[The Artist’s Wardrobe] When Graphic Design meets Fashion
In the latest edition of his new fashion-focused column, Assistant Editor Greg McIndoe takes a look at when the worlds of fashion and graphic design collide.
Trends from the world of Graphic Design have long been seeping into that of fashion. And recently we’ve noticed lots of Scandi-inspired, geometric designs and inky-typographics popping up in contemporary fashion collections from brands big and small.
With this in mind, we’ve rounded-up a mammoth wishlist to help you freshen up your Winter wardrobe…
Tops
When looking for Graphic Designer friendly clothing, the easiest thing to find is graphic tees. There are lots of brands who take beautiful typography and sleek geometric designs and conjure up brilliantly bold t-shirts. We’ve selected 3 of our favourites below…
Above: “Look For Pizza” T-shirt, “Chips For Dinner” T-shirt, “Feelings Have Feelings” T-shirt and “F” Word T-shirt by Timothy Goodman from Uniqlo (£12.90)
First up, fashion brand Uniqlo have created a range of typographic tees in collaboration with Timothy Goodman. Timothy is an illustrator, designer and author based in New York. Previously he has worked with a long list of clients including AirBnB, The New Yorker and Samsung. This latest collaboration has been Timothy’s first chance to dip his toe in the world of fashion. And he is clearly loving it as recently on his Instagram stories he’s been sharing the joy he feels when seeing happy customers wearing his design.
Above: Circle T-shirt, Abstract T-shirt, Fragments T-shirt and Triangle T-shirt from Poketo ($36)
Founded by husband-and-wife creative team Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung, Poketo is a lifestyle brand which aims to infuse their customers’ lives with design. The studio’s motto is “Art For Your Everyday” and this includes your everyday wardrobe. Poketo’s t-shirt collection includes both extremely minimal designs made up of just one, single-coloured shape, and those that play with several to create more dynamic designs. All their designs lend a sleek and tailored aesthetic to the everyday t-shirt. A classic example of how to smarten up an outfit with art.
Above: Eyes T-shirt, Legs T-shirt, Selects T-shirt and Hands T-shirt by Risotto (£25)
Risotto is Scotland’s leading risograph printing studio. As well as selling a range of paper goods, the studio also designs and sells their own line of apparel. A simplistic, graphic approach is taken to the designing of their line of t-shirts, resulting in a collection of statement pieces which will be memorable any time you wear them.
Risotto stock clothing for both men and women and have a kids sections too. And for the colder months, they also sell a range of heavy and super stylish sweatshirts. Our top pick from the collection is their Foliage Sweatshirt featuring trendy leaf motifs on both the front and back.
Winter Warmers
Graphic-inspired winter warmers are slightly harder but definitely not impossible to find. Howkapow have a selection of colourful, geometric scarves with matching cosy hats on sale. Launched in 2010, Howkapow are based in Kent and sell a wide range of gifts created by independent makers from around the world. Their winter accessories tread a fine line, managing to be joyful and fun while remaining contemporary and stylish.
Tote Bags
It seems canvas tote bags have exploded in the fashion industry over the last few seasons. The gender-neutral fashion accessory has been adopted by fashion brands big and small. If you are looking for a graphic-inspired tote to carry your essential art materials in wherever you go then we would recommend checking out Etsy. Indie brands such as Too Wordy, Paper Tigers Apparel and Mileseed have dreamt up some wonderfully simplistic designs.
Here is a selection of our top totes…
Above: Eyes Shopper Bag by Risotto (£18), Indication Tote by Mileseed (£8), “Inhale Exhale” Tote by Too Wordy (£16) and Crown Tote by Paper Tigers Apparel (£7.50)
Socks
When we think of unusual socks, there is one brand which immediately jumps to mind – Odd Pears. Odd Pears is a brand with a unique concept and a moral compass. Socks from them are designed and sold in sets of 3, meaning you can can wear 2 matching or embrace your inner child and secretly mismatch. For every pair sold, the company also donates $1 to charity so you can feel good about yourself while looking good too.
Here are four of our favourites from their selection of geometric designs…
Above: Rine, Macco, Mons and Geom socks by Odd Pears (£11.09)
Finishing Touches
It seems fitting that we end with those all important finishing touches. They may be small in size but little pins, patches and pouches can make all the difference in allowing you to show off your unique style through your outfit.
One of our favourite online shops for sourcing said finishing touches is Old English Company. The brand apply inky hand lettering to a range of homeware and fashion products. Their aim is to create contemporary, uncomplicated designs featuring messages that resonate with people. Their studio was originally founded in London but production is now based in Stamford. With a name such as Old English Company, it won’t come as a surprise that the brand pride themselves on creating all of their wares in England.
Here are a few of our favourite finds from their online store…
Above: “Hot Mess” Pouch (£12.95), Stay Weird Pin (£7), Heart Patch (£7) and “You’ve Got This” Pin (£7)
If you’re looking to revamp your style for 2018, we hope you’ve found this list helpful. Here at Inkygoodness we’re passionate about supporting smaller businesses and so many of them have embraced this trend to create striking, contemporary fashion pieces with a graphic twist. Check back next month for another instalment of The Artist’s Wardrobe, packed with fashion inspiration for the graphically inclined.