If Disney characters went hipster…

It’s not a new phenomenon to see big-name media desperately trying to keep up with trend. In doing so, they ensure more bums on seats at the cinema and more eyes glued to the TV screen, even if these are accompanied by audible sighs from audience members.

Indeed, you can spot a try-hard trend reference in a Hollywood film in just about any rom-com or post-mod drama. Especially obvious in ones that star Katherine Heigl. Texting has evolved into sexting; Twitter and Instagram have replaced Facebook and Myspace; and selfies are as much all over celluloid as they are sprawled across the internet.

It is, however, going to take Disney some time to adapt to pop cultural change. After all, aside from boosting computer graphics and special FX into their stories to make them larger than life on the big screen, it’s difficult throwing technology into the actual original storylines of Cinderella, Snow White and Pocahontas without losing these narratives’ quaint charm.

So to do the dirty work for them, virtual design group The DesignCrowd has commissioned graphic aesthetes to deconstruct their favourite Disney characters.

Part of the brief read as follows:

“We want you to ‘hipsterize’ your favourite Disney characters. Think of hand-me-down skinny jeans, thick-framed glasses, vintage cameras, beards, maroon beanies, fixed-gear bicycles and non-descript tattoos…”

Of the lot we’ve seen so far, Snow White dressed in hand-me-down frock and thick-rimmed specs looks about the most credible. Indeed she could be the cover girl for Frankie magazine. As for Mickey Mouse with a hipster beard? Well at least it’s put whiskers back on a rodent who up until now (strangely) didn’t have any.  Antonino Tati