BRANDS

Glossary (a-z)

1. Alia

   Canadian label popular in the 1980s–1990s, known for practical, reliable knits and separates in bold colors and easy silhouettes. Not high fashion, but everyone’s mom probably owned at least one. Still pops up in thrift racks like the ghost of every suburban mall.

2. Burberry Blue Label

   Japan-exclusive diffusion line from Burberry, produced under license from the late 1990s through the early 2010s. Known for pastel tones, youthful cuts, and slimmer fits. Discontinued in 2015, which only made it more collectible.

3. Chesley USA

   American label that ran from mid-century through the Y2K mall boom. By the late 90s/early 2000s, it was turning out slinky silhouettes, bold prints, and club-adjacent looks you’d spot at weddings, Easter brunches, or millennium-era nightclubs. Basically indie sleaze before it had a name.

4. Cikelon

   In-house label for Hari-Hari, a Malaysian clothing chain that’s been around since the mid-90s. Denim and mall-era silhouettes like corset tops and flares were their bread and butter. Peak late-90s/early-2000s energy, now right back on trend.

5. Coca-Cola

   One of the most recognized brands in the world, founded in Atlanta in 1886. Beyond soda, Coke licensed its name across clothing and accessories. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it jumped into logo-obsessed fashion with bikinis, pareos, and board shorts splashed in red and white branding. Today, those pieces sit at the intersection of Y2K nostalgia and pop-culture collectible.

6. Courrèges

   Paris house founded in 1961, credited with futurism and the go-go boot. Its space-age aesthetic defined the 60s and resurfaced in the Y2K era through Japan-produced lines that reimagined the look for a new generation. The brand has rebranded itself endlessly since, but the space-age cool won’t die.

7. Dooney & Bourke

   Founded in 1975 in Connecticut, Dooney & Bourke built its reputation on sturdy all-weather leather bags before leaning into logo prints and coated canvas in the 2000s. Its pieces defined the mall-brand boom. Equal parts practical and preppy with a dose of Y2K attitude.

8. Emilio Pucci

   Florentine label founded in 1947, world-famous for its bold geometric prints and psychedelic colors. The jet-set uniform of the 60s carried into Y2K resort wear, where Pucci basically invented the idea of looking like you’re permanently on vacation.

9. Gitano

   Mall staple of the 80s and 90s, sitting alongside Jordache and Gloria Vanderbilt. Known for denim and casual basics before being swallowed up by bigger chains. Today, vintage Gitano is collected for its classic cuts and pure 90s nostalgia.

10. Hysteric Glamour

    Tokyo cult label launched in 1984, mixing American rock graphics, punk attitude, and irreverent humor. Limited runs and bizarre collabs made it a cult name through the Y2K era. Still alive today, still one of the coolest brands to casually drop.

11. Ideology

    A Macy’s diffusion line from the late 90s/early 2000s. Mall-girl activewear, casual separates, the occasional sequined oddball. Affordable, accessible, and sometimes surprisingly good. The kind of thing that makes you say, “Wait, this is actually cute?”

12. Jag

    Australian brand founded in 1972 in Melbourne, first known for denim. By the 1990s and early 2000s it had expanded into swimwear, with bold prints and licensed production across Asia. Swim pieces sit neatly in today’s Y2K revival.

13. Lacoste

    Founded in 1933 by tennis champ René Lacoste, forever tied to its smug little crocodile. By the late 90s/early 2000s it leaned into bright colorblocking, tighter cuts, and polos that showed up in clubs with collars popped. Still everywhere, from country clubs to frat houses.

14. Milano Paris

    Little-documented French label. Their tag is embroidered with an Eiffel Tower “i.” Nothing says Y2K quite like turning punctuation into landmarks. They really wanted Milan and Paris in the name, just to cover all bases.

15. Miss Sixty

    Italian denim label launched in 1991, built for women and unapologetically sexy from the start. Low-rise fits, chunky hardware, and loud details made it a Y2K staple. It’s been relaunched here and there, but the vintage 90s and 2000s pieces carry all the heat.

16. Missoni

    Founded in 1953 in Italy, Missoni built its legacy on vibrant zigzags and multicolor knits that blurred the line between casualwear and art. Its signature space-dye and lurex weaves defined 70s bohemian luxury and later reemerged through 90s–2000s diffusion lines made in Italy. Each piece carries the same easy glamour. Instantly recognizable, and impossible to replicate.

17. Naf Naf

    Parisian brand founded in 1973. Blew up in the 80s/90s with colorful campaigns and playful clothes. By the Y2K era it had shifted into trend-driven clubwear staples. The entry point to French cool for a generation.

18. Old Navy

    Launched in 1994 as Gap Inc.’s cheaper offshoot. Known for basics, but in the late 90s/early 2000s it quietly pumped out bright colorways, odd cuts, and swimwear now prized as nostalgic finds. Deadstock Old Navy from this era has become a low-key collector favorite.

19. Phard

    Italian label that peaked in the late 1990s and 2000s. It leaned into the Y2K look. Flashy denim, rhinestones, and club silhouettes that defined the early 2000s in Italy. You’d see Phard on a dance floor in Milan around 2003.

20. Pimkie

    French high-street brand that peaked late 90s/early 2000s. Europe’s answer to Forever 21 before Forever 21 was everywhere. If you grew up in France, you had a Pimkie piece somewhere in your closet.

21. Promod

    French fast-fashion chain that peaked in the 90s and early 2000s. Gave mall girls a way to say, “This old thing? It’s French.” Still running today, but its heyday is firmly rooted in the Y2K nostalgia vault.

22. Tally Weijl

    Swiss brand founded in the 80s, best remembered for dominating the early 2000s in Europe. Trend-driven, cheeky, and often your first “going-out top.” Still around, but the vintage pieces carry the charm.

23. Tango Rose

    Small U.S. swimwear label from the 1990s–early 2000s. Known for bold prints and neon poolside looks. Rarely documented, but its loud patterns make it recognizable to vintage swim collectors.

24. Teenie Weenie

    South Korean brand launched in 2004, built around teddy bear mascots and a preppy aesthetic. Think Abercrombie, but with cartoon bears. Whole stores across Asia were dedicated to its bear cult.

25. Von Dutch

    American label launched in the late 1990s, rooted in West Coast car culture and custom hot rod art. It exploded in the early 2000s with trucker hats, logo bags, and a string of celebrity endorsements from Paris Hilton to Britney Spears. But behind the fame came controversy: messy ownership battles, questionable politics tied to the brand’s namesake, and a public fall from grace almost as fast as its rise. Still, Von Dutch remains one of the most infamous symbols of Y2K excess. Loud, chaotic, and unforgettable.