Vivienne Westwood's Impact on Modern Streetwear
Two of the biggest staples of the modern streetwear aesthetic-logo flips and bold statements on garments and logo flips-were pioneered by Vivienne Westwood. Westwood's transformation of the Harris Tweed logo into her iconic Orb emblem set the stage for a long history of logo flips that became central to underground culture and streetwear.
This rebellious reinterpretation of traditional symbols is still seen today in brands like Vetements that have reimagined both the DHL logo and the iconic Juicy Couture tracksuit into something that fits into their world of design. We've also seen it with BAPE and Sicko, where Nigo and lan Connor both flipped the famous Seditionaries shirts into their own stylized versions, continuing Westwood's legacy of blending bold graphics with subversive intent.
Westwood's transformation of the Harris Tweed logo into her iconic Orb emblem set the stage for a long history of logo flips that became central to underground culture and streetwear. This rebellious reinterpretation of traditional symbols is still seen today in brands like Vetements that have reimagined both the DHL logo and the iconic Juicy Couture tracksuit into something that fits into their world of design. We've also seen it with BAPE and Sicko, where Nigo and lan Connor both flipped the famous Seditionaries shirts into their own stylized versions, continuing Westwood's legacy of blending bold graphics with subversive intent.
Westwood's style of bold text on distressed muslin tops and tees for Seditionaries, also had a lasting impact on streetwear. These garments, featuring controversial messages about British royalty and sexual norms, foreshadowed streetwear's future as a genre of clothing that allows individuals to wear their message.
One of her most famous pieces, the "Only Anarchists Are Pretty" shirt, is echoed today in the bold statements found in modern streetwear, from FTP's brand name, to Denim Tear's reclaiming the cotton wreath symbol, to Praying with their playful garment messages, to Supreme's collaboration with Jamie Reid, the visual artist for the Sex Pistols, on their "FXXXK ALL" design, to ASAP Rocky's latest runway show "American Sabotage". The list could goes on and on.
These Westwood-style provocations and logo flips live on through the modern streetwear designers who create with her ethos. Rest in peace to the Queen, Vivienne Westwood.
Written by XtendedMagazines