Explaining why Groovy Chick is all over your timeline

Ring ring hello yes it’s the 00s on the line again, back with another relic to spew across the TL. Thought the era had been bled dry? Think again. This time around said commotion-causing artefact back from the not-so-distant Y2K days of yore is none other than OG icon Groovy Chick herself, who rose from the dead and ended up trending on Twitter yesterday (surprise bitch: we bet you thought you’d seen the last of her). 

In case you’re not familiar with the character, according to Bang On The Door’s brief history, the world’s first ‘design-led tween queen’ was birthed back in 1992 by designers Karen Duncan and Samantha String. Fast forward to the late 90s and she was everywhere: on pencil cases, mugs, and furry notebooks, dangling from keyrings and Claire’s Accessories-procured beaded necklaces and bracelets, and plastered across duvet covers and an actual fucking mini fridge that yours truly circled in the Argos catalogue hoping to find waiting for her on Christmas morning (reader, she did not). 

Essentially, the kooky character was the Fila Disruptor of her day, given, in the early noughties, you were never more than three metres from a slice of her ubiquitous merch – which makes sense when you find out she was licensed out over 60 (sixty) times. Truly, the devil works hard, but Groovy Chick works harder (Kris Jenner who?)

But why is she back now, after all this time? The chill millennial gal’s resurgence is all thanks to clothing label Daisy Street, who slapped her effigy across a series of t-shirts and joined forces with ASOS to dole them out to Y2K nostalgia seekers and new fans alike. 

Catching wind of the release, on September 23 Sara Maria Griff Tweeted her surprise at ever seeing Bang on The Door’s illustrated character again, with the post racking up 85,000 likes and just under 1,000 replies, as former fans showed off Groovy Chick rollerblades, bikes, beanbags, blow-up chairs, curtains, laptops, and her own magazine, pretender to Dazed’s throne, Make It Groovy. Add to this the fact she exudes the kind of ‘first year art students who do ketamine’ energy that’s extremely du jour right now in her stripe-y cropped-top, low-rise flares, cute little mini-bag outfit combo, and why wouldn’t we be reinstating her as a style icon? 

For those looking to get their hands on one of Daisy Street’s tees, here comes the bad news: both styles have already sold out on ASOS. However, head straight to the BOTD source and the brand will print out a t-shirt, hoodie, tote bag, or cap to order (we stan a non-wasteful queen). For die-hards after OG 00s merch, a cursory glance on Depop in the name of research came up with a number of results – meaning, by our estimations, it’s not too long before Groovy Chick’s beaming cartoon face swarms the platform, jacked-up Brandy Melville-esque prices in tow. You have been warned.