Of all the popular subcultural groups with colorful histories and stereotypes – car fanatics always near the top of my mind. For a distinct subset of people, it’s an extremely varied group. 80-year-olds cruising the coast in big body Chevrolets occupy the same space as teenage boys drifting in kitted-out Mustangs. Being from the South it’s my duty/right to mention the men with monster truck-esque personal vehicles disfigured to a point far beyond showroom quality. Despite the changing nuances and flavors, cars are not a trend. These metal beasts have fulfilled a vital role for people since their inception. But, every time I open Instagram or venture onto the internet I’m subject to seeing more and more fashion brands utilize and straight up hijack car-related imagery. Far from the “distressed” Ford shirts sold at Wal-Mart, companies across the fashion gamut are playing off of vehicles for the purpose of desirable apparel. Nascar jackets had a brief stint a few decades back, but this is different - and features far less embroidery. A lot of brands I would describe as “cutesy” are pirating references and logos from things once reserved for guys drag racing Camaros behind shopping centers late night. One particular vehicle stands out far above the rest in terms of popularity and consistent moodboard appearances. 90s Land Rover are everywhere. You may be shocked at just how many photos showcasing 30-year-old SUVs appear on a daily basis. From barraging through jungles and pushing through earth-spanning excursions, these have become the undisputed vehicular mascot of fashion/lifestyle moodboards. No retro, adventurous, outdoorsy, 90s-centric profile is complete without at least one Land Rover Discovery. But, I get it. The big square, rugged frames exude that retro, sporty aesthetic that has its clamps firmly tightened on the fashion world. And to be completely fair and honest, a lot of the vintage photographs and advertisements are pretty sick. For some reason, safari shots with a 2004 Honda Civic lack the same effect. But as things often go now, the original interest and genuine fandom gets muddled with nonstop reposts because the vehicle has now become and Instagram ~ thingthrough certain channels. I highly doubt anyone who actually owns the car is aware of his or her vehicle’s rapidly expanding online presence, but I feel it’s been crawling toward an apex for the past few years. If I had to trace the car’s bubbling popularity back, I think its big bang started within the vintage community. Which as Procell’s expanding hit list of vintage-turned-modern fashion obsession shows - this isn’t very shocking. My earliest internet memories regarding the vehicle don’t even involve the actual car now, but instead Land Rover embellished sweatshirts and hats. (@black_zuckerberg’s Instagram is definitely the best collection of these vintage items paired with accurate time frames for reference.) Everyone goes ballistic for a grey Champion blank and some simple green screen-printing with an undeniably cool, aspirational brand symbolizing wealth and adventure. It combines for an object people want. But nothing gold can stay, and I’m witnessing similar items appear nonstop. Some took their newfound infatuation outside the digital sandbox and brought new items to life with vintage Land Rover sensibility. For vehicles with notoriously bad reliability, these beasts won’t die. New York label Aimé Leon Dore literally plastered the Range Rover’s unmistakable outline across shirts, key chains and polos. In a similar gesture, moodboard queen Emily Oberg opted for a straight logo riff for her appropriately named “Sporty & Rich” line. (Land Rovers are seen countless times on the brand’s corresponding moodboard/inspiration page – yes, these things exist.) Tribute or travesty? Appropriating logos and luxury brands for apparel isn’t a new phenomenon, but the Land Rover imagery seems a little played out and too internet friendly. It’s starting to remind me of the unreal spike in Grateful Dead “merch”/tie-dye and the subsequent landslide of brands rushing to capitalize off it – MAYBE the first 10 attempts were okay. Outside the realm of English-made sporting vehicles, I think an uptick in car-related clothing can still be argued. Gazing back a few years I can’t recall any brands 100 percent dedicated to car clothing like L'Art de L'automobile. Arthur Kar’s automobile collection and garments have both become internet candy for fashion kids and gearheads since the brand’s inception. Hordes of people who definitely don’t have driver’s licenses can be found lurking in packs around fashion week in shirts boasting a Volkswagen Golf GTI. What a world. Determined to make everyone look like a F1 driver, the trend also invaded the footwear category. Of all the bizarre crossover collaborations that exist for some unjust reason, quite a few reside in this realm. Cars fulfill the same role as shoes in the most basic sense of comfortably getting from Point A to Point B, but most of the projects lack any real purpose. Ferrari and Puma have an ongoing fling and every outcome leaves me pretty stumped. Porsche’s relationship with Adidas makes a little more sense, and the outcomes are interesting to look at. (Land Rover has also kept recent collaborations limited to fellow countrymen through projects with Paul Smith and Barbour.) Obviously Porsche fanatics would never be seen leaving the brokers’ office wearing Vans. Yuck. Shame on me for thinking German engineering can’t venture beyond fancy engines and oversized spoilers to a pair of $500 Adidas Bounce. Despite the waterfall of new brands with a renewed sense of automotive prowess, nothing really beats the originals. But, why buy a logo referencing Land Rover when various pieces from the brand’s original Land Rover Gear line are still available? (They made excellent pants!) A French car/fashion brand collaborating with DSM sounds great to some, but I’m too easily swooned by the shirts commemorating cross-country rallies and meet ups designed by car fanatics with absolutely no interest in securing a European fashion co-sign. Over 25 years ago, Fuct flipped Ford’s logo and the result was an extremely important and recognizable moment in fashion history. In a rather bizarre, head-scratching moment, Versace collaborated (legally) with the same American vehicle titan on an insanely poor collection of garments with the iconic blue oval plastered over them an ungodly amount of times. Things definitelychange over time, but fashion’s soirée with car brands is nothing new. As the world grows more sympathetic to public transit and other energy-efficient options, maybe clothing with vehicular graphics will be last remaining pillar of car culture in a few generations. It’s hard to call. But if moodboards still exist when we have flying cars, I guarantee some 900-year-old Land Rover photos will still pop up.
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AuthorMax Theriot Archives
November 2019
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