The Logo Effect

THE MONOGRAM WAS the reigning status symbol in the 90s up to the early 2000s, thanks to an era of conspicuous consumption sparked by a booming US economy. That would change when the financial crisis hit in 2008 and suddenly, one person's branded bag became fashion's anathema. Flashiness was replaced by a quiet elegance of logo-free handbags,as queen of minimalism Phoebe Philo introduced her ideology of "less is more" at Celine.

Fast forward to today, where the cycle of fashion has seen logos making a huge comeback. But this time it's less about showing off and more about staking a brand's claim in fashion history. They're certainly not being shy about it either, with logos defining the look of both women's and men's bags. They're also infiltrating the ready-to-wear categories for both sexes, with luxury houses such as Fendi sporting special logo-fuelled capsule collections.

Brands like Dior, Fendi and Gucci who made a name for themselves in the logoobsessed world of the 90's, wasted no time rehashing their archival monogram logos with renewed vigour.