Aliyah Core: Bringing Alt Fashion to the Mainstream

Aliyah Core is a style aesthetic coined by the creator @aliyahsinterlude1 on TikTok. Aliyah is a fashion creator with over 2.4 million followers. Her style can be described as girlie, alternative, cyber y2k with a splash of Decora and Harajuku fashion. Moonboots, fishnets, and micro minis are her holy trinity. Accessories are a big deal for Aliyah too – no outfit of hers is complete without layered belts and ear muffs. 

Aliyah is always showing off her personal style on social media. Dressing friends and other like-minded creatives online, she champions the idea that anyone can dress in Aliyah Core and should be empowered in how they express themselves. Aliyah is being recognised for her style; she closed the latest Mowalowa show at London Fashion Week AW23, and she was spotted attending a handful of important events during fashion month. Most recently, she dawned the cover of Galore Magazine sporting her moonboots and staple fishnets. Her growing recognition in the fashion world continues to consolidate her influence in the fashion scene at present.

The creativity, campness, and drama of her personal style are what draws people in.  Like other fashion Tiktok creators, Aliyah’s personal style is very experimental and alternative to the mainstream fashion landscape. She takes the best of fashion subcultures and adds her own personal flair to create a fascinating look every time.

However, when alternative fashion styles reach the mainstream, so does criticism. In 2022, she posted birthday pictures on the beach wearing a bikini with moon boots and was heavily criticized for her styling choices. Moreso, people have become annoyed when their own personal style is mistaken as ‘Aliyah Core’, with many arguing that her style is not original because it draws on too many influences. Aliyah herself has addressed these criticisms, acknowledging that she takes her style inspiration from a range of different sources. However, she maintains that the composition and blending of looks is her own. We are with Aliyah. After all, no idea or style is completely original, and inspiration and reinterpretation is just how creativity works.

What’s refreshing about Aliyah is that she brings on a hyper-feminine perspective to the elements of gothic and punk fashion that she incorporates into her style. I can definitely see this becoming more popular as we get into the spring and summer months. More than anything, Aliyah’s style makes fashion fun and experimental again, often bringing styles inspired by Anime or Bratz characters. I for one love to see Aliyah bring imaginative fashion to reality, and I am excited to see what she’s going do in the fashion world.