Hand-drawn graphics,
sketchbook scrawls and graffiti is making its way into the young men’s
fashion arena. Think powerful messaging 90s style, a new movement of
communicating and perhaps rebellion, via clothing and fashion. It began
with Raf Simons playing with boldly placed text and photos on clothing,
such as on tailored coats and sportswear, but it has now been adopted by
directional streetwear brands and filtered down to the high street, as seen
at Topman.
For spring summer 2016, designers took to their sketchbooks to create rough
hand-drawn fonts to voice messages with attitude. Doodles and short sharp
slogans are applied to denimwear with pen, paint and chalk for a
punk-inspired look. The multi-patch trend evolves with DIY style placements
and font-heavy badges inspired by old punk flyers.
Quirky illustrations are complemented with subversive messages for a
playful punk approach, noted WGSN. Scribbled conversations and texts
combine a multitude of hand-drawn fonts, crossed-out statements and doodles
using a palette of black, white and ecru with the occasional primary
overlay.
Particularly relevant are off-kilter placements for graphics, such as under
sleeves or off-centre on the back of denim jackets. Printed patches and
badges are sporadically placed or haphazardly clustered for a DIY aesthetic.