Graffiti Legends and the Streetwear Spirit: How Kommerce Draws on the 80s/90s Graffiti Movement

Underground Graffiti Culture in the 1980s and 1990s

Graffiti in the 1980s was more than art, it was an underground rebellion. Young artists took to New York City’s subway cars and alley walls under the cover of night, turning an urban landscape into their canvas. This was a time when street art was widely illegal and viewed as vandalism, yet it thrived as a countercultural movement fueled by youth and hip-hop music. The scene’s outlaw nature was part of its appeal; writers risked arrest and navigated guarded train yards to make bold creative statements. What began as an “illegal, underground movement” eventually boomed into a cultural force that pushed graffiti from city streets into art galleries. By the late 1980s and 90s, graffiti’s influence was seeping into mainstream culture, from album covers to fashion, even as it retained its gritty, rebellious edge on the streets.

Graffiti piece "Bus129" by Dondi on a New York City subway car, 1984. In the 1980s, entire subway cars became moving murals. Graffiti pioneers like Dondi transformed trains into art galleries on wheels, exemplifying the bold lettering and vibrant colors that would later inspire streetwear designs.

Legends of the Spray Can: Seen, Lady Pink, Futura, Dondi, and Cope2

The graffiti writers of the 1980s and 90s became living legends, each with a signature style and defiant spirit that left a lasting mark on visual culture. Kommerce draws inspiration from this golden era, especially these icons of the spray can:

• Seen (Richard Mirando): Widely hailed as the “Godfather of Graffiti”, Seen was known for bombing New York’s subway trains with elaborate wildstyle letters and cartoons. Throughout the ’80s, his full-color “whole car” pieces rumbled across the city, making graffiti impossible to ignore. Seen’s bold, sprawling lettering—often outlined in thick black and filled with explosive color—established a template for graffiti style that influences streetwear graphics to this day. His work showed that graffiti could be both artful and rebellious, a dual quality Kommerce channels in its designs.
  

• Lady Pink (Sandra Fabara): Dubbed the “first lady of graffiti” for being one of the few women in the early ’80s subway scene, Lady Pink brought a fierce, empowering voice to a male-dominated art form. Painting subway cars from 1979 through the mid-1980s, she used graffiti as “acts of rebellion and self-expression”. Lady Pink’s murals often featured strong characters and vibrant flourishes, proving that graffiti wasn’t just a boys’ club. Her independent spirit and bold use of color inform Kommerce’s aesthetic – from the vivid palettes on our graffiti t-shirts to the inclusive, unisex appeal of our streetwear.
  

• Futura (Leonard McGurr): Also known as Futura 2000, he pioneered an abstract approach to graffiti when most writers focused on lettering. In the early 1980s, Futura was spray-painting live on stage with punk band The Clash, blending graffiti with music and performance. His trademark was using thin aerosol lines and avant-garde imagery instead of traditional letterforms. This fusion of graffiti and abstract art – effectively bringing modern art sensibilities into street tagging – has deeply influenced contemporary streetwear graphics. Kommerce pays homage to Futura’s visionary style by incorporating abstract, spray-painted patterns and futuristic motifs in our designs, pushing beyond simple lettering to capture that experimental edge.
  

• Dondi (Donald White): A true style master, Dondi is revered for developing many of the lettering techniques still used in graffiti today. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, he wowed his peers with intricate wildstyle pieces that balanced artistry with readability. Dondi famously painted the “Children of the Grave” whole-train murals from 1978–1980, blending cartoon characters with bold letters in a way the public could still recognize. He set the “stylistic standard” for a generation of writers, proving graffiti could be complex and communicative. Kommerce draws on Dondi’s legacy by using stylized graffiti fonts and characters in our apparel prints – for instance, a graffiti t-shirt might feature block letters with complex fills, a direct nod to Dondi’s influence. We strive for that same balance of eye-catching style and clear message in our graphics.
  

• Cope2 (Fernando Carlo): A Bronx legend with a career spanning 40+ years, Cope2 started tagging in 1978 and became one of NYC’s most prolific bombers through the 1980s and 90s. His graffiti is known for its raw, energetic throw-ups – those quick bubble letters and tags plastered on trains and walls citywide. Cope2’s “authentic raw style” earned him international recognition. That unapologetic attitude is something Kommerce embraces. The gritty handstyle writing you might see on a Kommerce graffiti beanie or hoodie graphics (like drippy paint scripts and bubble letter logos) is directly inspired by the likes of Cope2. It’s a way of keeping our designs honest and street-level, letting the rough edges show just as Cope’s tags do.

Each of these artists carried the rebellious spirit of their era. They treated public space as a canvas and refused to ask permission. That same spirit of creative defiance is at the heart of streetwear culture. Just as the graffiti writers of the 80s/90s pushed boundaries with spray paint, early streetwear pushed boundaries in fashion – DIY, bold, and unafraid.

From Subway Cars to Streetwear: Graffiti’s Lasting Influence on Fashion

By the 1990s, the visual language pioneered by graffiti writers had leaped from subway cars to clothing racks. Hip-hop and skate culture were natural bridges – graffiti was part of the whole urban lifestyle, and soon fashion designers were collaborating with graffiti artists or adopting their motifs. What was once done with markers and spray cans started appearing in screen prints and embroidery. Graffiti’s bold lettering, cartoon icons, and splashes of color became popular on everything from jackets to sneakers. Brands like Stüssy and others in the early streetwear movement borrowed heavily from graffiti aesthetics, incorporating tags, spray paint drip effects, and all-over mural prints on apparel.

The transition wasn’t just visual; it was about attitude. Streetwear embraced the DIY ethos and the outsider status that graffiti represented. In the ’80s, New York graffiti crews had already begun printing their art on T-shirts and selling them informally, foreshadowing a new market. By the late ’90s and 2000s, it was common to see limited-edition tees or caps featuring artwork by graffiti legends – sometimes even designed by the artists themselves. This fusion of graffiti and fashion meant that anyone could wear a piece of that rebellious art, even if they never set foot in a train yard. It also helped further legitimize graffiti as an art form: what started as illicit wall markings evolved into sought-after style. Today, from high fashion runways to local streetwear boutiques, the influence of those 80s/90s graffiti styles is unmistakable – it’s in the neon colors, the oversized graphic hoodies, the stylized lettering on caps, and the entire attitude of urban fashion.

Kommerce: Carrying Graffiti’s Heritage into Modern Streetwear

Kommerce is a new brand born from this rich legacy. From day one, our vision has been to carry forward the heritage of 80s and 90s graffiti through streetwear that feels authentic. The influence of Seen, Lady Pink, Futura, Dondi, and Cope2 is woven into our brand’s DNA. We’re not just slapping graffiti-inspired graphics on clothes for style points – we see it as paying tribute to the culture that made streetwear possible.

When you look at a piece from Kommerce, you’re seeing echoes of subway tunnels and city streets. For example, our designers take inspiration from Seen’s whole-car burners in crafting all-over prints that wrap around a hoodie, as if the garment itself is a train car to be bombed. The vibrant color schemes and thick outlines on our prints channel that same eye-popping energy you’d see on a Bronx handball court mural in 1984. Lady Pink’s influence comes through in our bold use of color and storytelling – some of our graphic tees feature illustrations of empowered characters or slogans, a nod to her trailblazing feminist spirit in graffiti.

Futura’s abstract spray-paint techniques influence how we layer graphics; you might notice more experimental, splattered patterns on a Kommerce tee, giving it an artsy, almost gallery-worthy vibe amid the street grit. We’ve also embraced retro elements like 80s comic book art and old-school hip-hop references (as those were often intertwined with graffiti culture) to keep that nostalgic authenticity.

Crucially, Kommerce also adopts the rebellious attitude of these graffiti pioneers. Our design process isn’t about following fashion trends; it’s about creative freedom and sometimes breaking the rules. In spirit, it mirrors what those writers did – taking something ordinary (a blank wall or a plain sweatshirt) and transforming it into a statement. We believe clothing can be a canvas, just like a train car, and our wearers are the new era of writers making their statement through style.

Graffiti Heritage in the Kommerce Line: Hoodies, Beanies, and Tees

In practical terms, Kommerce’s product line directly reflects this graffiti inspiration. Our upcoming collection includes pieces that will resonate with anyone who loves the classic graffiti look:

• Black Graffiti Hoodie (Streetwear Staple): One standout is a black graffiti hoodie streetwear piece that features vibrant tags and throw-up lettering splashed across the back and sleeves. This hoodie isn’t just a cozy top; it’s a wearable homage to the subway-era masterpieces. Every time you put it on, you carry a bit of that 1980s train-yard energy with you. The design might remind you of a Seen or Dondi mural – bold yellows and pinks outlined in black on a dark background – instantly identifiable as part of the graffiti tradition.
  
  

• Graffiti Beanies: We also offer snug graffiti beanies that bring tag style to your headwear. Picture a classic cuffed beanie embroidered with a handstyle tag or a small wildstyle logo. It’s a subtle way to rep the culture: even in a simple accessory, the influence of throw-ups and tag lettering (think Cope2’s quick signature or Lady Pink’s script) is present. These beanies blend easily with any streetwear outfit while adding that touch of graffiti flair.
  
  

• Graphic Tees with Graffiti Designs: No streetwear line is complete without graphic tees, and Kommerce’s graffiti t-shirts are directly inspired by iconic mural walls. Some tees feature collaged graffiti “piece” graphics – layered tags and characters reminiscent of a wall in the East Village or the boombox covers from the 90s. Others might have a single large tag printed across the chest as if the shirt itself were “bombed” by a graffiti writer. We’ve made sure the tees honor different styles: one might echo Futura’s abstract sprays, while another has bubbly letters filled with colorful patterns as a tribute to old-school crews.
  
  

Each item is designed to feel like an extension of the graffiti ethos – creative, bold, and rooted in the streets. We want wearers to not only enjoy the look but also appreciate the culture and history behind it. It’s streetwear that tells a story.

Continuing the Legacy

Kommerce approaches fashion the way those graffiti legends approached a blank wall: with passion, creativity, and respect for those who came before us. The brand may be new, but it’s built on decades of inspiration. We see ourselves as storytellers in fabric and print, much like Seen, Lady Pink, Futura, Dondi, and Cope2 were storytellers with spray paint. By infusing our streetwear with their visual styles and rebellious spirit, we keep that legacy alive in a new form.

In the end, the connection between 1980s graffiti and our modern streetwear is direct and deeply personal. It’s visible every time someone dons a Kommerce black graffiti hoodie or caps their look with one of our graffiti beanies. The styles pioneered in train yards and city streets decades ago live on, transformed into wearable art. Kommerce is honored to carry that torch – turning graffiti heritage into the fashion of today, and reminding the world that the rebellious creativity of the past can inspire the bold statements of the future.

Kommerce’s debut line, featuring graffiti-inspired hoodies, beanies, and tees, is a tribute to the masters of the craft. In every stitch and print, the influence of graffiti’s golden age is present – a celebration of art, rebellion, and style that transcends time.

Sources:

1. LuxArtAsia – Street Art’s rise from an illegal underground movement to a respected art form; “Godfather of Graffiti” Seenluxartasia.wordpress.comluxartasia.wordpress.com
   
   

2. Wikipedia – Lady Pink’s rebellious role as the “first lady of graffiti”en.wikipedia.org
   
   

3. Wikipedia – Futura’s pioneering abstract graffiti style in the early 1980sen.wikipedia.org
   
   

4. Wikipedia – Dondi White’s influence on modern graffiti lettering techniquesen.wikipedia.org
   
   

5. GraffitiPrints – Cope2’s raw bombing style and prolific career in the 1980s-90s Bronxgraffitiprints.com