In a world where fashion brands have become an ultimate way of making a statement and expressing one?s lifestyle, cars and their logos are having a similar impact. Fans are not only driving their favorite cars, but are passionately showing off their logos on t-shirts, caps, bags, mobiles, key-chains, and even umbrellas! For a long time, the concept has been seen as a man?s idea of fashion, a sporty look just for car lovers. Yet recently the trend has caught up with all fashion-conscious people. Ladies are now tempted to wear the logos, perhaps to show their sense of adventure and risk-taking, or simply to show the support they have for a certain car.
Almost every car in the industry has created a unique line of products. It?s also becoming a fashionable look; wearing a fiery red Ferrari cap on the beach looks ?hot? nowadays, while sporting a BMW bag on a casual outing or trip looks polished and trendy.
Most recently, Porsche Design revealed a sleek collection in nothing but pure white- a classic summer color. From a Laptop case, shake pen and cufflinks to a cell phone and sunglasses, the luxury brand, inaugurated by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche in 1972 has since been creating splendid kitchen items, electronic, eyewear, sportswear, luggage and accessories all marked by what they proudly claim is ?the engineering of performance?.
But Porsche isn?t the only company that realized their fans? eagerness to show off their cars in every way. Ford has their own range of apparel, bags, hats, ?beanies?, clocks and baby wear; a selection that is as sporty and practical as the car itself. Maintaining the car?s iconic colors and style seems to be followed strictly; it is as important as displaying the car logo at least once on every product. Ford?s men and ladies collections have one thing in common: the colors. Neutral, comfy-looking fabrics in grays, white, navy and baby blue make every item suitable for the beach, sports and casual outings.
While the practical, solid, ?everyday? cars create clothing and accessories that feel the same, cars like Rolls Royce and Bentley undoubtedly have their queue of fans. An owner or not, a Bentley fan will want to get his/ her hands on anything made by Bentley, and most importantly, with a flashy Bentley logo sprawled across. Scotts is an independent, UK-based company that specializes in servicing, supplying and servicing two of the world?s top luxury cars, Rolls Royce and Bentley, and one that is also authorized to sell their exclusive collectibles. Eye-catching Bentley driving gloves, fine twill silk Rolls Royce ladies headscarf, Rolls Royce sheepskin over-rugs are some of the exquisite items listed on Scotts website, with some prices mentioned and others available only on request.
Unique dog gear designed by Land Rover-such as a dog tee, a custom dog lead, a pet travel kit and a large fleece dog bone- takes car logos to a funnier level! While the Formula One ?18cm? teddy bears sit neatly, dressed in red F1 t-shirts covered with the Vodafone, Shell and Ferrari logos, waiting to be purchased by the next fan. Each company offers different search options online; BMW allows you to browse between men and women?s clothing while F1 categorizes their items by product, teams and drivers? names. These searching methods just prove the existing hysteria surrounding this car logo obsession. The concept isn?t much different from supporting a football team or any popular fashion brand!
Although this appears to be a new and rising trend, the link between cars and accessories is a historical one. The bond has been there ever since Alfred Dunhill was inspired by cars enough to design sophisticated watches made for car-lovers like himself. In 1903 Alfred Dunhill converted his father?s saddlery business into a major empire catering for almost every requirement of the motorist. He named his accessories ?Motorities? and began his trip of creating inspirational timepieces for the motor-driven customer.
For example, the Swiss-made, limited edition ?Citytamer? is a watch designed spectacularly with a gently curved rectangular body- a shape inspired by the bonnet of a period sports car. The ?Wheel Watch? is for the vintage car lover. If your passion is old cars, you will immediately see what inspired Alfred Dunhill in this model. The watch is shaped just like the metal ?spinners? which often used to attach wire wheels to period sports cars. More modern and high-tech is the ?Carwatch?. It is said to resemble the lines of a futuristic ?concept car?, being made of either steel or an ultra-light combination of titanium and stage-2 ceramic. But the most interesting part is the front of the watch, which is highlighted by an engraved ?number plate?, an interchangeable blank designed to take the number of your choice! The feature would probably appeal to this part of the world, considering the fascination with car number plates!
In 2007, Suzuki was highly inspired by Xbox 360 that they manufactured the Sxbox Concept car. The white and green isn?t the only ?Xbox 360? thing about the car; the SXbox comes with an integrated Xbox 360 video game system, the steering wheel is embedded with an Xbox 360 controller, and the car has 4 wireless controllers, with 2 Xbox at the front and 2 at the back seats.
While cars are getting inspired by games, bags and electronics are getting inspired by cars! As recent as last month, Samsonite revealed a 4-wheeled bag, one on every corner, just like a car. The new maneuverable luggage uses high-tech components inspired by automotive design, such as the gear, which is made of composite material knows as CURV, known to be lightweight and strong. The coolest feature though is a built-in parking feature that allows the bag to stop unexpectedly on a non-straight surface.
Partnering with Ferrari and clearly inspired by the car, in early 2007 Acer released the patented laptops in red, black and yellow with the ?prancing horse? logo, promising a distinctive ?Ferrari feel?. A Ferrari USB mouse is also provided with the laptop. A fashion option for children, teenagers, adults, sports fans, environmentally conscious people and even pets, car logo fashion-wear and accessories have left nobody out. In most car brands, children are given a whole list of items to choose from, not only of clothing but also of toys and little car scale models. Land Rover has taken an extra step to create eco-friendly products, and Bentley humbly displays a beautiful picnic bag alongside the glam leather driving gloves and signature silk cravats.
We decide to take a closer look into the design world of Porsche. Is it really practical or does it just ?look good?? We speak with Dr Jurgen Robert Gesler about this unisex fashion trend. Dr. Gesler has contributed over the years to the development and growth of Mecedez-Benz, BMW, and headed the marketing department of Porsche Deutschland for the past five years before being assigned as Chairman of Porsche Design Group Management Board in 2007.
? We have been seeing Ferrari caps and Jackets, F1 T-shirts and accessories, Lamborghini perfumes and bags, and BMW sweaters, watches and even umbrellas! Is that the next big thing in fashion- to be seen wearing car logos?
You have to differentiate. The Porsche dealers offer merchandising products since they were established in 1972, when Ferninand Alexander Porsche started this business independently and created his first watch. Our products are not sold at car dealerships; they are branded as Porsche and are independently marketed at distribution or retail stores. For example, we have a 1,200 euro- mobile of very high and distinctive quality, which cannot be compared to other car logo merchandise. The company also designs boats, planes, interior homes, sunglasses and luggage.
? This collection is obviously targeted at both sexes, with the stainless steel cufflinks for the men and the woven calf leather bracelet for the ladies. Yet men are usually keener when it comes to anything related to cars. Are women also expressing interest in Porsche Design?s briefcases, lighters and jackets?
Funnily enough most our products are sold to women. But they usually come to shop around for their husbands! Many women like to wear big sporty watches, as big watches have been ?in? for a few years now. And most of our watches are unisex.
? Why white?
Well, Porsche is linked to black, a color that we have previously created exclusive collections in. Nowadays white is a trend color; every fashion brand uses it! It is also a color to emphasize and support our products. It signifies purity and goes perfectly with the light of the summer.
? Just out of curiosity, does Porsche Design have any celebrity fans?
John Lennon from the Beatles was a big fan of our ?pilot-shaped sunglasses?. Britney Spears and Victoria Beckham have also been seen wearing Porsche. Of course we have an unknown number of VIP fans.
? What is next for Porsche Design?
We have just launched a white mobile phone as part of the white collection, and we plan to launch its club version soon (a rich brown color which largely appeals to customers). Our famous Adidas Design-S sneakers will be available in the UAE shortly. When we created them, the idea was to create a sneaker to not only use in the daytime but also to wear at the bar in the evening. In July, all our new fashion collection will be available in Adidas shops. Copyright@ 2010. Heba Hashem. All Rights Reserved.
