UK Graffitti impact on Steetwear

The dictionary describes graffiti as a ' kind of rude decoration that is usually found on walls and other surfaces'. Although there is a strong anti social element associated with graffiti itself, it has found a steady place in clothing as an unusual work of art. Just as no two painters will ever paint alike, no two graffiti artists create the same artwork either. With regard to streetwear , graffiti has earned a place in history itself because of the strong manner in which it can convey a thought or message. Just as in America, graffiti in urban wear is very popular among youngsters in the UK as well. There are many brands which directly draw their inspiration from graffiti on the streets.

Abuze London is one one such brand that was born at a time when the Britihs police were doing their best to stop graffiti artists from displaying their work in public places. However, that didnt stop the artists from using the tubes, train lines, and empty walls as a canvas for their thoughts. They were successful in reaching a wider audience as well. From there, the brand Abuze LDN with the tag line' An extension of oneself' took form. The brand takes pride in having its feet frimly rooted in British culture and speaking out when needed. The brand also places importance on self- expression, attitude, individuality and even collaborates with different artists to create collections that are unique and have a razor sharp identity. Abuze has tshirts, jackets, knits and hoodies which have loud graphics, witty one liners, prints and other graffiti designs on them. In fact, they have even used underground maps and travel cards of London and then laminated them onto tshirts.

Urban Venom is another popular brand, which has different airbrush and graffiti designs on both tshirts and trainers. Designs on trainers include airbrush designs of Michael Jackson, Tupac and even Chris Brown. You can either buy one of their tshirts or of you refer, can customize one of your own for a price.
Besides exclusive brands which sell graffiti brands, there are many websites which are a one stop shop in streetwear, selling multiple brands and giving customers a wider range of choice.

Total Urban Wear also has a wide range of branded clothing and other accessories with eye catching and unusual graffiti prints on them. Zoo York, Coogi, Fubu and Converse are a few of the brands sold by this website. Another brand called Southpole even has an exclusive green colored tshirt which glows in the dark. Britishhiphop.co.uk is another website which gives you a basic review about different streetwear brands in the UK. Although the main feature of this website is its focus on hip hop music, clothing too gets a special mention here. Graffiti artists no matter which part of the world they are in, try to preserve culture as they know it, through their creative artworks. As long as people support the artists who dare to draw what they think, graffiti as an art form will always survive.