You always want to stand out from the crowd. Regardless of the time of year and the weather outside the window there is a desire to look stylish. At the same time, I want clothes and accessories not only to be fashionable, but also comfortable. This is where OBEY comes to the rescue. What kind of brand is it, what does it do and what are its products interesting for customers? All these and many other questions will be covered in this article.
Art propaganda
Many probably at least once, but heard, or even saw clothing brand OBEY. What is this new trend in fashion? Let's turn to the history. This brand was developed in 1989 by Shepard Fairy. As a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, at one of the lectures he drew boredom for the sticker, where it was written in capital letters “Obey” - OBEY. Shepard could not have imagined that this would be the beginning of a world-famous campaign promoting street art and the rejection of imposed values. However, the origins were laid, and gradually the idea arose in the designer’s head to create a direction that would declare itself on its own.
Source of inspiration
The short but capacious word OBEY has become a slogan for an entire propaganda campaign. “Obey,” Shepard said. At the same time, They Live, directed by John Carpenter, became the source of inspiration for creating Fairy's first work . According to the plot of the film, the main character Roddy finds several pairs of sunglasses, wearing which he sees the world as it really is. Without embellishment and lies. In this world, people live on autopilot, obeying and obeying some extraterrestrial forces who want to seize power throughout the country and on the planet.
Campaign start and worldwide distribution
Initially, his drawings were only parodies of America’s political propaganda. His sticker with the image of President Barack Obama with the inscription Hope ("Hope") became popular. The propaganda movement spread throughout the world: posters, posters, stencils - in many countries you can find Shepard's works. By the way, he also became the hero of a small episode of a film about street art called “Exit through the Souvenir Shop”. The OBEY brand has its roots in the subculture of punk rock, skateboarding and other areas where there is a pronounced Do It Yourself line, which means “do it yourself”. That is, Shepard wanted to convey to the public the idea that the “garage” style is not just a way to rebel against the world, but also to show his personality, express his abilities and make the world obey. And not the other way around. Gradually, elements of commercial marketing were added to the subcultures of gates and streets. The result was very impressive: with a mixture of styles and a bit of sarcasm, embedded in the name of the brand, Fairy managed to attract a lot of attention to her "brainchild".
From wall decals to fashion design
At the very beginning, it was only a direction in art: stickers, drawings, full-fledged canvas with the signature OBEY. That this will grow into something more than just a way of expression, Shepard realized only at the end of 2000. It was then that the thought came to his mind to promote his brand through clothes. She became a kind of direction, expanding the range of his work and allowing to tell more people about his desire to rebel against everyday life and make the world obey ordinary people. OBEY women's and men's clothing, hats and baseball caps - each element of the collection is the result of inspiration obtained after mixing the military style, the characteristics of work clothes, as well as those developments on which Shepard's first achievements in the visual arts are based.
The rejection of the gray crowd
In collaboration with designers such as Mike Ternosky and Erin Wignol, Fairy developed the first collection, which was a complete reflection of his ideals, dreams and philosophy. Of course, the brand name was OBEY. Clothing was enjoyed by representatives of various segments of the population. They were attracted by a simple and stylish look. The owner of the OBEY brand through its developments seeks to talk about the many achievements in subcultures. At the same time, Shepard wants to show that one should move towards his goal, realizing its significance, and at the same time not to forget about those around him.
If you try to understand the essence of the concept of “outerwear”, two main groups can be distinguished. The first category includes elements and details of the wardrobe that are no different from many others and in no way distinguish their owner from a boring gray crowd. The second group helps to emphasize a person’s belonging to a particular subculture. It is in the latter category that OBEY clothing belongs. Caps, photos of which are presented in the article, hats, women's and men's clothes - all this together indicates that a person belongs to a group of fans of "street style". Urban Style unites a lot of young people who lead a dynamic and far from boring lifestyle. That is why all the outerwear of the brand in question is a combination of such characteristics as comfort, cosiness, style and protection.
Two clothing lines
Trousers, shirts, caps, jackets, T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats OBEY have a wide range, presented in different colors. Some wardrobe items are made in unisex style. This allows both boys and girls to join the OBEY culture. At the moment, the company produces two lines of clothing: women's and men's. Each of them is a set of accessories and wardrobe items, as they say, "from top to bottom." Skirts, dresses, ties, T-shirts, bikes, vests, jackets, beach suits and various accessories - all this and much more can be acquired by a girl who likes a bright and free “street style”. The male half will enjoy an abundance of comfortable and high-quality goods of the highest quality, such as jeans, T-shirts, jackets, caps, etc.