In 2012, hot color is finally back in a big way, and one of the craziest updated ways to wear it is in combination with animal print. The look is fun, youthful, and slightly retro psychedelic, with charmingly naughty touches that culminate in overall feeling that can only be described as neon jungle.
Using animal print to create the effect of edge or animalism within a style genre is nothing new, but the updated electric animal aesthetic takes all the best of the seventies, nineties, and modern fashion and turns it on its head. The blending of nineties dancehall and grunge with more current rainbow rave and cosmic collective styling is definitely fresh, and a hint of circa seventy funk makes it perfectly “look at me.”
Even celebrities are hopping on the bandwagon, with music videos and promotional releases from big names like Nicki Minaj, as well as lesser known independents like Butch Diva. And of course, on the ground floor of this club-lighting and hotly animalistic trend, Kesha.
Beginning with subtle touches and snowballing to include every area of fashion, the electric jungle aesthetic has come to encompass everything from lip and nail decals, to hair color trends, body paint, and of course an ever-interesting collective of clothing and accessories. One of the essentials of this style for common streetwear? Unique and eye-catching animal print kicks.
Particularly for those who are pierced and tattooed, the mix of neon brights and animalistic prints can be insanely fun to play with. Animal print ear jewelry, touches of snake and natural feather, and super saturated facial piercing studs afford a world of almost endless possibility. Also the juxtaposition of monochrome tattooing and colorful jewelry, or vice versa, speaks volumes aesthetically.
Best go-to statement pieces for a touch of electricity? Spiral or straight tapers, wildly dyed feathers, and brilliant septum rings.
