How technology became fashion From Asap Rocky's kid-core tamagotchi to Lily Rose Depp's Y2K headphones

What does it take for an object seemingly removed from fashion to become a trend? Perhaps simply its availability on the market and a handsome sponsor who makes it seem desirable? Since the years of the economic boom, when a Smeg fridge was a status symbol for the most prominent families and owning a telephone or television set was a source of great pride in the neighbourhood, technology has come a long way, until it has become an indispensable part of our daily lives, often in a size that fits comfortably in our pockets. But when exactly did a hi-tech accessory become an integral part of an outfit, often becoming the spokesperson for a specific aesthetic? From Asap Rocky's kid-core tamagotchi, to Lily Rose Depp's Y2K headphones, via Kanye's 'futuristic' AirPods Max, what do the tech accessories we use say about us today, and how do they relate to fashion? 

The Pre-iPhone Era

It has been five years since Kendall Jenner showed off her Contax T2 at Jimmy Fallon's show, and two and a half years since Frank Ocean covered the Met Gala for Vogue with his trusty analogue. For some time now, analogue photography has been the new fashion fetish: not only headphones and mobile phones, nostalgia for bygone technological eras also involves film and camcorders, both for celebrities and established fashion photographers. From Rory Kramer, who opened an archive account for his analogue shots, to Tyler Mitchell, who turned up at last year's Met Gala in a total Bode outfit and with a Yashica around his neck. Tom Holland, Zendaya, Peggy Gou, Chris Hemsworth, Emily Ratajkowski, are just some of the celebrities who in recent years, and especially in recent months, have been portrayed with an Olympus or a disposable Kodak in their hand or around their neck. 

Due to the Y2K revival of the latest catwalks and an obsessive tendency for celebrities to take care of every detail of their look, including the books in their hands, the most fashionable technological accessory is no longer the latest release, a sterile show-off of one's purchasing power, but anything that appears unusual, dated, vintage. Gen Z and Millennials take refuge - driven by childhood memories of cassette tapes, Tumblr, MySpace, a record player instead of a radio - in a technological era far enough removed to be historicised and return to the present in the form of a trend, a piece of furniture or a cool accessory.