A photo collage of three Kenyans who joined the viral 1980s AI photo trend on social media. / HANDOUTThe 1980s are making a comeback on social media through artificial intelligence, with users turning their photographs into retro-style portraits.
Celebrities and other social media users have joined the trend, sharing images of themselves in colourful vintage clothing, period hairstyles and old-style settings.
The trend has spread beyond Instagram feeds and Stories to WhatsApp Status and TikTok videos, with Kenyans also joining in.
One Instagram user, Tom Njala, said he joined the trend mainly for entertainment and to see how he might have looked in the 1980s.
“I joined the trend for fun. I wanted to see how I would have looked in the 1980s, especially with the clothes, hairstyle and general style associated with that period. The pictures are entertaining, and it is interesting to imagine myself in a different era,” Njala said.
Njala said the AI-generated images made it possible for users to experiment with a period they may only have experienced through photographs, music, television and stories from older generations.
The trend has also attracted users who simply want to keep up with the latest online craze.
Mary Mwikali said she joined after seeing other people posting their versions and did not want to miss out.
“I saw many people sharing their 1980s pictures, and I decided to try it too because I did not want to miss out on the trend. It is fun seeing how I would look in that era,” Mwikali said.
The AI-generated pictures recreate the distinctive look of the 1980s through period clothing, hairstyles, accessories, backgrounds, lighting and analogue-style film grain.
Unlike a conventional vintage filter, the technology can change several elements of an image while retaining the person's recognisable facial features.
The trend has attracted celebrities and other public figures, adding to its visibility as more users share their own versions online.
How the trend works
Users upload a current photograph to an AI image tool and ask it to recreate the picture as if it had been taken in the 1980s.
The AI automatically generates clothing, hairstyles, settings, lighting and photographic effects to fit the 1980s era.
Many of the resulting images feature oversized hairstyles, bright colours, denim, statement accessories and the faded, grainy appearance associated with older photographs.
A common look being generated for men and women features bold, colourful 1980s streetwear.
The AI often produces relaxed or high-waisted denim, colourful shirts and jackets, white sneakers, watches and other period accessories.
Some versions also include items such as cassette players and wired headphones to strengthen the retro feel.
The trend has spread particularly quickly on Instagram, where users are posting the images on their feeds and Stories and encouraging friends to create their own versions.
For Kenyan social media users, the trend offers a way of imagining themselves in a decade remembered for distinctive fashion, music, television and popular culture.
The AI recreations have also prompted users to experiment with what a Kenyan 1980s photograph might have looked like, from clothing and hairstyles to studio settings and the grainy finish of photographs from the period.
