The hyperreal cartoonification of fashion is here
After ten years as creative director at Moschino, American designer Jeremy Scott is stepping down. Since launching his eponymous brand in Paris in 1997, Scott has become known for his irreverent designs and for working with celebrities like Lady Gaga, Bjork, Madonna, ASAP Rocky and Grimes. As an early proponent of blending high fashion with street style, Scott was considered an enfant terriblé at the time. His infamous 2008 Adidas Originals collection heralded the launch of his chunky footwear: the JS Wings (winged high-tops) and JS Bears (furry sneakers with teddy bear heads). Over the years, Scott’s Adidas Originals creations included fluffy gorillas, pandas and all kinds of wildlife. They often looked more like plush toys for children than footwear, yet his childlike, whimsical designs, influenced by pop culture, garnered early co-signs from rappers like Lil Wayne.
Whatever your thoughts on Scott, today it’s clearer than ever that he left an indelible imprint on the fashion and street culture world with his avant-garde designs. Why now? Look around you and you’ll see his impact on the cartoonification trend. In February this year, MSCHF released their Big Red Boot. It took over the Internet and was worn by the likes of Sarah Snyder, Seth Rollins and Ciara. The boot was described as a “Cartoon boot for a Cool 3D World". The oversized silhouette is a giant abstraction of the form of a boot. It recalls classic cartoon and computer game shoe designs and thus garnered the additional nickname “Astro Boy boots”. The cartoonification trend in fashion also has other proponents. Loewe’s 2023 Paris Fashion Week show included pixelated garments and Minnie Mouse-like heels. Christian Cowan has created vegan Teletubbies high heel boots (featuring Dipsy, to be specific). The most recent addition to the trend is Red Wings bringing Mario of Mario Super Bros. fame’s plumber shoes to life in celebration of the upcoming film. The shoes will be displayed at Nintendo New York at the Rockefeller Centre throughout April.
In fact, there’s a whole Whatsapp group of cartoonification influences. There’s the current Y2K trend of incorporating pieces by Ed Hardy, Juicy Couture, Von Dutch and Diesel. BAPE and Ice Cream have returned. Pharell Williams has even been appointed at Louis Vuitton, which of course caused murmurs of Takashi Murakami and Nigo’s everlasting influence on the world of fashion and pop culture. These shifts speak to a playful yearning for a recently bygone era that is all contributing to cartoonification.
Cartoonification is a form of hyperreality, a concept which was established by French cultural theorist, sociologist and philosopher Jean Baudrillard. Hyperreality refers to an inability of consciousness – a mind – to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality, especially in technologically advanced postmodern societies. In hyperreality, we can’t tell the difference between the simulated and the real, between our virtual lives and our real lives. Both Baudrillard and the Italian philosopher and author Umberto Eco refer to Disneyland as an example of hyperreality. On the track “Sweet Life,” off his critically acclaimed 2012 album Channel Orange, Frank Ocean says “My TV ain’t HD; that’s too real.” Well, Frank, it’s 11 years later and have I got a surprise for you!
Is hyperreal cartoonification a temporary fad, something with everlasting impact or simply the next step in the cyclical world of fashion? Only time will tell.
Article by: Patrick Visser