For those who’re a Gen-Xer or a millennial—and even the oldest of Gen-Z—then preppy equals varsity jackets, khakis, navy cricket sweaters, collegiate jerseys… you get the gist. “Preppy” conjures up photos of frat boys in tailor-made shorts, boat footwear, and Lacoste polo shirts. There are Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ralph Lauren, J. Crew.

For those who’re Gen Alpha, nonetheless, at the very least in response to TikTok, then “preppy” means one thing fully completely different: Stanley tumbler cups, pastel coloured athleisure, cutesy smiley face graphics. However in designer Yoon Ahn’s imaginary highschool, the one wherein she’s been contextualizing her newest Ambush collections revolving across the faculty uniform, it’s the OG prep that counts.

This generational cut up in trend vernacular is the true indicator of who Ahn is chatting with with these garments. There’s a sense of nostalgia connected to the thought of a faculty uniform, whether or not you wore one or not, that solely comes with hindsight—few youngsters really get pleasure from having to put on the identical factor day by day. Add to that the overarching concept of collegiate Americana that turned a distinguished American aesthetic indicator by manner of highschool motion pictures from the aughts. “We used to look as much as America because the cultural chief,” stated Ahn, “one thing aspirational via this aesthetic that turned ingrained in individuals that’s now one thing they wish to revisit.”

Prep was exported from the U.S. into the world to turn out to be a globalized aesthetic, one that’s usually extra compelling—and funky—out of context. That was the case with this lineup, which Ahn stated she created by researching imagery of preppiness in American literature and by classic searching in Japan, (“Japan has an obsession with Americana,” she famous). There was a coolness to her varsity knits and the therapy of “Ambush” as a workforce or faculty brand, and the subtraction of the argyle sweater motif as cutouts on a poplin shirt and patchworks of flannels and rugby shirts showcased her playful ingenuity as a designer.

Ahn stated that what attracted her to this preppy Americana uniform was not simply the nostalgia, however that there’s “a steadiness to the aesthetic.” This identical stability is what Ahn has been chasing after together with her thematic examination of the uniform in her collections. “Though the theme may change each season, I at all times be sure that no matter I made final season can keep on to the subsequent,” she stated, including, “all of us now store with out disregarding what we wore within the winter simply because we’re about to enter spring.” No matter what we name it, there’s a consistency to the thought of “preppy.” 4 seasons deep on the planet of uniforms, there may be now one to Ambush, too.