This unabashed focus on the individual is one of the biggest reasons for logo mania registering on fashion’s radar again.
With millions of people on Instagram lapping up every move/pose/post by powerful social media stars, logos are an easy way for brands to increase visibility. Social media’s grip on fashion is democratic and viral (followers are only hampered by access to Wi-Fi and 3G, not dollars or cents), which means we’ll continue seeing an influx of more logos to “Like.” The spring/summer 2016’s catwalks yielded the boldest, loudest and most convincing turnout of logos by far. The biggest difference?
They’re now made ultra cool, and worn by fashion’s new squad of It girls (and boys) who aren’t apologetic about making a statement.
Nicolas Ghesquière offered a glimpse of what the future has in store for logo mania when he brought Vuitton’s respected Damier and Monogram Canvas to new frontiers. Against futuristic LED displays and sliding screens, Ghesquière re-appropriated the patterns into futuristic-looking panels on tailored leather vests, biker jackets and bags, putting a conceptual and intellectual spin to the Parisian Maison’s most famous emblems.
Over in Milan, Gucci’s Alessandro Michele wholeheartedly embraced the brand’s heritage when he took over as Creative Director. And one of the many ways he’s managed to accomplish that is by reinterpreting Gucci’s famous “GG” pattern on a host of covetable must-buys that are anything but vulgar.
For his debut, Michele made the interlocking “GG” sign hip again with something as simple as a belt (those who have followed Gucci in the ’90s from its Tom Ford days would recall his famous GG logo belt on the hips of Madonna and supermodels Amber Valletta and Trish Goff). Michele then proceeded to decorate the Dionysus, the brand’s new It-bag crafted from the recognisable webbed pattern, with all sorts of lovely floral embroidery. This season, the shaggy-haired designer continued his ode to a bygone romance by fashioning a luxurious trench coat from the pattern. His take is clearly archival and vintage, giving Gucci this “lost treasures from the attic” vibe, which ties in with the current trend for Bohemia and all things rustic.
On the flip side, spring also saw bad boy Riccardo Tisci jumping on the logo bandwagon—albeit in an altogether flashier manner. His branding is unashamedly showy. Tisci updated Givenchy’s visual vocabulary with a new print that combines the brand’s name with big bold stars, making its appearance first on Givenchy’s men’s runway show. Tisci is determined to make this a House signature, even using it as a leitmotif for the upcoming pre-fall collection.
Is this the birth of a new fashion favourite? Only time will tell. But as past trends have shown, it’s the fastest (and most profitable) way for brands to show well... their brands. It’s brand advertising—which you as the consumer actually pays for. Whether you choose to wear logos for wealth, acknowledgment, individuality, allegiance, or simply because you actually like it, for now, it’s proof that it doesn’t take much to dress like a superstar. So go ahead and make it your #squadgoal. We promise we won’t judge.
