Guns N’ Roses, Pistols and Skulls

Most people who are interested in rock, are familiar with the name Guns N' Roses. The American hard rock band was formed in 1985, and got its name by combining the names of Axl Rose’s band “Hollywood Rose” and Tracii Gun’s band “L.A. Guns”.

The Guns N' Roses debut album "Appetite for Destruction" was released in 1987 and reached number one on the Billboard 200. The album included one of their most famous songs, “Sweet child o’ Mine”, the band’s only single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

The first logo that Guns N' Roses used, was the now famous pistol logo. It features two opposing revolvers, a rose stem with thorns, and two blooming roses. If you look a little closer, you might discover a few “hidden” elements like the drop of blood dripping from the roses, said to symbolize the violence caused by guns. You might also notice that the logo taken as a whole looks like the end of a bullet.

Later Guns N' Roses introduced a re-design of their first logo. The revolvers are in the new version facing each other, there is only one rosebud, and the rose stem with thorns from the first logo, has been replaced with a barbed wire wreath. On top of the recognizable elements is a human skull with a top hat. The logo was among other times used during the release of the Use Your Illusion albums from 1991 and at the following 2 1/2 year tour.

We have at 360° ICÔN chosen to work with Guns N' Roses because of their iconic music, great anekdotes and strong visual identity. Their prints has become a part of rock history and their strong symbolic use contain many interesting references and twisted allegories, which reveal a very thought through artwork. Want to join the rock club? Check the 360° ICÔN x Guns N' Roses here:

Men's Skull Grey T-shirt
Men's Skull White T-shirt
Men's Bullet Grey T-shirt
Men's Bullet White T-shirt

Women's Skull Grey T-shirt
Women's Skull White T-shirt
Women's Bullet White T-shirt