There’s a really interesting article in HighSnobiety on the emergence of doodling in fashion.

It talks about the long-time link between fashion and self-expression, and the well-established custom of personalising jeans, footwear, jackets etc with patches and other decoration – but now musicians, artists and individuals are increasingly customising their stuff with doodling.

Strongly influenced by art - including the 1980’s work of graffiti-inspired New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (above top) and more recently Wes Lang’s tattoo-inspired collages (above below) – designers such as Raf Simons and Maison Margeila have brought graffiti-like doodles on clothing to the catwalk and store front (below).

Kanye West and A$AP Rocky have appeared wearing one-off pieces customised with doodles and customised, doodled sneakers are almost commonplace.

The article concludes, ‘These informally drawn DIY pictorials occupy an interesting place in the social zeitgeist, and hearkening back to cave man drawings or even Leonardo da Vinci’s famous sketchbooks, these spontaneous doodles are not just an abstract way of communicating or leaving a message, but also a way to self-soothe and externalize our unconscious musings…

… these frenetic doodles have resonated in the fashion community, and could tie in with fashion’s current obsession with Rock’n’Roll aesthetics. In a world where we yearn after exclusive products to set ourselves apart, doodling is a stamp of originality that we can create ourselves at no cost.’

So is it time to start doodling your wardobe? Rock 'n' Roll - doodle on!

Read the full article here.