LIZZIE KING – PARADISE CLASSICS
Lizzie King is a multidisciplinary artist in the truest sense of the term. With a degree in sculpture from the University of Brighton, her C.V. includes running art classes, creating large scale window drawings for major clients, and producing creative workshops for the likes of Nike. Now with this Paradise Classics tee, she can add long-sleeve T-shirt designer to the list – our favourite touch is the asymmetrical sleeves.
HIGH PASS X ROOM 4 RESISTANCE
Highpass, our annual online music merch pop-up, saw Berlin-based queer femme/non-binary DJ collective Room 4 Resistance team up with illustrator Isabel Von Der Ahe for their design. A clever reimagining of the classic football top, we loved the 3D-effect shading.
JACKSON GREEN – HUMAN INSTRUMENTALITY PROJECT
New York-based Jackson Green is both a graphic and type designer and the close relationship between text and image in his designs is one of the most interesting things about his work. For his Human Instrumentality Project tee, he paired experimental fonts with conventional and used tripping texturing to bring life to his images.
SOPHY HOLLINGTON – AQUARIAN EXPOSITION
When we interviewed Sophy Hollington recently about how she’s improved across campaigns, she said that her long sleeves are always her biggest hits: “I’ve found long sleeves to be a lot more popular but maybe this is seasonal!” Part of the Everpress x Woodstock lineup, the symbols along the sleeves of this T-shirt are pulled from the main image, enhancing its impact.
DAN DERHAM – OUTER SPACE, KEITH FLINT
Dan Derham’s long sleeve was the result of a collab with Happy World co. A tribute to the late Prodigy frontman Keith Flint, the lyrics that adorn the tee are lifted from the band’s song Out of Space, with 20% of the proceeds going to the mental health organisation CALM.
WORLDWIDE FM X ON THE CORNER
When we spoke to Worldwide FM’s station manager Dan Moss about their tees, he helped shine some light on music merch’s enduring appeal. “Hopefully our audience feels like an extension of our Worldwide Family,” he said. “Our presenters, team and listeners can all feel part of this station, and tees are a great way of showing affiliation and interest in our shared project.” The kaleidoscopic print of this long sleeve was the product of a collaboration with On The Corner’s Art Director, Victoria Topping.
FRUITS – FRUITY HOUSE EXPORTS
Fruits Art Club’s T-shirt is a tongue-in-cheek homage to employee uniforms, emblazoned with the logo for the imagined ‘Fruity House Exports’ moving company. “I love to make tees that are conversation starters,” their founder Andrew Wetmore explained. “Not just a normal tee you would see in a retail store but something that makes a person look twice.”
CLAIRE BARROW – SMOKING CLOUD
Cult artist Claire Barrow delved into her archive to create this special collection, with 10% of the proceeds going towards East London domestic violence charity NIA, and the Smoking Cloud print was our personal highlight. Lifted from her AW ‘15 collection High Flyers, Barrow based it on a vision of, “a woman working in a skyscraper flying out the window to escape the misogyny and sexism that brought her down to earth.”
JOR ROS – DARUMA MEAT MARKET
For illustrator Jor Ros, it’s important his tees have a narrative. As he explains: “I imagine the world or universe first and then try to answer the question: What type of clothing or branding would you find in there? What would its characters wear?” It’s a process that’s served him well for his Daruma Meat Market series – we loved the meat cleaver detail at the cuff of this long sleeve.
KELLY ANNA – DEFEND
Though she mixes it up with short sleeves too, the long sleeve has become a bit of a signature for London-based artist Kelly Anna – like this Defend design. Anna draws her inspiration from an eclectic list that includes Mattise’s collages, Greek mythology, and the work of Frida Kahlo, all sources that read in her clean lines, geometric shapes, and appreciation of the female form.
Ben Arfur – It’s Nicer Here Without You
Though he’s probably best-known for his record sleeves and music posters, we think self-taught graphic designer Ben Arfur’s long sleeves could give his other work a run for its money. Our favourite part of this It’s Nicer Here Without You tee is the effect of the writing along the seams of each sleeve.
BRODIE KAMAN – NOCTURNAL WOUND
When we caught up with Brodie Kaman, he told us that part of the appeal of making T-shirts is the chance to work on something tangible, “I get much more satisfaction working on things that materialise physically,” he said. To create his heavily distressed, experimental graphics he looks to books for inspiration, as evidenced by the text of his Nocturnal Wound long sleeve.
Typography and long sleeves go hand-in-hand. While you’re at it, check out some of our favourite typographers.
