Working Class Heroes: How Oasis Shaped Fashion FOREVER
When nostalgia becomes a cultural phenomenon: collaborations, parkas and attitude
By: Karlyne Manrique
The Gallagher brothers have returned; after 16 years, they have reunited Oasis and this became a historic momentum that will forever mark the history of music and the times we live in, where nostalgia and the hunger for better and more sensitive times are felt every day.
Hundreds of thousands of fans around the world celebrated on August 27, 2024, a comeback that once seemed impossible, from one of the bands that represent that raw yet emotional rock, mainstream yet deep at the same time; a band that is not great only for the number of tickets sold, but for their anthems that they have left behind and that still connect with old and new generations, for their authentic attitude and a fashion-forward style without artificiality, rooted in personality rather than in clothing.
Noel and Liam Gallagher are the essence of Oasis; without them, the band does not exist, although in this comeback Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, the bassist of the original 90s lineup, returns with them.
Of Irish origin but Mancunian by birth, they possess a sort of defiant pose and attitude that originates in the essence of the working class of northern England, a culture formed mainly from hard work, football, and the music that emerged from the legendary Madchester, that alternative music movement of the 80s and 90s.
In each song, Noel Gallagher —main lyricist— reflects his own essence and story, and from that point, even with a complicated family background, Noel envisioned the point he wanted to reach: to be a Rock ’n’ Roll Star.
With lyrics full of power and a certain longing for a better future that were born in the midst of hardship, he created anthems ranging from the epic Live Forever and Rock ’n’ Roll Star to reflective tracks such as The Masterplan —one of my favorites— and Rockin’ Chair. Noel was also able to give us compositions that connect with the most emotional side of anyone, without becoming corny or sappy, as he does with Talk Tonight or the iconic Wonderwall.
Working Class Heroes: The “Gallagher style” will be eternal.
The Gallagher style, like many that have emerged from music in the United Kingdom, will be eternal. Yes, their style is full of brands representative of the 90s that also became legendary thanks to them, but their mark on fashion does not arise from this point, but from their attitude and personality; which, indeed, has much to do with their origins in Manchester, but their defiant presence elevates it to the maximum, and this is reflected in every garment they wear, automatically turning them into objects of desire for many.
Liam and Noel have turned every garment they wear into style symbols, even those as common as those found in the popular streets of Manchester. From anoraks and Adidas sneakers to garments with subcultural history behind them, such as the parka and its connection to the Mod subculture.
And, in the end, in fashion, that is what truly matters: essence without artifices. And this is what the Gallaghers contributed to rock ’n’ roll and to 90s style: a natural roughness, without adornments and authentically connected to their origin, without costumes or pamphleteering or superfluous speeches, just a desire to achieve their dreams and convictions.
Without resorting to studied and contrived stylings like the stars of today, there are legendary moments where the Gallagher style has become historic. Liam, for his part, has always been the most visible in this regard, standing out for his style that, although it may seem simple and improvised, leaves a statement forever on each occasion — like when he wore an Umbro drill top that became legendary, found in one of the dressing rooms of the Maine Road Football Stadium during one of their concerts at that same venue in April 1996, in Manchester — a design that Umbro re-released this year on the 29th anniversary of that performance —; the time he wore an oversized white sweater knitted by his girlfriend Patsy Kensit for one of the Knebworth shows; or the parka that became legendary from that Glastonbury performance in 1995.
The Summer of Oasis: The return of Brit-core
Liam has always been the Gallagher most connected to fashion without seeking it, like that time he was photographed alongside Patsy Kensit, his then-girlfriend, on sheets with the Union Jack flag for Vanity Fair in March 1997, an image that became a symbol of 90s British pride. He also appeared with Patsy in January of that same year for the “The English Woman” edition of Vogue magazine.
The Gallagher brothers’ taste for good clothing is obvious, and it is especially evident given the fact that Liam has his own menswear brand, Pretty Green, which has an identity inspired by the connection with music from the past and from good current bands. This year, Pretty Green launched a tribute collection to Oasis: Live Forever package.
Both Gallaghers have perfected their style over the years but have always remained faithful to their essence and favorite brands. Umbro, Adidas, Stone Island, CP Company, Fred Perry, and Kangol were some of their favorites during their rise in the 90s. Parkas, anoraks, denim jackets, bucket hats, sunglasses, and Adidas trainers seem to have returned along with the band this summer.
For this reason, the return of Oasis not only means the comeback of one of the most legendary bands of the 20th century to the stage, it has also been the reason for new collaborations of all kinds, inspiring unique collections:
Berghaus
The British outdoor gear brand Berghaus revived the Meru Jacket this year, originally launched in 1994. This garment achieved cult design status thanks to Liam Gallagher in 1997, when he wore this model during a concert in Oslo, Norway.
At the end of 2024, after the announcement of the Oasis reunion, Liam Gallagher starred in a campaign for the brand wearing the Trango model.
Novesta
This 2025, Noel Gallagher starred in a collaboration with the Slovak sustainable footwear brand Novesta and the Teenage Cancer Trust.
This collection, called Lone Star, promises premium materials and details for the exclusive Lone Star Chukka model. Each purchase from this collection generates a contribution to support young people battling cancer.
Land Rover Defender OCTA Black
Land Rover became the official automotive partner of the Oasis Live ’25 tour, launching the Defender Octa Black, a high-performance version of its Defender model, which will accompany the band on their world tour.
To mark this, Land Rover created a large mural at 60 Shudehill, in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, to celebrate this collaboration and present this version of the Defender, symbolizing the union of two icons of British culture.
Burberry
This year, Liam Gallagher and three of his children — Molly, Lennon, and Gene — starred in a campaign that elevates the British rock ’n’ roll spirit. In it, the British festival spirit of the 90s and 2000s is highlighted in the style of Glastonbury.
Alexa Chung and Cara Delevingne also appear in this campaign as a reminder of the nostalgia for that era.
Levi´s
As part of its Band Tee Collection, Levi’s launched in 2024 a commemorative collection for the 30th anniversary of Oasis’s album Definitely Maybe and their new tour, reviving the original Decca logo and the Union Jack logo that take us back to the 90s.
This collection also includes other editions, such as those dedicated to Blur, Joy Division, or New Order.
Stone Island
This past 2024, Liam Gallagher starred in the Fall/Winter 2024-2025 campaign for Stone Island alongside other figures.
Liam has been a fan of this brand for a long time, and this became evident when he lost his Stone Island parkas after a robbery at Glastonbury 2017.
Adidas Originals
They launched their Original Forever collection, consisting of bucket hats, t-shirts, and track suits as a commemoration of Oasis’s comeback and their history — a history always linked to Adidas, to music, fashion, and British essence.
This collection is also created as a tribute to both brothers.
But Adidas has not stopped there; they have also announced a special launch of commemorative sneakers for this August 16, releasing two models dedicated to each of the brothers: the Marathon SPZL in Midnight Navy for Noel and the Achille SZPL in Stone Khaki for Liam. In October of this year, another launch in collaboration with the band is planned.
Not everything is nostalgia and music: The business behind this comeback.
In this comeback, not everything is fashion, music, and nostalgia: money and profits have skyrocketed, and not only for the two brothers, but also for merch sellers as a result of this reunion. It is estimated that the total income from the band’s merchandise sales would be about £400 million, according to music industry expert Matt Grimes.
Pinterest has seen an isolated but significant increase in searches in Mexico related to the style Oasis made their own. The mod cut went from being a niche search to a term with stable and growing relevance over the past year.
In 2023, the mod style maintained very low but stable interest, without achieving significant searches. The search remained high and fluctuating since 2024, with several peaks approaching or reaching the maximum of 100 in 2025, indicating that it may be related to the Oasis tour.
For his part, searches for Liam Gallagher rose during the time of the 2025 tour announcement and reached a maximum of 100 this July; which means that, although it is a niche trend, the Oasis comeback is indeed relevant for certain groups in Mexico. Unlike in the United Kingdom, in Mexico the bucket hat trend was not as relevant, as searches leaned toward the simple and meaningful: Adidas and the mod cut.
Some believe that this reunion could be the trigger for a trend marking the return of a Britpop adapted to our time. Without a doubt, the impact of Oasis’s return to the stage has significance not only for the United Kingdom, but also for the world and Latin America.
The Gallaghers, with this comeback, show us that they are not willing to let true rock ’n’ roll die, which has been diminished amid the superficiality of an era increasingly detached from authenticity, where there is plenty of supply but little soul.
As for fashion, the Gallaghers faithfully represent this moment, in which luxury has lost value in the eyes of the world, showing that what really matters to become a style icon and set trends lies in individual essence, not in a logo, a brand, or the price behind a garment. D’you know what I mean?
