Logomania is Off the Charts for Fall 2018

The last time logomania was in, it was c. 2002 and we were all wearing Juicy Couture track suits (…or were we?). In the past decade, the desire to loudly proclaim the brands we’re wearing has waned significantly. Then, 2017 came around: the year that we dubbed The Resurgence of Logomania.

What goes around inevitably comes back around—at least in the world of handbags—and now logomania is back in full swing. As we’ve been seeing at Fashion Week this September, logos are ubiquitous. This is reflected in not only the styles fashionistas are reviving, but also new ones that brands are designing to propel the logomania trend and their place in it.

Something we’ve noticed is that brands are going beyond typical logos (e.g. the interlocked CC for Chanel and GG for Gucci). They’ve taken things a step further, writing their brand names out in big, chunky letters on the front of their bags. Let’s take a look at some of these prominent fall/winter 2018 styles with the biggest logos from our favorite brands.

(Hermès fans, you may be relieved to hear that Hermès, in staying true to its roots, has not participated in this trend.)

Valentino, a brand that has traditionally been quite subtle, has reinvigorated its classic styles with a twist. “VLTN” has been branded in elegant font on the front of their most beloved bags. Would you trade your regular Rockstud Spike bag for these…?

It’s no surprise that Gucci has been following suit. We honed in on Gucci in particular in our comprehensive assessment of the resurgence of logomania. The bold brand, which features its logo prominently, has been spelling out “GUCCI” and, playfully, “GUCCY” (to poke fun at knock-offs) for quite some time now. These styles are still out and, it seems, fairly popular.

Anyone a bit shocked to see Balenciaga on this list? We can’t say we are, since we’ve seen the brand’s “minimalist” use of “BALENCIAGA” on its products in recent years. (Strange to call branding minimalist, we know, but there’s something about the simple, understated font that makes it so.) But it is surprising to see the branding featured in addition to the main logo, as well as on the classic Balenciaga favorite, the City Bag.

Ah, Chanel. No brand loves to navigate the space between “understated classic” (think 2.55 Flap) and “in-your-face CHANEL PARIS” more than this Parisian maison. The Fall/Winter 2018 collection has leaned at least slightly toward the latter, with a number of styles featuring “CHANEL” as the focal point of the bag.

Last but not least, Dior has gone full-on logomania lately. In addition to the continuing popularity of the relatively new J’ADIOR handbags, the Dioraddict line features “DIOR,” but in a more understated fashion, with a “DIOR” emblazoned in the hardware. Additionally, the Dio(r)evolution bear a striking resemblance to the J’ADIOR bags, but only say “DIOR.”

YAY or NAY on this one, fellow fashion lovers?

What are your final thoughts on this season’s logomania? Are you ambivalent on Big Branding? Are you wholeheartedly embracing the flashy styles? Or do you prefer something much more discrete, from Mansur Gavriel-style to Hermès’ reliance of iconic style over logos? Let’s discuss.

Read related articles:

The Resurgence of Logomania
Do Logos Still Have Power?
Street Style Analysis: The Hottest Bag Trends of NYFW
Animal Print is Roaring: 8 Best Bags to Join the Pack
Fall Fashion: 10 New Bags Under $1,000

Love PurseBop
XO