To Set the Trend

Geek girls have long been a myth shrouded in mystery whose very existence was often denied by skeptics. Sightings were often met with denials and jest. Nowadays we are not just out of the proverbial game closet but we are a large and prolific portion of the wider community.

While the comic book industry is still largely considered a boys game, works like ‘Womanthology’ (the compilation work of industry women that was a huge Kickstarter success and continued publishing success) are putting some real effort into bursting that bubble wide open. Women are involved in almost every level of the industries that pump out the things we love to consume. It’s only natural that content traditionally considered female-centric is making its ways into the most sacred halls of geekdom: the con.

I’m talking about fashion. While fashion is not the sole purview of women (some of the best designers through history were, and are, men not to mention all the men who work in the industry media) it is one of the few industries that are geared almost exclusively toward female consumers. It is also one of the new highlights for con attendees. For  a few years now fashion booths have started popping up at cons but most recently they have been moving away from cosplay and towards every day geek wear (and I’m not just talking about t-shirts, though those are sweet) and accessories. The real strides though have been made in the events themselves.

2012 appears to be the year of geek fashion stepping from the exhibit hall into the glow of con spotlight.  Anime conventions have a long tradition of hosting fashion shows featuring designers from the thriving Lolita and Harajuku Street trends. Now the door is being cracked open and geek fashionistas are stepping into the more ‘conventional’ conventions. This year everyone’s favorite madhouse, the San Diego Comic Con, featured its first Geek Girl Trendsetter panel, sponsored by geek clothing line Her Universe, that invited geek girls to turn out in their best chic then turned them into their very own geek-chic fashion show with critiques and props from industry professionals like hot jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino (check out her great stuff HERE, Bonnie Burton the geek DIY queen, actresses Clair Grant and Jamie King and representatives from Hot Topic Social Media Manager Courtney Lear and Senior Buyer Ed Labay.

You can watch the full panel with MTV Geek HERE.

With the popularity of geeky fashion crossovers blowing up news feeds and the buzz from the trendsetter panel coming out even weeks later it appears that fashion and geekdom are building a healthy relationship.

So are you a Geekanista?

Log onto Polyvore create your own geek inspired ensemble and post it on this article. We’ll feature the most popular outfits in a special feature right here on Forbidden Panel!