Netflix’s Narcos Streetwear Collection

PRODUCT DESIGN / PACKAGING

From the Screen to the Street: A Cinematic Study in Style and Subversion.

Narcos is Netflix’s addictive series that takes a dramatic look at the infamous Columbian drug cartels of the 1970s.

THE PROJECT

TWO NARRATIVES:

ESPIONAGE & EDITORIAL

COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS

EXECUTION & LICENSING

To promote the release of Narcos: Mexico Season 3, the design team collaborated with Gaumont and Evolution to evolve the series from a television drama into a global lifestyle brand. The goal was to develop a comprehensive graphic ecosystem—spanning apparel, accessories, and packaging—that honored the show’s complex themes while maintaining the edge of a modern streetwear label.

The creative strategy was built upon two distinct thematic pillars that reflect the season's pivot toward the 1990s drug war:

  • Espionage & Paranoia: This theme captures the season’s high-stakes climate of surveillance and the fundamental question of who to trust. With the cartel federation fracturing and government corruption reaching the highest levels, the design language reflects a world of double agents and hidden agendas.

  • Editorial: Inspired by the "narco-journalists" of the season, utilizing the visual language of newsprint, high-contrast documentation, and bold, front-page typography.

While the collection included a vast range of apparel and accessories, the following pieces represent the core creative thinking of the project:

  • Blurred Morality: The "GOOD/EVIL" typographic concept explores the moral ambiguity of the series, utilizing a split-color block and mirrored text to represent how the lines between right and wrong often disappear in the heat of the conflict.

  • Surveillance & Subversion: Utilizing the show’s library of photography, the team developed graphics that mimic leaked intelligence. The "My Enemy" shirt uses an inverted image with digital textures to resemble a film negative or a surveillance photo—mimicking the feel of a classified DEA file.

  • The Art of the Move (Chess Concept): Capturing the power vacuum and "game of chess" vibe of the season. The "Checkmate" shirt features a king piece constructed from twin firearms, while the denim jacket utilizes a circular layout of currency icons, bullets, and a chess king to represent the cyclical nature of the trade.

  • Abstracted Camouflage: A custom camo print was developed for technical pieces, revealing hidden silhouettes of weapons and icons upon closer inspection—a nod to the theme of hiding in plain sight.

  • The "La Voz" Influence (Editorial Scale): Drawing from the season's journalistic themes, stills were deconstructed and blown up to a massive scale. For the matching sweatsuits, these cinematic moments were transformed into all-over graphic patterns, mimicking the high-contrast grit of a tabloid newspaper.

To ensure all licensees remained true to the spirit of the brand, the project concluded with a comprehensive Style Guide. This document provided a strategic roadmap for the appropriate application of artwork, custom clothing tags, and packaging designs across a wide range of products—from the hero apparel shown here to high-end lifestyle accessories like watches, flasks, and shot glasses.

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