Saks essentials

From posters for Obama to an entire Spring 2009 catalog for Saks Fifth Avenue, Shepard Fairey is hands-down an inspiration. Who would think of taking a Soviet spin onto a classic staple of American fashion? The Streets Online posted about Shepard Fairey and his recent ups and downs.

"The campaign titled 'I Want It' features the typical Shepard Fairey color scheme: red, white and black with big block letters, and Soviet-era graphics spirit of Constructivism art. The campaign posters feature various models wearing high-end brands and individual  products." -- an excerpt from the original post. Click here for the entire piece. 

If you haven't had time to run by Saks front windows, or pick up a copy of the latest catalog, I suggest you get on the ball. Being in New York last week I was pretty short on time, but I ran into Saks about 30 minutes before they closed to grab a new pair of RayBans, as well as the spring catalog -- and honestly I don't know which I am more excited about, the sunglasses or the book of inspiration! 

While some look to Fairey's creation as creative, cutting-edge, and a breath of fresh air, not all agree. Thumbelina Fashionista posted on her blog about the discomfort she experienced when flipping through the catalog. Read it -- straight from her post:

"It appears that this version of their recycled "Want It" campaign is an embarrassing attempt at reviving a dying megachain. Unfortunately, its marketing department has lost sight of its customer base in an almost bipolar frenzy. Women want to feel passionately about clothing, and any attempt at a thinly-veiled, ironic allusion to the 1930s and 40s only leaves the customer rebuffed and offended. After all, economists may talk of the Great Depression with legitimate alarm, but when its cruelest images merge with high fashion, the message may indeed cause the death of its messenger."

I do not have such strong negative associations with Fairey's design and that of the economy's current state. Maybe I'm taking it with less seriousness, but if we can't poke fun of ourselves then we're going to continually be upset. By taking the irony from the 1930s and 40s and presenting it today is a bold move, but one that should be respected. When I look at the era of our country's depression then, and our current situation, I see the positive side -- look how we came out of the Great Depression and look at how our country has evolved in the past 70 years. Just thinking about that, I have hope that good times are around the corner. Thoughts, opinions, please share?