A Symbol for a City

It all starts with a symbol. A shape, a mark, an etching on a cave wall. A cheek adorned with a streak of clay or wet charcoal. An emblem to distinguish one tribe from another. A visual cue, uniting friend and friend alike.

Since the dawn of human civilization, symbols have had a key role to play, communicating larger concepts of unity, understanding and allegiance through simple visual means. From early stone age drawings and tribal symbols came flags, banners and insignias. These later incarnations became increasingly refined and elegant, but in essence they performed the same function as the rudimentary symbols of centuries past: to unite allies and the likeminded.

During medieval times, knights sheathed in steel would charge into battle with emblems emblazoned across their armour. These heraldic marks enabled the knights to distinguish friend from foe; they represented a shared interest and a common goal. Over time, the marks of these troops evolved into regional and national flags, coming to stand for British counties and countries. Sir Edward Hamley best captured this representative and symbolic power of the flag when he wrote:

A moth-eaten rag on a worm-eaten pole,
It does not look likely to stir a man’s soul,
‘Tis the deeds that were done ‘neath the moth-eaten rag,
When the pole was a staff and the rag was a flag.

Today, in a world that can be callously isolating and fractured, it’s more important than ever for people to come together under uniting symbols that represent universal values and shared goals. One of the places that exemplifies this most is London, a city of true multiculturalism and diversity, but a city that has been somewhat tainted by the UK’s choice to leave the European Union and, specifically, by the underlying motives that led to this choice.

In recent years, the St George’s Cross – the flag of England that can be traced all the way back to the Middle Ages – has acquired negative connotations. The act of bearing what should be a flag of national pride has become laden with unwanted associations. In light of this, Steve has decided that London – as the country’s capital and a place of inclusivity and openness – deserves an alternative, a symbol of everything and everyone it stands for.

This inclusivity and openness permeates the very fabric of the city. London refuses to discriminate on the basis of race, religion or nationality, and has long been the pacesetter for equality and worldwide opportunity in the UK. Back in 1892, for example, the UK’s first non-white MP was elected when the Indian-born Dadabhai Naorji won Finsbury Central for the Liberal Party. Just over 30 years earlier, the Jewish immigrant Joseph Malin is said to have opened the UK’s first fish and chips restaurant within the sound of Bow Bells in east London, creating a dish that would sweep the nation and become synonymous with the idea of ‘Britishness.’

The city continues to pioneer multiculturalism in the UK, with non-UK born residents making up 37% of its population – the national average stands at 12.5%. This percentage increases further in such London boroughs as Brent (54%), Newham (54%), Kensington (52%) and Westminster (50%). In the lead up to 2012, Newham undertook the largest mixed-use urban regeneration project in the UK in order to welcome a whole host of international athletes to Stratford City for the global sporting celebration that is the Olympic Games. In Kensington & Chelsea, which goes by the fitting motto “How good to dwell in unity”, the largest street party in Europe and one of London’s most important cultural events takes place in Notting Hill every August bank holiday. International celebrations such as these are part of London’s identity, and they are driven by the city’s history of immigration and global opportunity.

With over 300 languages spoken in London alone, the city is a microcosm of the world at large, and is more than worthy of a flag to celebrate this. A firm believer in the power and importance of badges and symbols, Steve has set himself the challenge of creating a flag to celebrate London’s diversity, variety and inclusivity. Given that Steve’s DNA reveals he is a mix of Irish, Swedish, Italian, English and Mongolian, he could hardly be more suited to the task.

The design of the flag touches on key aspects of the capital. It adopts a tricolour design to depict the River Thames in blue at its heart, with culture depicted in red on one side, and open spaces in green on the other. Fashion is represented in black and white on the periphery. At the centre, uniting all the elements, is the much-loved London Bridge, which is characterised in gold to honour the vibrancy, energy and spirit of the city.

The flag is a symbol of unity and hope, representing how London is alive, accessible and open to everyone. It all starts with a symbol…

Filed in News, Outer Thinking Division by Steve Edge Design. 2 comments

Jonathan

October 27th, 2017 at 10:05 am

Hi Steve, love the flag – when’s it going up at Buckingham Palace? Definitely time for some unity and fresh ways of thinking!

Mark Cotton

October 27th, 2017 at 11:42 am

I love the story behind the London Flag Steve … and some “party gold” in it, very fitting for you.

A Symbol for a City

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