DECODING IDENTITY: SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF FASHION PRACTICES AMONG VESPA ENTHUSIASTS IN MAKASSAR RETROHOLIC COMMUNITY

Nurwijaya Hariadi; Alem Febri Sonni; Muh. Akbar

doi:10.52423/jikuho.v10i3.1685

Authors

Nurwijaya Hariadi Universitas Hasanuddin
Alem Febri Sonni Universitas Hasanuddin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6785-5033
Muh. Akbar Universitas Hasanuddin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4974-8154

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52423/jikuho.v10i3.1685

Keywords:

Communication, Community, Culture, Semiotics, Subcultural Identity, Vespa

Abstract

This study analyzes the communication messages embedded in Vespa motorbike accessories and fashion within the Makassar Retroholic community, focusing on how visual symbols construct and communicate collective identity. Using Roland Barthes' semiotic framework, particularly his concepts of denotation, connotation, and myth, the research explores how fashion elements and motorbike modifications function as cultural signs. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and visual documentation. Findings reveal that Vespa accessories and clothing styles serve as a communication system reflecting values of nostalgia, solidarity, and resistance to mainstream culture. Items such as Bullseye Mods targets and Dr. Martens boots have shifted from symbols of rebellion to representations of middle-class lifestyle identity. Customised clothing further acts as a visual narrative, expressing both personal identity and group affiliation within the retroholic subculture. The study contributes to subcultural communication theory by illustrating how material objects operate as semiotic resources for identity construction in a contemporary Indonesian setting. Practically, it offers insights for community leaders and marketers into how symbolic consumption patterns shape group cohesion and brand loyalty in motorbike enthusiast communities.

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