Where did the logo go?

Monograms and branding went quiet for a while. Now, they're back, but on tote bags, straps, even face masks. Track it all here

- Tanya Syed

Juicy, in velour, on your bum. Bebe, in rubberised print, on your T-shirt. CK on your undies. Von Dutch on your hoodie. True Religion on your jeans. Ed Hardy on your sweatshirt. FCUK on... wherever it was most visible. The early years of the '00s were wild. Logos were loud and proud. Then, everyone went quiet. Luxury, fashion magazines told us, was all about hiding brand names. We knew it wouldn't last long. With fashion, showing off is part of the fun. Logos, monograms and in-the-know insignia are back. But the rulebook is changing. Here's an early draft.

You can't sit with us

The reason fashion is obsessed with logos in the first place is because it distinguishes the generic object - a T-shirt, a boot, a mock-croc handbag - from its more upmarket cousin. “Historically, they've signified brand identity, heritage, and belonging to a particular fashion moment,” says Amrita Singh, stylist and wardrobe consultant based in Dubai. Rolls of mill cloth were sealed with oval labels in the 19th century to protect against counterfeits. Weaving communities created special, hard-to-copy patterns that they only taught to trusted apprentices. By 1896, Louis Vuitton worked in the founder's LV initials to the design of all its luggage. In 1925, Coco Chanel debuted the now-iconic interlocked double C logo as a calling card for chic craftsmanship.