Hello Yuppie!

The term ‘yuppie’ emerged sometime in the 1980’s. An acronym for young urban professional (aka young New York Starbucks-holding up and comer in the business world aka young Prada wearing professional with disposable bank accounts aka everything I would rather be but sadly am not), the yuppie was someone (perhaps even, something) who lives on aspirations of social status, power, money and success. The knew where they were going, what they wanted to wear, and what they were going to order at brunch with their fellow yups. Incase you were wondering, that’s the one of the many rule in yuppiedom: yuppies don’t have breakfast, they brunch. You can read this in the Yuppie Handbook (which is actually a thing). In the mid 80‘s, you could pluck any model from a Dolce and Gabbana catalog and place them in any Wall Street office and they would blend right in with their fellow yups. You know what, take a Wall Street yuppie and place him in a Dolce and Gabbana catalog and they would be just as primped and polished as the model; it’s all the same. The yuppies were a thing of beauty, and for some, greatly criticised.

But the 21st century has spawned a new breed of yuppie. They’re still young, still stylish, still professional (and rising), but they’re different. The 21st century yuppie has shifted from being a catalog version of something their supposed to be something greater, something more daring. Yes they still spend way to much money on clothing and yes they still order their triple grande non fat decaf iced coffee every morning before work, but the way they differentiate between one yup to another is different... They dress differently. Emerging is a newer yuppie with greater individual style - it’s the indie/alternative yuppie. It’s not for the masses, it’s for a select group of young up and comers who're dictating the trends. Helping set such trends is Madrid-based studio (appropriately named) Yuppie YPS (Yuppie Publishing Services).

This newly founded studio was created from a concept of aesthetic investigation. They work mainly within the parameters of menswear fashion, exploring elements of perfectionism and nonconformism found in New York’s newly (re)found yuppie culture. Yuppie YPS establishes an atemporal dialogue between classic and contemporary aesthetics. They’re currently showcasing their designs and visual in a lookbook “Volcanoes Over Classical Greece”, shot by Bree Zucker, that features a limited collection of shirts, shorts and silk scarves as well as a collection of original digital prints. Their shirts are based from a basic American Oxford pattern that’s later been resized and reassembled with their European style and branding. Likewise with their shorts and swimwear; it’s a newer European alternative interpretation of the classic yuppie style. This is stock exchange fashion ladies and gentlemen, and I love it.

This newer yuppie might not carry his briefcase to lunch or carry her heels in her bag before changing out of her loafers (which are sin let me tell you), but they know how to dress and they understand contemporary style better than anyone. We’re starting to see mainstream media and big name brands reinvestigate the way they sell and advertise their brand or product; everything is becoming a little edgier, a little more alternative. This underground yuppie is coming around. I think the 80‘s crowd had it wrong. If it wasn’t for those yuppies, we wouldn’t have our 24 hour gyms, sushi on every corner, and newer brands and services like Yuppie YPS serving up fresh threads for the young and trendy (and successful). Yuppies aren’t such a bad thing; it’s just bad if you aren’t one of them.

http://www.hello-yuppie.com