By: Kasey Dugan...

If you’ve ever been delighted by a rotating aquarium lamp, or you’ve been inside a medical facility with lime green and aqua blue accents — you might enjoy this familiar-but-forgotten 2000s aesthetic, Frutiger Aero. 

Image from Twitter 

In my last blog post, we broadly explored the Frutiger family: an umbrella term for several Internet-adjacent aesthetics that were popular in the 2000s. The term “Frutiger” derives from the Microsoft Word typeface (named after the Swiss designer, Adrian Frutiger). 

“Frutiger Aero” is undoubtedly the most popular aesthetic within the Frutiger family, recognized by Millennials and Gen Zs across the globe. But what in the world is Frutiger Aero? Surprisingly, it’s a little hard to describe. The “Aero” in “Frutiger Aero” refers to the backronym for Windows Vista operating system, which is where we pulled the infamous blue and green from.

Frutiger Aero is a branch of Y2k Futurism: a meshing of reality and technology. It’s the ocean, if the ocean were on psychedelics: vibrant blues and greens, tropical fish, iridescent bubbles, glass-like splashes of water, glossy shapes, and abstract tech patterns. But it can also lend itself to more conceptual images: the sleekness of a Wii Fit board, the prismatic sheen on the back of a CD, or a clownfish floating in a bottle of hand soap. 

Image from FrutigerAero.org From Pinterest 

It’s been affectionately dubbed “the future we were promised” — perhaps because it represents a world in which technology improves our environment. Frutiger Aero is both paradox and fantasy: a reality where computers heighten our relationship to nature. 

But it hasn’t stopped people from continuing to obsess over it. During its initial run, aesthetic historians credit 2004 through 2013 to be the height of its success, channeling into fashion, interior design, and web design. 

In turn, it inspired Seapunk to take over Tumblr’s alternative community in 2011. Seapunk was a hybrid of nautical fashion, rave fashion, and punk fashion. Like Frutiger Aero, the clothes embraced both the ocean and digital media. It was common to see Tumblr girls donning mermaid blue hair and neon mesh shirts. (Slap a couple of 3D graphics and dolphins in there, and you might find yourself in Azealia Banks’ seapunk music video.)

Image from “Atlantis” Music Video 

As James Laverian once said: fashion always comes back around. I’m certain we will see the likes of Seapunk again, because we’ve already met its artsier sister: Mermaidcore. 

In 2022, Disney announced the completion of its long-awaited live-action film, The Little Mermaid. It was one of several big films whose productions came to a halt during the pandemic. The anticipation to see Disney’s beloved story on the big screen, plus ambitious marketing collaborations with large beauty empires, helped birth Mermaidcore. 

Image from Reddit; by Disney. 

Mermaidcore lacks the digital punchlines of both Seapunk and Frutiger Aero. Instead, it dips into the ethereal adjectives of the ocean, styling silhouettes that float, sway, or “swim” down the runway. Fine silk scarves, mother-of-pearl dresses, sheer suits, and frilly strings are just some of the details that won over 2023 fashion shows. 

Image from WWD. 

But the success of Mermaidcore was mainly confined to its Internet bubble, raking up fifteen billion views across TikTok. This isn’t to say that it didn’t have any success in the real world; aquatic-themed accessories certainly hit fast-fashion retailers like Zara and H&M. 

But Mermaidcore thrives in a beach vacation fantasy. So unless you are okay “playing mermaids” in the pool and out of the pool, it likely missed the mark for you. 

I guess it’s absurd, however, to claim that Frutiger Aero is any more realistic. But maybe that’s the allure: it’s absurdity is why we are so drawn to it. Somehow, these digital landscapes feel more real to us than the landscapes outside of our homes. 

Microsoft XP’s default wallpaper. Photo by Charles O’Rear. 

This is an actual, real place. But it’s been mythologized by its digital association.

Frutiger Aero (and its inspirations) continue to fascinate us today. Since 2023, users have been uploading their Frutiger Aero bedrooms and bathrooms on TikTok. Content creators are continuing to style Frutiger-Aero themed outfits, thrift finds, and makeup looks. 

Image from Tiktok

In our tireless search for nostalgia, comfort, and creativity, Frutiger Aero checks all the boxes. It’s now simply a matter of the fashion cycle. Once we are entirely done with our current trend cycle (Coachella accessories and “Ibiza-Inspired” co-ords) we might dive right back into Frutiger Aero …. with a splash. 

Image from Pinterest.