Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/549779
THENEWNORMAL SUBVERSIVE MONOGRAM IT wasn't long after the invention of the alphabet that monograms were born — around 350 BC, first used on coins in ancient Greece and Rome. In the Middle Ages, artisans employed them to brand their work. But the Victorians were the ones who saw the monogram as a sign of prestige and began putting fanciful personalized emblems on everything from silver, cutlery and linens to stationery and furniture to represent the wealth of their house. Ever since, it has remained a favored symbol of the upper classes and was a natural fit for preppy culture, which is rooted in Ivy League style of the early 20th century. But monograms aren't limited to preps. Everyone loves a little self-obsessed lettering. Fans and fashion editors alike went crazy for Cara Delevingne's costume at the Met Gala. An edgy black Stella McCartney jumpsuit revealed her chest, neck and arms, which were covered in cherry blossoms, birds and Chinese fan tattoos, reflecting the Chinese Whispers theme. The faux tattoos took 11 hours and was the work of Keith "Bang Bang" McCurdy, who inked many of her real tattoos as well. RewardStyle's Amber Venz personalized her Hermès Kelly bag with leather letters, a chic collaboration from Anya Hindmarch and Charlotte Stockdale. Anya Hindmarch Capra stickers $55 each, at anyahindmarch.com. The art-house book Monogram Logo, published last year by Counter-Print, was a speedy sell-out; first editions have already become collectors' items. Add your name to the wait list for a second printing at info@counter-print.co.uk. Parker Thatch sleep mask for the red-eye to London. $48, at parkerthatch.com. The intersection of prep and punk. Virgil Abloh showed a letterman's jacket paired with tattooed pants at his Fall 2015 Off- White menswear collection. George Vuitton first created the famous monogrammed canvas in 1896 in honor of his late father, Louis Vuitton, for his family's luxury brand to help prevent counterfeiting. Today, Vuitton offers vibrant painted personalized monogramming atop the LV- monogrammed canvas. Jo-Ann Furniss explores six iconoclasts' interpretations in Louis Vuitton: The Icons and Iconoclasts: Celebrating Monogram (Rizzoli, $100). Clockwise from top: Lake Bell on the cover of New York's Fall 2013 issue in a faux tattoo designed by her tattoo-artist husband, Scott Campbell. One of Marc Jacobs' many Pop art– inspired tattoos by Williamsburg-based Scott Campbell is a cartoon version of the designer himself. Matt Groening did a portrait of the designer in a Simpsons episode, and Jacobs branded himself with it. Ève Salvail was one of the first models to sport ink in the '90s. Her dragon tattoo and shaved head caught the attention of Jean Paul Gaultier. Sarah Burton incorporated nautical tattoo motifs into the Alexander McQueen Spring 2016 men's collection. James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock's colorful left-arm sleeve of heirloom vegetables has been featured in Vogue. It's seen here on the cover of his cookbook, Heritage ($40, Artisan). Jean Paul Gaultier released a limited- edition tattooed bottle of this scent back in 2013. Classique Eau de Parfum $84, at Saks Fifth Avenue. Tattoo (Musée du Quai Branly/Actes Sud, $60) thoroughly explores the cultural and artistic broad history of tattoos, from primitive Asian and African countries (where tattooing had social and religious roles) to the West (where tattoos were associated with criminality). Bookshelf monogram in sleek sans-serif Lucite by Tory Burch $95 each, at Tory Burch. This necklace from Jennifer Meyer is destined to be your next family heirloom. 18K gold diamond letter necklace $1,800, at ylang23.com. Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring/Summer 2012 collection was tattoo inspired. Leontine Linens monogrammed Chopsticks linen napkins $70 each, at leontinelinens.com. The ever-stylish George Cameron Nash showroom monograms its moving blankets — as if getting a delivery from this place weren't chic enough already. Dallas lifestyle author Kimberly Schlegel Whitman loves monograms so much, she wrote the book on them. Monograms: For the Home (Gibbs Smith, $40), available September 1.