extreme than they used to be. What was once unique has become mainstream, calling for the alternative crowd to get more and more creative.

Examples of this extreme version of bizarre can be seen in such microtrends as the colorful cuddling coats made to look like a torso hugging your torso -- very meta -- or the undead family portraits, which take 2011's awkward family portrait fad and flip it on its head. Perhaps the most memorably weird trend of 2012 is the real-life male Barbie named Justin Jedlica who has taken body modification to new heights -- he's undergone 90 cosmetic procedures.

Whether or not you have the stomach to actually engage in any of these bizarre products or finds yourself won't deter from your ability to enjoy them, but if you're looking for more of a deep dive into the world of the truly strange and what it means for your business, check out our Bizarre Trend Report.
6.7
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
100
Wicked Wax Furnishings
Wicked Wax Furnishings
The Oroboros Collection is Freely Formed with Liquid Paraffin
<
99
Tattooed Model Musical Clips
Tattooed Model Musical Clips
Rico The Bull**** Dodger is the Latest Film Short for Vogue Italia
<
98
Prison Replication Inns
Prison Replication Inns
The Intimidating Hotel Alcatraz Pops Up in London
<
97
City-Wide Truth or Dare
City-Wide Truth or Dare
Chelsea Davison Encourages People to Get out of Their Bubble
<
96
Brightly Bejeweled Eyebrows
Brightly Bejeweled Eyebrows
The Brow Factor by Chanel is Not Available for Unibrows
<
95
Chromatic Paint Sprinklers
Chromatic Paint Sprinklers
The Liquid Rainbow by Edwin Deen is an On-Demand Paint System
<
94
Bifunctional Bottle Stoppers
Bifunctional Bottle Stoppers
The Vino Cork by Studio Macura Seals and Serves Your Drink
<
93
Funky Plastic Pictorials
Funky Plastic Pictorials
'Color Codec' is Eccentric and Colorful
<
92
Horse Crop Circles
Horse Crop Circles
The 'Walking Drawings' by Evewright are Masterpieces
<
91
Edible Insect Sushi
Edible Insect Sushi
Ento Uses Creative Branding to Encourage Eating Creepy Crawlers
<
90
Spaghetti-Slurping Photos
Spaghetti-Slurping Photos
Alison Brady's Gluttonous Baroque Portraits are Compelling
<
89
Social Media Escorts
Social Media Escorts
Pay Five Dollars to Get Cathy, an Imaginary Girlfriend for Ten Days
<
88
Infirmary-Inspired Eateries
Infirmary-Inspired Eateries
The Hospitalis Restaurant Lets Patients Eat With a Scalpel and Forceps
<
87
Alluringly Dark Illustrations
Alluringly Dark Illustrations
Katrin Berge Captures the Beauty Behind in the Disturbed
<
86
Pouting Pooch-Printed Apparel
Pouting Pooch-Printed Apparel
The Big Face Animals T-Shirt Collection by The Mountain is Realistic
<
85
Decapitated Molting Sculptures
Decapitated Molting Sculptures
The Rachel Niffenegger 'Heads on Poles' Series is Dark
<
84
Water-Only Restaurants
Water-Only Restaurants
The Only Thing on Molecule Cafe's Menu is Filtered Tap Water
<
83
Golden Boarder Gear
Golden Boarder Gear
The American Eagle Zoom Force 1 Snowboarding Boot is Inspired by Anime
<
82
Doily Decal Skulls
Doily Decal Skulls
The Joshua Harker ‘Crania Anatomica’ is a Delicate Wonder
<
81
Cartoonish Facial Firmers
Cartoonish Facial Firmers
The Face Slimmer Mouth Exercise Mouthpiece Will Tone You Up
<
80
Japanese Fembot Diners
Japanese Fembot Diners
The Robot Restaurant in Toyko's Red Light District Has a Giant Robotic Girl
<
79
Minuscule Yarn Landscapes (UPDATE)
Minuscule Yarn Landscapes (UPDATE)
The Wooly Sagas by Eszter Burghardy Recreates Nature Scenes
<
78
Daringly Realistic Dollies
Daringly Realistic Dollies
The JC Toys Newborn Dolls are True to Life
<
77
Skeletal Book Contraptions
Skeletal Book Contraptions
The Maskull Lasserre Incarnate Sculpture Transforms Textbooks
<
76
Invasive Hand Graffiti
Invasive Hand Graffiti
Joseph King Places Fingers All Over the World
<
75
Monochromatic Facial Studs
Monochromatic Facial Studs
The U+Mag Blonde Ambition Editorial Showcases Sharp Fashion
<
74
Crazy Cat Lady Apparel
Crazy Cat Lady Apparel
‘The Entire Cat Population is My Best Friend’ Sweater is Insane
<
73
Dodgy Dame Photography
Dodgy Dame Photography
The Vagrant Queen Editorial by Mario Ardi Glamorizes Nomadic Tendencies
<
72
Rodent Bone Jewelry
Rodent Bone Jewelry
Redefine Eco-Friendly with These Daniela Cardillo Designs
<
71
Undead Family Portraits
Undead Family Portraits
Roisin McAuley Zombified Illustrations Spice Up Photos
<
70
Wonderfully Woolen Tresses
Wonderfully Woolen Tresses
Louise Walker 'Wooly Head' Combats Bad Hair With Knitwear
<
69
Distorted Reality Pictures
Distorted Reality Pictures
These Prints by Martin Waldbauer Capture the Aesthetics of the Bizarre
<
68
Mangled Anatomical Architecture
Mangled Anatomical Architecture
Primal Parts by Kyd Kitchaiya Explores the Biology of Building
<
67
Full-Faced Sci-Fi Hoodies
Full-Faced Sci-Fi Hoodies
The Mad Engine Star Wars Hoodies are Epic
<
66
Eye-Popping Printed Leggings
Eye-Popping Printed Leggings
The QooQoo Clothing Line Offers Unusual Designs
<
65
Pretty Imprisoning Perches
Pretty Imprisoning Perches
The Chair of Restriction Glamorizes the Concept of Constraint
<
64
Alcoholic Showers
Alcoholic Showers
The ShaKoozie is a Shower Beer Koozie
<
63
Drastically Narrow Dwellings (UPDATE)
Drastically Narrow Dwellings (UPDATE)
The Keret House by Jakub Szczesny Occupies a Sliver of Space
<
62
Zealously Vibrant Sweaters
Zealously Vibrant Sweaters
The Mercedes Castro Fall/Winter 2012 Line Offers Some Unusual Knits
<
61
Personalized Visage Cushions (UPDATE)
Personalized Visage Cushions (UPDATE)
The ‘PillowMob' Pillows Put Your Face on a Plush
<
60
Colorful Edible Sculptures
Colorful Edible Sculptures
The Food Art by Dan Cretu Transforms Fruits and Veggies into Artwork
<
59
Beaming Bike Wheels
Beaming Bike Wheels
The Cycle Halo by Ushki Design is a Hybrid Piece from a Hybrid Bicycle
<
58
Frightening Famous Faces
Frightening Famous Faces
Cholafied by Michael Jason Enriquez Gives Celebrities a Gangster Glam
<
57
Subconcious Surreal Sculptures (UPDATE)
Subconcious Surreal Sculptures (UPDATE)
The Nancy Fouts Creations Incite Personal Interpretations
<
56
Fetching Grassy Footwear
Fetching Grassy Footwear
Yashin Kusa Shoes Let You Feel Lush Blades Between Your Toes
<
55
French Feline Attire
French Feline Attire
The 'Cat Atelier' Gives Some Adorable Kitty Design Options
<
54
Retro Hypnotizing Shades
Retro Hypnotizing Shades
The Jeremy Scott x Linda Farrow X-Ray Sunglasses are Sci-Fi
<
53
Deceiving Silhouette Photography
Deceiving Silhouette Photography
Kumi Yamashita 'Shadow Art' Sheds Light on Cool Creations
<
52
Illusionary Portrature
Illusionary Portrature
Jesus Gonzales Depicts Two-Faced People in His Latest Photo Series
<
51
Sharp Shooter Manicures
Sharp Shooter Manicures
The Magazine 'SuperSuper!' Shows Off Some Serious Gun Nail Decals
<
50
Skeletal Block Toys
Skeletal Block Toys
The Jason Freeny LEGO Men are Cute and Morbid
<
49
Artiscally Ruined Murals
Artiscally Ruined Murals
These Portraits by Valerie Hegarty Illustrate the Beauty in Destruction
<
48
Hidden Model Photos
Hidden Model Photos
Camouflage Body by Cecil Parades Creates Illusion Life in Walls
<
47
Fictional Taxidermy Sculptures
Fictional Taxidermy Sculptures
Carl Turner aka Biscuitboy has Created Dr. Seuss-Inspired Critters
<
46
Mutated Easter Bunnies
Mutated Easter Bunnies
These Russell Wrankle Sculptures Turn the Tables on Mother Nature
<
45
Skin-Embedded Optical Illusions
Skin-Embedded Optical Illusions
This Body Art by Chooo-San Appears to be Photoshopped
<
44
Mod Musculature Mansions
Mod Musculature Mansions
The Bundle House is a Formal Experiment in Manipulating a Flat Site
<
43
Abnormal Animal Artwork
Abnormal Animal Artwork
Matt Medium Experiments with Exaggeration and Distortion
<
42
Arboreal Adult Abodes
Arboreal Adult Abodes
Crystal River Tree House by GreenLine Architects Fulfills Childhood Dreams
<
41
Anti-Wrinkle Headbands
Anti-Wrinkle Headbands
The Oyasumi Goodnight Brow Stretcher Stops Lines from Appearing
<
40
Body Art Bears
Body Art Bears
'Winnie Tattooh' Depicts Iconic Disney Characters with Wicked Tats
<
39
Cartoon Body Art Blogs
Cartoon Body Art Blogs
The Disneyink Tumblr Features Deviant Tattoos with High Nostalgic Value
<
38
Handmade Food-Decorated Jewelry
Handmade Food-Decorated Jewelry
Etsy User 'SouZouCreations' Makes Appetizing Rings
<
37
Gruesome Lip Graphics
Gruesome Lip Graphics
Jason Levesque Renders Cut and Oozing Mouth Depictions
<
36
DIY Squid Crochets
DIY Squid Crochets
The Lady Lilliput Knitwear is Whimsical
<
35
Mid-Traffic Marriage Shots
Mid-Traffic Marriage Shots
Yonge and Dundas Wedding Photo Shoot Interrupts Intersection
<
34
Enigmatic Sorrowful Sculptures
Enigmatic Sorrowful Sculptures
JinYoung Yu Crafts Transparent Beings with Sad Childlike Faces
<
33
Colorful Cuddling Coats
Colorful Cuddling Coats
The Si Chan 'Hug Me' Collection Will Grab You
<
32
Nightmarish Pokemon Art
Nightmarish Pokemon Art
Gavin Mackey Makes Realistic Depictions of Pocket Monsters
<
31
Solar System Chocolates
Solar System Chocolates
Japanese Chocolate Makers 'L'eclat' Create Out-of-This-World Treats
<
30
Tiny Life-Sized Abodes
Tiny Life-Sized Abodes
The Keret House in Warsaw, Poland is the Smallest House in the World
<
29
Pixelated Skin Towels
Pixelated Skin Towels
The Carmichael Collective Censorship Towel Makes Covering Up Fun
<
28
Hacked Public Spaces
Hacked Public Spaces
Florian Riviere Creates Spontaneous Interactive Everyday Environments
<
27
Kitty Costume Catwalks (UPDATE)
Kitty Costume Catwalks (UPDATE)
The 'Algonquin Hotel Cat Fashion Show' is a Cat Lady's Paradise
<
26
Cerebral Cupcakes
Cerebral Cupcakes
The Bloody Zombie Brains Cupcakes are Spooky
<
25
Eccentric Animal Attachments
Eccentric Animal Attachments
'Kigu' Wearable Tails Let Buyers Express Their Wild Side
<
24
Bottom Bidding Wars
Bottom Bidding Wars
Tina Beznec Presents a Bum Tattoo Auction
<
23
Face Tattoo Fundraising
Face Tattoo Fundraising
Uwe Troschel Sold Off Sections of His Mug Shot
<
22
Adorable Animalistic Onesies
Adorable Animalistic Onesies
These Kigurumi Disney Pajamas are Comfy and Cozy
<
21
Sci-Fi Cat Beds
Sci-Fi Cat Beds
The Feline Tardis Contraption Lets Your Cat Explore Space and Time
<
20
Creepy Cranium Cases
Creepy Cranium Cases
The Aitor Throup Shiva Skull Bags are the Focus of His 2012 Menswear Line
<
19
Dragon Hide Gloves
Dragon Hide Gloves
The Armored Arm Warmers from Crystal's Idyll are Stylish & Comfortable
<
18
Funky Fish Tights
Funky Fish Tights
These Yosif Perez Leggings are Nautical
<
17
Masked Bunny Sculptures
Masked Bunny Sculptures
Artwork by Darla Jackson is Darkly Endearing
<
16
Giant Skullball Machines
Giant Skullball Machines
Secrets by Marco Perego is Morbidly Playful
<
15
Acid Flashback Artwork
Acid Flashback Artwork
Original Artwork by Ryan Riss Offers a Mind Bending Trip
<
14
Mutilated Toy Models
Mutilated Toy Models
Melting Plastic Sculptures Heat up the 'Sustainable Trash' Exhibition
<
13
Brutally Bloody Nail Art
Brutally Bloody Nail Art
The iPolished Blood Splatter Expert Manicure Takes a Violent Approach
<
12
Digitally Distorted Architecture
Digitally Distorted Architecture
A Wayward World of Surreal Structures by Philip Dujardin
<
11
Controversial Curvy Catwalks
Controversial Curvy Catwalks
Full Figured Fashion Show in New York Straddles Obesity & Empowerment
<
10
Open-Plan Garage Abodes
Open-Plan Garage Abodes
Harley in da House Lures Vehicles into the Living Room
<
9
Elf Ear Accessories
Elf Ear Accessories
The Belethil Collection Offers Beautiful Handcrafted Jewelry
<
8
Horrendously Hairy Actresses
Horrendously Hairy Actresses
These Bearded Female Celebrities are Burly
<
7
Carnivorous High Heels
Carnivorous High Heels
Iris van Herpen and United Nude's Fang Shoe is Literally Long in the Tooth
<
6
Androgynous Murderer Shoots
Androgynous Murderer Shoots
This Editorial Featuring Stefan Khoo is Evil and Alluring
<
5
Sea Maiden Suits
Sea Maiden Suits
The 'Swimmable Mermaid Tail' Takes Buyers Under The Sea
<
4
Marvel Motorcycle Tattoos
Marvel Motorcycle Tattoos
Alivia Marie Makes Geek Art Intimidating with Her Avenger Artwork
<
3
Real Life Male Barbies
Real Life Male Barbies
The Human Ken Doll is Unnaturally Beautiful
<
2
Anatomic Tights
Anatomic Tights
Black Milk Clothing Makes You Look Ripped
<
1
Flesh-Torn Tattoos
Flesh-Torn Tattoos
The Designs of Yomico Moreno are Incredibly Realistic
<