. logo of fashion company Boy London, and this visual-text bears a striking similarity to the Third Reich Parteiadler; with both texts including an eagle facing right, with a ring clutched in its claws. In the original Nazi version of the image, the ring holds a swastika within it, and while this is excluded from Boy London’s adaptation, the resemblance is irrefutable. This image is the form encapsulated in the cultural mythology of ----. While this essay will focus primarily on the Boy London use of the text both in its sub-cultural and mass-culture contexts, it is crucial to first outline its origins in Nazi Germany in order to understand the histories that have been eradicated in the appropriation and re-signification of the symbol.
In…show more content… . . Whether the company’s responses to criticisms involve a plausible deniability of sorts. A spokesman for the Boy London brand said: "The brand is in no way connected to Nazism or the idea of anyone being discriminated against for their creed, colour or religious beliefs." Explaining that the logo "was inspired by the eagle of the Roman Empire as a sign of decadence and strength. Its aim is to empower people rather than oppress." While there are evidently multiple forms, each with their own meanings, available to claim inspiration from, of the provided potentials the Parteiadler is undoubtedly the most similar. However, by claiming inspiration from a variety of the potential options both causality and agency of the Boy London brand is eliminated. Mr. Krivine, who sold the Boy London company in 1984, stated 'I don’t know what kind of eagle it was - Roman Legion, American Indian, Continental Congress, Third Reich - it looked cool.' Kirvine’s response embodies one of the common techniques of mythologies, as outlined by Roland Barthes', as it naturalizes Nazi history and ideals by making the Parteiadler seem to simply be present for the viewer’s gaze and its aesthetic value, whilst simultaneously eliminating causality and agency on the part of both Boy London and the Nazi