This paper discusses the role of creative re-appropriation of goods, symbols, and other manifestations of the dominant material culture in the Emo identity construction process, providing an interpretative key to the complex system of signs that composes the style of this subculture. Following a netnographic approach, the authors conducted a qualitative content analysis of the visual and verbal texts featuring in a purposive sample of Emo social networks, blogs and forum. The analysis revealed four interpretative categories: the aestheticization of inner pain, the sense of alienation and isolation from socio-cultural mainstream, the quest for authenticity and the need for emotional connection.
Keywords: Subculture, Emo, bricolage, netnographic approach, self-branding, Web 2.0