6 examples of street culture that went far beyond it
Miscellaneous / / August 08, 2023
Works by graffiti artists fetch millions of dollars, and 1990s-inspired sweatshirts are produced by fashion houses that collaborated with the royal families of Europe.
1. Aesthetics of skateboarders
Loose-fitting T-shirts, wide leg jeans, flats and the must-have board: Athlete style inspires many fashion houses. Skateboards decorated with ornaments, watercolor stains and other drawings are produced by Hermes, Dior and Louis Vuitton. And niche brands are becoming the object of desire for fashionistas far from street sports. For example, Supreme began in 1994 as a small store in New York, and then turned into a fashion giant with numerous fans.
Skateboarders participate in advertising campaigns for famous brands and collaborate with artists. Say Alex Olson starred in a Louis Vuitton commercial promoting the V Line men's handbags. And Blondie McCoy did exhibition with Damien Hirst, one of the highest paid contemporary British artists.
2. Banksy graffiti
The name of this artist is known even to those who still believe that the drawings on the walls are always vandalism. Banksy is not only a pseudonym for a particular artist, but also a term
denoting a form of street graffiti made using stencils. His real name and other details of his life are still unknown. Assumethat Banksy was born in 1974 in the English city of Bristol. Initially, he painted by hand, but switched to stencils in the early 2000s. The artist's works are devoted to political and social topics.By the way, Banksy creates his works not only on the walls, but also applies spray paint to the canvas. In 2018, his painting "Girl with a ball" acquired at Sotheby's auction for nearly $1.4 million. After the purchase, it began to self-destruct: the artist installed a shredder in the frame - just in case the work was put up for sale. But the mechanism jammed, and only half of the canvas was damaged. Who set the shredder in action, it was not possible to find out.
3. Tracksuit from the 1990s
Three decades ago, colorful sweatshirts and pants were the ultimate dream of the average high school student. Especially if they were wearing three adidas stripes - it was not easy to get one in Russia. Later, sportswear turned from luxury into an affordable item of clothing for everyone and the trend passed. It was hard to imagine that the thing would become desirable again and world celebrities would start wearing it! The popularity of this aesthetic was returned by the Balenciaga fashion house, which, after the arrival of the new creative director Demna Gvasalia, began to use post-Soviet elements in clothes. And in 2022 the brand introduced collaboration with adidas. And such costumes appeared at the shows of Loewe and Tom Ford. Now Kim Kardashian wears baggy sweatpants and a jacket. And Bella Hadid starred in a red suit in the new advertising campaign for Balenciaga × adidas.
4. Paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat
The American artist died 35 years ago, but his work is still relevant. Basquiat created his first works anonymously. Under the pseudonym SAMO, he, along with his friend Al-Diaz, covered buildings in New York with texts. The meaning of many inscriptions is difficult to decipher. For example, “SAMO as a negation condition” or “He thinks plush protects. SAMO.
Later, Basquiat switched to paintings, finally leaving the ultimatum “SAMO is dead” on the streets. His canvases were at the same time similar to graffiti and rock art. The artist loved pure colors, which he squeezed directly from the tubes onto the canvas. As a child, Grey's Anatomy made a great impression on him, and in the paintings Basquiat depicted bones and internal organs that are visible through the skin. He was friends with Andy Warhol - together they created about 160 works. For example, a series of paintingsOlympic rings”, inspired by the 1984 games in Los Angeles.
Basquiat also influenced fashion - he painted pictures right in expensive Armani suits, not being afraid to stain them with paint. Giorgio Armani certainly didn't mind. “I design clothes to be worn, for people to live in, and he certainly did!” the fashion designer said. Today, many brands are inspired by Basquiat paintings. His prints appear in the collections of Off-White, Peloton, New Era and Herschel.
5. Calligraffiti by Pokras Lampas
Pokras Lampas, an artist from the Moscow region, works in the style of calligraffiti. He started from the classic street art “tags”, that is, he left his pseudonym with a can of paint. And now among his works painting on the new building of the Tretyakov Gallery and in front of the RZD Arena in Moscow. He also covered the tunnel from the Atrium shopping center to the Kursk railway station with calligraphy, encrypting messages from Vladimir Mayakovsky and Kazimir Malevich in it. These works are written about in art magazines and included in all sorts of guides and travel guides. Street culture not only allows cities to become more beautiful, but also helps them earn money from tourists. So, for example, consider participants of the survey conducted by the All-Russian student project "Your Move". The works of Pokras Lampas in Russia can be found not only in Moscow. For example, in St. Petersburg, he created a huge 250-meter mural called "Dualism". In the inscription encrypted Millennial Manifesto: We are the future.
6. Converse sneakers
The history of the Converse brand began more than a century ago. Initially, the company produced galoshes and winter shoes, and in 1917 created Non-Skid model - we know it under the name All Star. The shoes were intended for basketball, which at that time was only gaining popularity. Converse has become the favorite footwear of athletes and an integral part of their images.
In the 1970s, other brands began to make basketball shoes. In order not to lose ground, the company came up with the One Star and Pro Leather models - in the latest played two-time Olympian Michael Jordan. And yet, more technologically advanced shoes have gradually replaced Converse from the sports fields. But she began to appear more and more often on the street. The brand was loved by skateboarders - sneakers provided good grip and stability on the board. And shoes were worn by musicians - for example, David Bowie and Kurt Cobain. Gradually, Converse lost its association with the sports past, and became a new classic of street style.