{"id":17236,"date":"2025-06-13T15:51:40","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T13:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/?p=17236"},"modified":"2025-06-13T15:51:43","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T13:51:43","slug":"from-skinheads-to-mainstream-how-austrias-far-right-is-weaponizing-fashion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/17236\/from-skinheads-to-mainstream-how-austrias-far-right-is-weaponizing-fashion\/","title":{"rendered":"From Skinheads to Mainstream – How Austria\u2019s far right is weaponizing fashion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the streets of Vienna, clothing choices are quietly speaking a political language. Not just personal expression, fashion in Austria has become a powerful way for far-right activists looking to influence culture, shape identity and thus, recruit new supporters. Nowdays, far right doesn\u2019t rely on the obvious aesthetic of the skinhead era\u2014it now wears well-tailored jackets, sleek streetwear, and curated online outfits designed to seduce rather than alarm.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Indeed, a recent poll of 1000 Austrians found that 60\u202f% consider the far right to be a serious threat to democracy, even more than corruption. Next, they were asked for which political party they would vote, if there was an election on the following Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 1 : If national elections were held next Sunday, which party would you vote for ? (in percentage)
Kranebitter (2024)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Among the key figures of this ongoing strategy is Martin Sellner, the leader of Austria\u2019s Identitarian Movement. He embodies what many refer to as the \u201chipster right\u201d, which is a polished, youthful aesthetic far removed from traditional neo-Nazi look. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Martin Sellner, May 2021, Vienna Credits : Picture Alliance<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This careful distancing from the past is, in fact, a tactical move. By appearing clean, relatable and mainstream, far-right figures can more easily infiltrate public life and engage younger people to join the party. As journalist Areeba Shah stated in <\/span>The Sunday Diplomat<\/span><\/i>, this aesthetic shift marks a calculated evolution from the violent uniformity of the skinhead look to a polished and modern image that \u201cpreserves symbolism but conceals intention\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFashion has always been a political statement,\u201d says Teresa, a researcher at the Fine Arts Institute, based in Vienna. She is working on the project <\/span>Fashion and the Far Right: the new complexity in style: <\/span><\/i>\u201cBut what we\u2019re seeing now is its use as a very intentional strategy, not just to show who you are, but to hide who you are, too.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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