SQUID GAME, decoding the series of the moment
You have probably heard in recent months, Squid Game is THE South Korean series breaking all records. Released on our screens in September on the Netflix platform, it became completely viral in just a few weeks, to the point that a Pop-up store opened in Paris. A craze that is easily explained, notably by the aesthetics.
Full success for Squid Game
Rarely has Netflix triggered such a tidal wave. The Squid Game series worked so well that it became an essential trend in just a few weeks, even inspiring the best Halloween costumes, for example. A pop-up store even opened right in Paris. The concept? Recreate the universe and sets of Squid Game to offer fans an immersion more real than life. A true success, which can be explained in several ways. First, by a thrilling plot that somewhat follows the codes of Battle Royale, those universes where all characters compete in a deadly fight, with a prize to win at the end. Here, the series created by Hwang Dong-Heyok is the story of a survival competition where 456 very poor people are ready to do anything to win the 45.6 billion wons at stake.
To do so, they must face each other in games inspired by childhood like Red Light, Green Light or tug of war. These games will all turn out to be violent and deadly. A plot showing carefreeness against a backdrop of greed, an explosive cocktail. Yet not everything was won for the creator, the series was written in 2009 and was rejected for 10 years by many production studios. Proof that perseverance pays off since today the series is number 1 in 90 countries and is the most watched series in Netflix history. 111 million views in only 17 days, never seen before on the platform!
The second reason for the series’ rapid success is obviously its aesthetics. Whether it’s the sets where the games take place, the dormitory, or the now iconic guards’ costumes, in full red jumpsuits, you can feel that the aesthetic/design side was very carefully worked on. To the point where you can even easily imagine adapting this universe to fashion and especially to streetwear, whose codes are much broader and move much faster than in the past.
Project X Paris imagines your Squid Game outfit
At Project X Paris, for example, we have long offered streetwear clothes that closely resemble those seen in the series. We have a whole range of products in “military” styles, or simply quilted, with for example two types of bright red quilted jogger bottoms whose look almost perfectly matches those seen during the series. Once the bottoms are sorted, we move on to the top: this time, it’s the jacket with panels and quilting, also bright red, which can match both jogger bottoms. All you have to do is add a pair of sneakers and you’re good to go.
For those who are not yet convinced, there is also a PXP model that closely resembles those of the guards: the quilted sleeve hoodie. We can’t say it enough in our articles but the hoodie has become almost essential in most streetwear outfits. We hope that at your place too, the increasingly worked aesthetics in new series inspire you with style ideas. At Project X Paris, we strive to monitor every new trend that influences urban cultures, because that’s where we draw inspiration. Beyond that, we also love collaborating directly with series, like “Caïds” recently, but also with the actors who play in them. That’s why we have notably worked with Bosh, but also with Jaime Lorente, the famous Denver from La Casa De Papel.
For all these reasons, we hope at Project X Paris that Squid Game, a series that pays so much attention to style and visual aspects, will enjoy long-lasting success! Season 2 has already been announced by the creator, and he even confirmed the return of Gi-Huang, the main protagonist of season 1. To be continued!