Ever since Virgil Abloh, streetwear designer slash Kanye confidante, was appointed artistic director of Louis Vuitton in March, the fashion world can’t seem to stop talking about how the industry is being turned on its head. As graphic T-shirts are beginning to hold a higher value than Italian leather, the definition of “luxury” has become an elusive concept.
Streetwear, though, is not a new phenomenon. It’s been around for decades. Rooted in skate and hip-hop culture, it has given way to an underground market of logo-heavy athletic wear, establishing the personas of “sneakerheads” and “hypebeasts” alike.
But the reason this subculture seems to be experiencing its heyday only now is because we are living in the image-centric age of Instagram. Streetwear’s loud aesthetic allows the trend to make noise on social media. And as younger shoppers are beginning to favor uniqueness over craftsmanship, out goes the desire for traditional luxury. According to a 2017 study by consulting firm Bain & Company, luxury streetwear has helped boost global sales of luxury goods by 5 percent last year to an estimated 263 billion euros.
“I don’t even get the ‘streetwear’ thing anymore. In reality, they’re brands that understand culture and how it’s transmitted. Abloh has been the breakout designer for lots of reasons but high fashion brands have been ‘street’ for a while,” said John Matthews, strategy director at Siegel+Gale London, adding that because Instagram is now the most important visual medium for fashion, the industry has keyed in on streetwear’s logos and graphics as “instantly visible, transmittable memes.”
As high fashion houses tap more and more into this growing social media trend, streetwear is occupying a larger space within the upper echelons of style. But there’s no brand that does this quite like Gucci. Under the leadership of creative director Alessandro Michele, the fashion house has completely altered its aesthetic, collaborating with graffiti artist Trevor Andrew and photographer Coco Capitán. Adopting a very maximalist approach, the company has made its trademark interlocking “G’s” a symbol of Instagram fashion. Last year, Gucci launched its #TFWGucci—that Feeling When Gucci—campaign, a social media initiative that commissioned digital artists from around the world to create memes that featured its line of Le Marché des Merveilles wristwatches.
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