In Streetwise, a new trend highlighted by Franklin Till in VIEWPOINT COLOUR – 04, Identity, street style and luxury fashion collide to create an amalgamated aesthetic that straddles the divide between high fashion and street style.

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As fashion elite reject luxe and ostentatious for low fi design imbued with humor, the notion of luxury is redefined. Refined and elegant is losing its appeal as aspirational Millenials increasingly seeking a vehicle for self-expression, connection and representation, demand design that is relatable, accessible and authentic. This streetwise design direction manifests as a celebration of tongue-in-cheek humor and playful design styling. Embracing utilitarianism, we see exaggerated over-the-top functional featured in a material palette combining hyper-performance and synthetics. As designers appropriate corporate identities and elevate banal graphic styles, we get a laid-back approach to styling and communication creating a look and feel that is accessible to everyone and taps into real life. Color appears as solid stock hues, adopted from everyday references and presented in palettes that feel deliberately awkward and even driven by coincidence.

Source: Pantone.com