BOOK REVIEW: TEES – THE ART OF THE T-SHIRT

Tees – The Art of the T-Shirt
By Maki
(Laurence King Publishing 2009)

Positioning itself as the ‘bible of t-shirt design today’, Tees profiles the creatives, design styles and manufacturing trends influencing the staple bit of cotton we wear almost each day.

In terms of visuals, the book is a great resource to dip into for inspiration. Indeed some of the designers deserve looking into. Mike Joyce views t-shirt design as being similar to poster design, in that “it should have an impact and communicate its message instantly.” His approach has seen him produce some brilliant type led, film riffing tees released on Y2K. This series is instantly recognizable and Joyce’s work is playful, snappy, timeless and eminently wearable.

Designer’s Kate Moross and Cecilia Carlstedt also catch the eye with their fine art, indie informed aesthetic. Moross consistently uses geometric and bold motifs, while Carlstedt seems to have literally used the t-shirt as a canvas for her illustration, the visuals heavily handcrafted. Carlstedt’s work is in contrast to a lot of the designs featured and in a way this is why I’d recommend this book. Maki delves deep into t-shirt design and on one hand this confirms the democratic status of the tee, and on the other it highlights the sheer number of people producing t-shirt designs that have a similar, derivative look.

In addition the book also demonstrates that a good design on paper doesn’t necessarily transfer well to a t-shirt, and that the cut, weight and fit also need careful consideration. From this perspective, I’d use Tees not only for visual inspiration but as a tool to refocus creative ideas. Obviously if and when we produce Bonafide t-shirts this review may come back to bite us…

Filed under: Book Reviews, Reviews by J.G.