APPAREL•BRANDING
Adobe
Apparel
Convict
Innovating Urban Style
Location
Manchester, UK
Brief
Develop comprehensive art direction, including illustrations and designs, for a start-up apparel label in collaboration with Kelvin Vidler, founder of Bench. The project encompasses creating a distinctive visual identity, from concept to execution, blending innovative designs with Kelvin's legacy of streetwear expertise. This collaboration aims to establish a fresh and impactful brand presence in the apparel industry."
Tools
Hand Drawn, Adobe Illustrator & Adobe Photoshop
Convict was a apparel label which looked at prison culture. Founded by Bench's Kelvin Vidler Convict was intended initially founded after leaving Bench in 2007. Initially founded in 2010 the second coming came in 2014. The label took inspiration from prison culture primarily which was reflected in the black and white, monochromatic colour scheme
Looking at fairly obvious prison tropes- bars, wire, towers etc. I eventually stuck with a piece of razor wire as I liked it’s geometric shape. I created something which would give a very simple but meaningful mark along with a strong logotype. I was required to stick to black and white for the whole line and it only made sense to use this for the branding as it fit in with the concept of prison.
Two of the concepts were specifically requested by the client including the think image which was taken from an image sourced online and heavily manipulated to avoid copyright infringement. The Skully character which was planned to be a mascot for the label was a take on the Go To Jail card in Monopoly.
The client was very keen on using the brand name CNVT which was ultimately changed back to Convict for clarity.
“...we are aiming at the commercial end of young fashion, sitting alongside the likes of Henley and Superdry - inspired by US West Coast hip-hop via graphic prints and embellishment...
Sketchbook
Process
I was given some small notes of direction form the client which was incorporated and experimented with but ultimately shelved. Concepts that were considered were dice, prison tattoo (especially Russian prison tattoos which hold varied and regimented meanings and imagery) as well as Chicano imagery.
Primarily taking concepts from the prison tattoos imagery, especially Mexican tattoo with it’s italic flourishes and offset those against thicker typography. There we explorations of British imagery but ultimately the brief required an Americana ethos.
Apparel
Designs
Additional concepts that I used was a continuation of the tattoo theme with the addition of a quincrux tattoo - used to represent time spent in prison along with a simple US DOC style of typography, a very simple, unadorned typeface.
I was asked to use some specific images and so, in the interest of copyright, I used those images as a jumping off point and created something more abstract and more original. A lot of the designs were typographic and looked the United States Department of Corrections prison system graphic elements.
Varsity
Jacket
In addition to the usual fare of T-shirts and sweatshirts I created designs for a series of varsity jackets. The above is a good example of what I was trying to accomplish- I didn’t want to have the logo plastered all over the garments as I feel this comes across as a little too obvious and cheapens the brand somewhat so I preferred to stick with something a little different and much more understated.
I used cardboard as I thought it was very appropriate for the brand evoking a street art, and of course it was economical and very easy to get hold of. I had used the medium previously in the Lifecycles group show in London.
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