Y2K was many things and nothing at the same time. By definition, it was a digital apocalypse that never happened. It was an era defined by the dot-com bubble, maximalist tastes, and the War on Terror. Y2K was the death of the ’90s and the dawn of a new millennium. It was a sartorial nadir emblematized by Von Dutch hats and Juicy Couture. And, as we’re learning today through its resurgence on TikTok and Depop, Y2K was the big bang (or Pandora’s box, depending on your preferred metaphor) that unleashed Gen Z onto the world.

Headline: Mel Ottenberg – stylist, creative director, and the Editor-in-Chief of

Y2K was many things and nothing at the same time. By definition, it was a digital apocalypse that never happened. It was an era defined by the dot-com bubble, maximalist tastes, and the War on Terror. Y2K was the death of the ’90s and the dawn of a new millennium. It was a sartorial nadir emblematized by Von Dutch hats and Juicy Couture. And, as we’re learning today through its resurgence on TikTok and Depop, Y2K was the big bang (or Pandora’s box, depending on your preferred metaphor) that unleashed Gen Z onto the world.