By 1980, a new aesthetic within the youth culture was gaining momentum, defined by a whole new sound, avant-garde fashion, and an anticipation of a propitious future. It was a progressive force which opened new roots for music while embracing all genders, ethnicities and sexual preferences – a level of openness not experienced by previous youth subcultures. The New Romantic movement, which appeared between the last gasp of traditional labour politics and the full flush of Thatcherism, defied all conventional description and represented a significant cultural turning point. This study will explore societal pressures, culture, fashion, style and music to understand the importance of the New Romantic movement in regard to its contribution to acceptance and diversity in Britain. Through investigation surrounding Thatcher’s decade of crisis, the impact of unemployment and the decline of typically masculine manufacturing industry there is evidence of a cultural shift which changed thinking about diversity in sexuality and gender. This research examines to what extent the New Romantics was a rebellion against hegemonic Thatcherite British societal norms or whether youth culture is simply a trend cycle in which previous youth cultures went out of fashion leaving a void for the next. Finally, this study scrutinises the dissemination of information surrounding the New Romantics youth subculture particularly probing the celebrification of pop figures, through the new medium of MTV and fashion designers and the consequent effect on the mainstream attitudes to diversity and acceptance.
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