The Target Design

reptilicus
Apr 15
4 min read

Updated: Apr 16

The target or roundel in our contemporary setting, has been associated with the "modernists" or Mod. A subculture that began in late 1950s London and spread throughout Great Britain, eventually influencing fashions and trends in other countries. This group of young stylish men and women were called modernists because they listened to modern jazz. The 1959 novel, Absolute Beginners, describes modernists as young modern jazz fans who dress in sharp modern Italian clothes. The novel may be one of the earliest examples of the term being written to describe young British style-conscious modern jazz fans. That use of the word modernist should not be confused with "modernism" in the context of literature, art, design and architecture. From the mid-to-late 1960s onwards, the mass media often used the term mod in a wider sense, to describe anything that was believed to be popular, fashionable or modern. (1)

1964: DAVE CLARK and the Latest MOD FASHIONs | Tonight | Retro Fashion | BBC Archive

However, despite all the above, the target or roundel design dates back well before the 60's. It goes back to the First World War (WWI).

By NiD.29 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4463939

In 1914 when WWI began, it was the habit of ground troops to fire on all aircraft, friend or foe! So identification became an important issue. Originally, the union flag was painted on the underwings or on the fuselage of the aircraft. The only issue was that from a distance, the George Cross or the Union Flag, could be confused with the Iron Cross, which was already being used to identify German aircraft. It was decided to follow the lead of the French, who used a roundel of red and white, with a blue centre (a tricolour cockade, used in the French revolution) (2).

https://www.vintagewings.ca/stories/roundel-round-up-y8bla

The British reversed the colours and it became the standard of Royal Flying Corps aircraft from 11th December 1914. By 1917, a thin white outline was usually added to the roundel, to make the blue more easier to distinguish (3).

If you really want to know all the variations, hues, dimension and roundel history, check out the link below! It is a detailed read!

RAF Roundels, Not As British As You Thought!

Back to Mods. Why have they adopted the roundel as a "symbol" that represents their subculture? I did some research, this is what I found out. The Who wore them on stage during their early career, I guess as it spoke of patriotism, an iconic symbol on British aircraft.

The Ben Sherman website has this to say, adding it is not clear why Mods adopted the roundel, it is up to debate, but gives the following as a more plausible story...

"At the turn of the 60s, pop art started to grow in popularity. American artist Jasper Johns was a frontrunner of the movement, with his work featuring many nationalistic symbols including the target.

Peter Blake was one of the biggest British names on the scene, going on to produce artwork for both the Beatles and Paul Weller among a host of others, and his pop art stylings also used the roundel to great effect.

With the emblem now firmly in the consciousness of those in the know, the story goes that the Who’s management persuaded the band to adopt the logo, adding it to t-shirts and album artwork as they went. As one of the biggest bands on the scene, it was only a matter of time before the target filtered down to the band’s fans, and so the link between Mods and the target was made.

Weller and his band The Jam, the Small Faces, the Kinks and a host of other Mod-influenced bands would also sport the now famous blue, white and red circles, and ever since it’s been heralded as the ultimate calling card of the Mod." (4)

I think this is as plausible as any other story.

The release of the film Quadrophenia in 1979 deeply connected to the Mod subculture of the 1960s. Capturing the essence of Mod lifestyle, including their fashion, music and the rivalry with Rockers. The film contributed to the Mod revival of the 1970s and early 1980s, fueling generations to adopt the Mod lifestyle.

The "A Way of Life" poster was designed by Renato Casaro. The album cover photography and art direction for The Who's album "Quadrophenia" were done by Ethan Russell

Last Word

I would consider myself , someone, who likes and wears Mod style and I appreciate history. I like circles, they have a smooth aesthetic, especially when they are combined and really work well within fashion and also interiors.