I don't know if TikTok did this to me (as there are so many videos on nostalgia for late 90's early 2000's design/style), but this is definitely a design that I miss from that time. It is doing what nostalgia does for most people: longing for a simpler time and feels comforting. I feel comfort when I see this and I reflect on a period before things got really chaotic in my home and I was still living with my mother. It reminds me of going to get coffee with my mom or aunt or going to the cafes around Sacramento. I had a different kind of homestead stability. That was also a time of development where I was discovering art, music and the part of my journey to develop my own tastes.
I think it was my 10th or 11th birthday and my uncle bought me a CD from Putumayo Records, a boutique record label that curated sounds from around the world based on culture, region or customary theme. That was certainly influential in me learning about new music beyond VH1, MTV, the radio and whatever was promoted to me. Putumayo is still going strong today, unfortunately their founder recently passed away. The record label reminded me of Rick Steves and his mission, what I see as giving insular Americans motivation and encouargement to broaden their horizons. I still love Putumayo to this day, really for nostalgic reasons again and really their cover art which is very GVC looking, created by UK artist, Nicola Hendel.
Nordstrom Cafe is a perfect example of GVC nostalgia for me. Nordstrom was at the biggest mall in Sacramento at the time, Arden Fair, and I went there with my mother and aunt frequently. The best restrooms were always in Nordstrom and then along with that was the cafe which had nice frappucino knock offs and a signature pink sugar cookie. Starbucks also is a great GVC example, I would suggest checking out their old partner handbook from 2001 for peak GVC design.
