Myra Magdalen & Gen Z Absurdism
By Hali Mecklin
Most know her as the girl with the keyboard wall, but Myra Magdalen (@myramagdelen on TikTok) is so much more. A niche figure in the TikTok fashion world, the designer and influencer curates outlandishly themed outfits, typically explicitly themed and created with found objects. Her futuristic and eccentric style lands her on the For You page regularly, but most can’t seem to wrap their head around her.
In one of her most viral videos, Magdalen styles an uncharacteristically tame outfit; An asymmetrical skirt paired with a scarf and legwarmers, completed with a television remote taped to her chest. This process all occurs in her bedroom, which is wallpapered in vintage keyboards.
“Get ready with me to go to fashion school in New York,” she begins. “Only I never went to school, and I do not live in New York.”
She narrates her styling process with a blase, unaffected demeanor. Each piece of the outfit seems to make perfect sense to her, and if the final product is a joke, there’s no punchline.
“The crazy thing is, the remote wasn’t even the worst part,” wrote one commenter.
“This is camp if you get it you get it….” added another.
While her most viral videos (this one has 1.5 million views) generate countless arguments in the comments debating whether or not the videos are satire, Magdalen has quite a dedicated fanbase. On her outfits that don’t reach a wider audience, the reactions are primarily positive, with most applauding her creativity.
“You make me want to get to know myself better and live more like myself,” wrote a commenter on a recent video, in which Magdalen covers the stains on a vintage Gunne Sax dress with lamb patches.
Magdalen is not the only influencer making avant-garde style choices seem normal on Tiktok. Clara Perlmutter (@tinyjewishgirl) and her partner Van Tingley (@coygoyboytoy) are a power couple in the Dadaist online fashion space, infuriating and awing viewers alike.
In a 2022 interview with Paper Magazine, Perlmutter explained her unconventional fashion choices.
“I've never been afraid to experiment and I've always gone for things that are more eclectic. I aim for things to not make sense together. So when my fashion content started getting more attention on TikTok, people would always be like, ‘Is this a joke? Is this satire?’ And I'd be like, ‘Why would I be investing in these pieces if I was going to wear them as a joke for a TikTok?’”
While this movement may seem niche, relegated to rich and bored NYC social media icons, absurdist fashion dominates high fashion runways now. As Gen Z begins to enter the consumer class, designers have begun to cater to them, which means connecting with a “hypercognitive” audience that “highly value[s] individual expression,” according to a McKinsey & Company study.
Viktor & Rolf’s Spring/Summer 2023 couture collection, which debuted at Paris Fashion Week this January, is just one example of luxury houses catering to Gen Z absurdism. The esteemed brand showed luxurious gowns worn sideways and upside down, reminiscent of a video game glitch or a Dada painting. The collection was aptly titled the “Late Stage Capitalism Waltz.”
As Gen Z continues to age into adulthood, it seems that more brands and individuals will follow suit, attempting to outdo one another for the most outlandish and abstract piece. From MSCHF’s $350 Big Red Boot to Magdalen’s DIY worm purse, every level of fashion has latched onto a similar idea; The less sense it makes, the better.
In one of her most viral videos, Magdalen styles an uncharacteristically tame outfit; An asymmetrical skirt paired with a scarf and legwarmers, completed with a television remote taped to her chest. This process all occurs in her bedroom, which is wallpapered in vintage keyboards.
“Get ready with me to go to fashion school in New York,” she begins. “Only I never went to school, and I do not live in New York.”
She narrates her styling process with a blase, unaffected demeanor. Each piece of the outfit seems to make perfect sense to her, and if the final product is a joke, there’s no punchline.
“The crazy thing is, the remote wasn’t even the worst part,” wrote one commenter.
“This is camp if you get it you get it….” added another.
While her most viral videos (this one has 1.5 million views) generate countless arguments in the comments debating whether or not the videos are satire, Magdalen has quite a dedicated fanbase. On her outfits that don’t reach a wider audience, the reactions are primarily positive, with most applauding her creativity.
“You make me want to get to know myself better and live more like myself,” wrote a commenter on a recent video, in which Magdalen covers the stains on a vintage Gunne Sax dress with lamb patches.
Magdalen is not the only influencer making avant-garde style choices seem normal on Tiktok. Clara Perlmutter (@tinyjewishgirl) and her partner Van Tingley (@coygoyboytoy) are a power couple in the Dadaist online fashion space, infuriating and awing viewers alike.
In a 2022 interview with Paper Magazine, Perlmutter explained her unconventional fashion choices.
“I've never been afraid to experiment and I've always gone for things that are more eclectic. I aim for things to not make sense together. So when my fashion content started getting more attention on TikTok, people would always be like, ‘Is this a joke? Is this satire?’ And I'd be like, ‘Why would I be investing in these pieces if I was going to wear them as a joke for a TikTok?’”
While this movement may seem niche, relegated to rich and bored NYC social media icons, absurdist fashion dominates high fashion runways now. As Gen Z begins to enter the consumer class, designers have begun to cater to them, which means connecting with a “hypercognitive” audience that “highly value[s] individual expression,” according to a McKinsey & Company study.
Viktor & Rolf’s Spring/Summer 2023 couture collection, which debuted at Paris Fashion Week this January, is just one example of luxury houses catering to Gen Z absurdism. The esteemed brand showed luxurious gowns worn sideways and upside down, reminiscent of a video game glitch or a Dada painting. The collection was aptly titled the “Late Stage Capitalism Waltz.”
As Gen Z continues to age into adulthood, it seems that more brands and individuals will follow suit, attempting to outdo one another for the most outlandish and abstract piece. From MSCHF’s $350 Big Red Boot to Magdalen’s DIY worm purse, every level of fashion has latched onto a similar idea; The less sense it makes, the better.