Coined in Seoul
The coinage newtro — new plus retro — came into use. It belonged to the people who had not lived it, not the ones remembering.
Style encyclopedia
뉴트로Newtro
Origin/South KoreaCountry
A Korean style that deliberately re-picks what was awkward and inconvenient about the 1980s and 90s, seen through present-day eyes. It edits rather than reminisces.
Where it began
From the Korean coinage newtro (new + retro). It came into use in Seoul around 2018 and reached a wider audience through the trend books published the following year. Unlike retro, it is not nostalgia: the people using it never lived through the period and treat it as new.
How it spread
It surfaced in Korea through the late 2010s, given momentum by hip-hop artists reviving old-school dress.
How to recognise it
Desaturated primaries, period typefaces and logos, squared shoulders. The point is that proportions are translated into contemporary sizing rather than reproduced.
What it costs
¥3,000–16,000. Korean high-street brands supply it heavily, so it is easy to find.
Timeline
Era
mid 2010s – now
Price range
¥3,000–16,000
Dominant
—
Key brands
KIRSH · SPAO · MILKFED · Lily Brown · MARDI MERCREDI
Headings are written in the language of the style's place of origin.