From Wall to Brand: How Urban Art Aesthetics Become a Defining Element of Contemporary Fashion and Graphic Design. Urban art was born in the streets, among anonymous walls, subway stations and street corners full of movement. What began as a spontaneous expression-sometimes marginal, sometimes rebellious-has transcended its origin to become one of the most influential forces in contemporary visual culture. Today, street art not only inhabits walls and trains: it is also present in galleries, advertising campaigns, fashion collections and graphic design projects. Over time, artists, designers and brands have recognized that its raw, vibrant and honest aesthetic is an inexhaustible source of creativity. What was once an ephemeral intervention now inspires visual identities, luxury collaborations, and graphic pieces that celebrate diversity and urban energy.[/b The purpose of this article is to analyze how graffiti aesthetics, murals and street expression are setting current trends in graphic design and fashion, becoming a bridge between popular culture, visual communication and contemporary creativity. From wall to branding: the evolution of urban art. To understand the influence of street art, it is necessary to look at its roots. Modern graffiti emerged in the 1970s in cities like New York and Philadelphia, where young artists began to sign walls and street cars as an act of identity. What began as a clandestine expression evolved into a cultural movement with its own codes. Figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring took this aesthetic to museums and galleries without renouncing its street spirit. Later, names like Banksy, Shepard Fairey (OBEY) or KAWS expanded this language globally, mixing activism, irony, graphic design and social criticism. This evolution consolidated street art as a direct, emotional and immediate visual language: three qualities highly valued by today's designers and brands.
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A course by Paula Casella Biase
