10 trends that changed graphics
From camouflage to graffiti, we track the top 10 most influential graphics trends over the last decade.
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Street art
Contemporary urban beautification through illicit graffiti, stencils, stickers, posters and sculpture has taken off in the last 10 years and the public acceptance of artists such as Banksy has allowed contemporary street art to be accepted as creative expression, within both the commercial and fine art worlds.
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Artist collaborations
One of the biggest trends of the past decade, art and fashion collaborations have led to a flood of big brands working with up and coming artists and giving them exposure to a wider audience.
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Graphics reports: threadless.comOnline community design
Threadless.com, the most successful of the DIY graphic community sites, has been running since 2000 and was co-founded by Jake Nickell and Jacob DeHart from Chicago. The concept is simple; designers and illustrators upload their designs, a public vote takes place and the best designs are produced and sold through the site. The result is fantastic for graphic designers around the globe, allowing unknowns to get their designs into production.
Hot site: threadless.com -
Vault49
Jonathan Kenyon and John Glasgow's New York-based design collective, Vault49, was started in London after the pair graduated from the London College of Printing in 2002. The design firm revolutionised the world of vector illustration with their impeccably stylish fantasy-inspired designs. Its unique multilayered style continues to influence graphic design today.
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Nu rave
Initially a music sub-genre, nu rave became a visual reinvention of early 90s graphic style. Capturing the creative imagination of global youth culture at the beginning 2006; angular geometrics, neon and irreverent slogans dramatically progressed from a small capsule trend within music to a full-on global fashion sensation.
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Triple Five Soul and HVW8 collaborationSkulls
Once a macabre symbol of death, the humble skull motif has been reinvented time and time again. Today the skull has become one of the most popular T-shirt designs ever created and a perennial icon in contemporary fashion.
London Fashion Week Skulls -
Jonathan Saunders
One of the most inspirational print graduates of the past 10 years, Jonathan Saunders' fresh, angular printed textiles paved the way for a new expression in geometric pattern and print, influencing both the catwalk and the high street.
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Graphics collections: fantasy rockVintage rock tees
The love of vintage tees never dies, especially those linked to bands and musical icons from the 70s and 80s. Their faded and worn style inspires each new generation of trendsetters and will continue to do so.
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Catwalks: Miu Miu spring/summer 2008Faces: portrait prints
Originating from the DIY punk aesthetic of cut-and-paste flyer art and vintage rock tees, the faces phenomenon has evolved to be an important motif within contemporary fashion. Portraiture - be it vector, illustration, watercolour or photo collage - has many guises, making it a fashion staple that transcends all market levels.
Graphics: Layer face
Graphics: print and placement faces -
Print & Pattern: camouflageCamouflage
Classic camouflage was reinvented in 2001 with an explosion of mottled and oversized military patterns hitting the catwalk and the urban landscape. The trend continued throughout the early 2000s with new interpretations within streetwear, giving the theme a seemingly infinite lifespan.
Boardshort print designs
Contemporary Camouflage
Graphics: print and placement camouflage
