Brand monograms aren't going away any time soon.
Wearing names of fashion houses across your body or as an accessory was previously seen as a graveyard relic of the 1980s and 1990s. Once we welcomed the hushed minimalism of Celine and all its imitators, this vulgarity suddenly didn’t stand a chance. But then, like all moments in fashion, it waned and a voice emerged to shake us all out of our lull—the can-do-no-wrong golden child Alessandro Michele at Gucci. He boldly smattered the Gucci logo across his runways, starting a trend that still has mileage a few seasons in, with outerwear as the focus for Spring and Summer collections.
In tandem have been Chanel, Loewe, Fendi, Pucci, and Lanvin, among others. The difference this time around is not so much the aesthetic (a logo or monogram is after all usually the same), but the fact that in a social media landscape luxury houses have to be seen to have principles or a social conscience. Gucci pioneered the mainstream acceptance of fashion’s new gender fluidity and single-handedly led the charge for luxury houses giving up the use of real fur. Similarly, Maria Grazia Chiuri at Christian Dior has been relentless about promoting multiple politico-social agendas of feminism and racial diversity. So the brand with which you affiliate yourself defines who you are and what you stand for more than ever.
To wear it right, cut against the visible brand devotion and go the other way by adding totally low-key, anonymous pieces or even better, old favorites. Lighten up a jacket or blazer’s loudness with clean timeless pants or accessories that could be from any season.