According to Heller, “designers for mainstream advertising companies, weaned on alternative approaches, have folded the underground into the mainstream and call it “cool.”” Commercial artists constantly take what was born as “cultural resistance to mainstream power structures” (1), they “add an ornament here and there to make it palatable for the consumer class, and—voila!—instant allure and immediate sales”. A nowadays example is the new collection by Louis Vuitton which embraces the old-school streetwear. Embracing might not be the right word (they literally steal it) if you take a look at the Louis Vuitton new collection of sweatshirts, denim shirt, suits and blazers which wear oversize and perfectly resemble the hoodies, t-shirts and baggies of 90s with the only difference of the applied monogram pattern.  

As ““streetwear style” which were born as rebellious form of counterculture has been appropriated and integrated into everyday and luxury fashion”, the Constructivist style has been expropriated and applied on 2000 Franz Ferdinand album covers by Matthew Cooper. The main reason of this choice by Cooper and the band was because their music reflected Constructivism characteristics, “the geometric style really suited the sound, those sharp corners and edges”. Their goal was since the beginning to stands out from other rock bands, so they created catch songs to make the girls dance and they wanted visually to do the same. Their outfit is unique as their album covers. Matthew Cooper made sure that every cover of the band had a different logo, because the band embraces the idea of evolution, and the logo has to reflect it. In opposition to the Russian movement which wanted to give a meaning to art, Franz Ferdinand as all the commercial artists decided to use art just for an aesthetic reason.  None of the Franz Ferdinand had a background in graphic design, but they admitted being strongly influenced by art and everything that surrounds them is in their music. Their intention was of “questioning the standards and defying the norms of contemporary culture” . In some way Franz Ferdinand entered the mainstream field with an underground spirit. 

Sources:

1. Concepts and Practices of the Underground 

Christoph Lindner and Andrew Hussey 

pp. 13-20 (8 pages) 

Stable URL 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt6wp6td.5

2. ‘Loaded’: Indie Guitar Rock, Canonism, White Masculinities 

Matthew Bannister 

Popular Music 

Vol. 25, No. 1, Special Issue on Canonisation (Jan., 2006), pp. 77-95 (19 pages) 

Stable URL 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/3877544

3. https://www.printmag.com/culturally-related-design/punk-aesthetic-graphic-design/ 

4. https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.com/obsessions/louis-vuitton-nigo-capsule-collection-179641 

5. https://www.bandlogojukebox.com/blog/2020/5/20/f2-franz-ferdinandÂ