In his 79-year book, Subculture: The Meaning of Style, Dick Hebdige describes the young subcultures that have been widely watched since the 1960s as Teddy boys, Mods, Rockers, and Skinheads. Cultural forms created and disseminated spontaneously by groups such as Punks are more of a counter-mainstream society's values ​​and spiritual world.
The counter-mainstream culture has contributed to the birth and development of streetwear. From the past, people wear it because not many people wear it. After being "packaged" by mainstream culture, people wear it because everyone wears it, whether it affects the whole. The fashion industry has undergone tremendous changes, and the appeal of streetwear expression groups, or the communication of community identity, will never change. In order to be more easily understood and absorbed by the sympathizer, the language of expression must be in the form of popular, no class restrictions, so back to the roots, such as T-shirts, can be conveyed by printing simple graphic design patterns. For the manufacturer or the wearer, it has always been said to be the most "Streetwear" item...
This time, let's talk about other dimensions such as the attitude behind the clothing and the background of the times reflected, from the indispensable language of street brands - graphic design. With regard to graphic design, it is important to convey information in the most convenient and direct way. It is best if it can fully express the creator's wishes.
Many creators now believe that trying a variety of media can make information transfer from different perceptions. However, graphic design is the origin of all media, the simplest and most promising way, and still the majority of street artists. The first choice, in addition to printing, there are flat posters, magazines, zine, album covers, product packaging, etc... Everything needs graphic design.
DIY spirit coexisting between street culture and graphic design
From the earliest Shawn Stussy's T-shirts with the same graffiti logo on his custom surfboards, and selling them, it is considered the origin of streetwear, California's surfing and skateboarding culture has become a breeding ground for streetwear, 70 In the early 1980s, street brands began to draw inspiration from the DIY aesthetics of Punk, Rock, and Hip Hop.
In particular, Punk, the collapse of the capitalist world economy, was born under the incitement and rebellion that began in the era of resistance to the big industry. The cultural movements that began with music involved a wider range of fields such as clothing, design, and comics. Rebel era to shape a new era. Due to the separation from mainstream record companies, the Punk band dresses from DIY records to DIY, torn clothing with pins or other metal ornaments, paints on clothing or provocative patterns on the front chest. Unconventional.
The graphic design is also inseparable from the DIY aesthetics. The designer integrates a large number of different texts, symbols, images and other materials into one whole, using different methods such as typography, visual art, and typesetting to achieve the goal. DIY's design concepts and methods further reflect the emotional expression and creative thinking of the design.
In addition, at the time, the self-made performance posters and the cover design of the cover and the graphic design of the cover, or the use of sharp contrast to create visual impact, also influenced the design of the street costumes in the future. “Graphic Designers Changing Graphic Design†Jamie Reid's album cover for Sex Pistols is already familiar to everyone. In addition to tampering and refactoring, he added new elements for collage. The fonts were designed in a collage to subvert the traditional aesthetic standards. Hip hop, graffiti, and psychedelic rock logo aesthetics can all be found in the future of streetwear design.
Graphic design applications play an important role in the field of street fashion
In the past two years, you may find that Los Angeles is experiencing a new creative blowout phase. Adrian Joffe said when he was preparing to open the Dover Street Market in the Downtown Arts District. “California seems to be the epitome of resistance.†Focus on the brands, they go back to California's anti-cultural history, and break through with strong "graphic design style" and DIY aesthetics.
Brain Dead has always been dominated by destructive and conceptual graphics, drawing inspiration from underground comics, science fiction, Punk, and skateboarding culture. For the directors Kyle Ng and Ed Davis, conveying stories and attitudes through the clothing carrier is the key to brand success. They are artists who specialize in translating their preferences into visual language through graphic design. Ed Davis also operates The independent magazine "Heavy Time" has a unique design style at a glance.
PLEASURES, co-founded by Alex James, the creative director of the original Publish Brand, and Vlad Elkin from SSUR, has quickly entered the field in the past two years with patterns and slogans full of Punk style and underground culture. From the topicality of the "RIP" theme of the spoof T-shirt, the art of the collage, to the imaginative print design, PLEASURES always makes the young people feel the resonance.
The Ware created by Brendan Fowler and Cali Thornhill DeWitt connects music, clothing and graphic design. Cali Thornhill DeWitt As a versatile creative person, he can design fonts and graphic images from a number of street brands. The most famous is the design for The Life of Pablo. He is a good artist and hardcore artist. Brendan Fowler completed the transition from music to clothing, and designed the T-shirt and hoodie with the theme of lyrics as a way to raise funds for the label release. They also have DIY aesthetics and design with emphasis on typography. Presented through an increasingly rich collection of apparel.
When it comes to graphic design, of course, in addition to the brand, graphic designers and design and publishing agencies active in the street fashion field. From Japan's hot graphic designer YOSHIROTTEN, he has worked from the plane to cross art direction, interior design, etc., from Nike, Tokyo Fashion Week, Ace Hotel to Tokyo's young cultural gathering place DOMICILE, BLOODY ANGEL Records & Bar... The Tokyo subculture brand SUB-AGE., which is responsible for design concepts based on music and design. His futuristic, digital art combined with natural elements and oriental Zen works have created a new visual world.
LQQK Studio, a creative unit from Brooklyn, New York, specializes in the design and production of T-shirts, Zine, album covers, etc. by screen printing, representing local culture, linking fashion, art, skateboarding, club culture, etc., and recently launched Vans' first joint name. Screen printing is one of the most creative ways to embody the DIY spirit. At present, the demand for crafts has not been smashed by the torrent of the digital revolution. On the contrary, more and more brands are willing to cooperate with them to complete the design in the most returning way.
As a visual platform to showcase the creative work to the public, BOOTCAMP magazine also visited the studio of the LQQK Studio team in the 16th issue. Behind this free magazine, which is intended to inspire readers' creative thinking, is the name that cannot be ignored in the field of Japanese street culture - mo'design. The Japanese design company founded by Mizoguchi Foundation has taken over art, VI, printing and graphic design, and is a long-term cooperation unit of Fujiwara. From concept to design supervision, the numerous visual arts and cultural products are the crystallization of wisdom behind mo'design.
I have seen these street design-led street brands and the ideas provided by design agencies. I believe that no one will feel the emotions they want to convey because of the carrier of their designs, and even evoke your experience of a certain period and period. Memory.
A concept or textual information itself has no visual personality, and the monotonous information is artistic or interesting. The graphic designer can create the desire of the audience by designing the function of the story, which is also the necessary way to build the community and attract consumption. the road.
Street clothing is actually a market segment, not a subculture itself. Street clothing carries the roots of underground culture on the one hand, but it does not need to be distinguished from mainstream values, because the pillar of clothing is consumption, therefore, streetwear There is no contradiction with current values. Friends who love street culture don't feel lost because street clothes are conquered by popular culture. Feel free to feel that you can still get what you want through the brand's design language from the scenes of flowers.