today La MJC dropped All Gone, a year end wrap-up of streetwear, collectible toys, limited sneakers and the like. This joint features 180 different items from the past year with creator interviews, sharp photography, pullouts, posters, stickers and explanation of the concept that lead to the final product. In keeping with the spirit of limited run exclusivity the book is limited to a run of 500 and is priced at 30 euros (about $40 bucks US) before shipping. check WE SOLD OUT to cop one. images from the book below:
looking at the design of the recently exploded streetwear market im reminded of the punk rock aesthetic to a degree. punk rock dudes were/are all about differentiating themselves from the masses with their style (mohawks, bullet belts, dyed hair, piercings etc), although if asked most will not play up the idea they worry about their daily outfit as much as your average 15 year old girl. in punk's creation of their own standards of design they rejected the status quo. streetwear is also about rejecting the masses but not necessarily the principles of standard design.
streetwear, coming out of hip-hop looks to best the next dude. "you got a new pair of clean all white chucks like everyone else?" cool. im gonna have a pair of clean all red chucks. why? because no one else has 'em. that's the concept. as the scene has progressed custom items, collectibles and limited runs have become the norm. but the design has only really deviated from the norm in terms of saturation. taking a centered logo and replicating it all over a garment, literally saturating colors into hues that the mainstream would rarely go, reviving design schemes from years past, matching and coordinating to pedantic levels. in this amplification of the norm we end up with what some might objectively call caricature.
its really something to be said for the sameness of all youth oriented sub cultures that two movements separated by 30+ years, geography and class could end up so highly resembling each other. like all youth sub culture though, it'll only be a short amount of time before streetwear is totally co-opted by the mainstream and is no longer appealing to a wide band of youths. but what comes next after dumb bright colors, busy patterning and uber matching? muted formal wear!
this is the look for '08. get on board now.
