Are skylines the new slogans?

British fashion label Burberry made headlines last year when it lit up New York City's skyline with an oversized brand logo, and recently, New York's and other cities' skyscrapers have increasingly served as inspiration for fashion collections. With more and more people identifying with the urban context they live in, the question is: will statement skylines replace name necklaces and slogan tees?

Japanese streetwear label N. Hoolywood already released its Skyscraper collection last year, which featured t-shirts, sweaters, jackets, and accessories - all inspired by iconic American architecture.

In shoes, New Zealand-born (but New York-based) designer Rebecca Taylor premiered skyscraper-printed sandals on her runway last season, and Italian shoe brand Geox just released pictures of a new model that rests on Empire State Building-shaped heels. Also, Christian Louboutin's bedazzled jazz tap shoes, shown in a new video on fashionair.com on March 24, are desribed to be inspired by the skylines of New York, Paris, and London.

But the trend doesn't stop there: new statement jewelry also draws on prominent skylines. Cynthia Gale, the New York designer behind the jewelry label GeoArt, salutes her home town with a new collection called The City That Never Sleeps, inspired by the work of photographer Irving Browning who portrayed the city in countless pictures.

"After 20 plus years of living in New York City, I am still mesmerized by its unique, geometric skyline," Gale said. "'The City That Never Sleeps' celebrates the reckless architectural abandon of our colorful, energetic city and will demand attention on every city block."

Up-and-coming London-based designer Sophie Bille Brahe - who created pieces for Danish label Stine Goya, for example - has also made skylines her signature, reports German blog Les Mads (lesmads.de), although she doesn't depict one city in particular but uses a more abstract shape of houses and skyscrapers on her rings.

It seems only a matter of time until this trend enters the mainstream and other creative fields: interior design brand Snowden Flood, for example, has just released a series of plates printed with prominent London landmarks.

http://www.n-hoolywood.com

http://www.rebeccataylor.com

http://www.geox.com

http://www.geoartnyc.com

http://sophiebillebrahe.com

http://www.snowdenflood.com