15% Off @ Colus

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Colus, Colus Havenga, abstract tees, art t-shirts, black and white tees, tribal tees

With Colus you’ve got to respect the line, they’re a smart design lovin’ label offerings tees, prints and toys with a few ground rules…

“Black and white only. No convention, crafted without trend, colour or design stunts to hide behind, this collection tries to stay in its humblest form of design where negative space is as important as the art itself.“

Launched by the S.A designer Colus Havenga, now based in San Diego, California you can definitely spot the cultural crossover style. The subject matter is described as lying betwixt morality and mortality, the mood is sombre, the colours monotone, the line gorgeous and the designs truly iconic. Something for the underground I’d say.

If you love all things Colus you’ll be very glad to know they’re offering 15% off all their products in their launch special, the code is LAUNCH15 and for a limited time only (so hurry!). If you’re brassic right now Buy Tees have also wangled a permanent discount for you lucky lucky people. Just enter the code BUYTEES10 at the checkout for a 10% discount any time you like! All currently $30 in sizes S-XL.

Even Kings Fall Tee

Nicely balanced natural abstract remonstrating the rise and fall of life, power and glory.

Live By The Sword Tee

Nicely Karmic, a little poetic justice for ya.

Stuck In The Headlights Tee

In Britain this applies to rabbits, although we’ve very little wildlife left let alone stags here – Brits do have a habit of running everything over :/ (I don’t even drive so don’t blame me!)

Antagonism Tee

“A principle, force or factor that is an active resistance, opposition, or contentiousness to oneself.” In other words you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t or is that procrastination?

For more tees from the first collection at Colus visit www.colushavenga.com.

ETC

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     ETC, ETC Fashion House, Embrace The Culture, abstract tees, etcfashionhouse, graphic t-shirts, pop art tees, text tees, typography tees

ETC aka “Embrace The Culture” is a positively charged piece of branding for an eclectic, didactic, but ultimately “open-minded” fashion house with their eye on the USA and Europe – hoping to dominate the typographic/graphic tee market with a selection of solid designer tees aimed at a wider-than-indie market whilst still retaining some of that ad hoc creative exuberance and spontaneity for the low-end catwalk. It’s a great piece of positioning if they can pull it off, although they’ll be creatively challenged from all sides by a wide variety of indie designers and top end labels, with the right exposure, pricing and coverage they might just crack it.

A deceptively simple site, a professional lookbook on their homepage (nice…) and a Big Cartel store are a good start, but I’d upgrade their account so they can  continue that branding right through to the checkout. The typography tees are definitely slick, but I’ve had my fill of text recently so I’ll focus on the graphic/text tees on offer for both guys and girls at $24.95 in sizes S-L.

Love is Blind Tank

Love Obtuse Tee

Try Angles Tank

See more at www.etcfashionhouse.com or read up at their arty blog.

Terrific Glyphs!

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Glyph Cue, MWM, Matt W Moore, abstract tees, discount, glyph, glyphs, sale, voucher

I only discovered GlyphCue.com today, they’re the current designers at Ltd. Tee who are selling their amazing Mandala box set for $24.99 If you fancy buying a set yourself you can save yourself a bundle by using the discount code ONEWEEK at the checkout to get a generous 30% of the standard price.

It looks more like a “Mandela” t-shirt than a mandala tee, still it’s a great design, very tribal, almost African, and some nice cuts in the tone and line. Designed by Matt W. Moore who is the co-founder of Glyph Cue and the founder of MWM Graphics based in Portland, Maine. Matt exhibits his artwork in galleries all around the world and works across disciplines, from colourful digital illustrations in his signature “Vectorfunk” style to free-form watercolour paintings and massive aerosol murals… If you fancy knowing more then lap it up at Addicteed’s interview with Matt here.

For those out there scratching their heads and asking “what the hell is a glyph?” you’re in luck. Before I introduce you to the wonders of Glyph Cue’s tees take a look at their simple but informative explanation for the name:

def. GLYPH
– - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
– A graphic symbol whose appearance conveys information.
– A symbol for referring to a planet, zodiac sign, or other esoteric concept.
– A visual in the form of a symbolic figure carved or incised in relief.
– A symbolic figure or character, usually a picture, that gives information.

Phew. So you can take your cue from that :p Anyway, all that asides, if you like your t-shirt artwork on the abstract side, with plenty of interesting details to keep eyes glued in your direction then check out these beauties…

12 Hour Truce T-Shirt

This is a weird one, I mean that in a cool way, almost designed to mess with your head, here’s what GC have to say about the design “Within this interlocking 12 point star lies many visual narratives. Two 6 point stars join to create the clock formation. Unfinished Tic-Tac-Toe game says it all.” Screen-printed on a heavyweight cotton tee (they all are), the 12 Hour Truce tshirt is available for $33 in sizes S-XL here.

Dilated Grid T-Shirt

Loving this one, the design is inspired by a Hip Hop breakbeat loop, hovering between the abstract and the literal, this tee has a superb “vibe”. Very mellow indeed. Available in all sizes for $33 here.

Big Bang T-Shirt

Pretty and trippy, if you stare long enough you’ll space out, or so I am told, obviously I can’t, I could never do those Magic Eye posters either. Cool t-shirt available in all sizes at $33 here.

Mosaic Mucho T-Shirt

Another very cool abstract tee, one of the best logo tees I have ever seen, the designer actually makes you “work” to see their branding. Lovely old retro and particularly “Atomic” motifs, gridtastic! Only available in L-XXL sizes for $33 here.

See the rest at www.glyphcue.com. If you fancy getting a limited edition box set from Ltd. Tee then hurry there’s only (as I write) 6 days left for their Mandala shirt!

Milk and Eggs Co.

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Milk & Eggs, Milk and Eggs Co., abstract t-shirts, abstract tees, funny tees

Yum, sounds like someone’s making French Toast. Actually it’s a little better than that, well, a lot better. Milk & Eggs Co. design some of the best modular and abstract graphic tees out there right now. It took me a long time as an artist to appreciate the sublime simplicity of abstract design, most likely because I see it everyday and don’t notice its perfect form and functionality. For instance I saw a programme about British road and motorway signage designers Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert the other day and realised just how effective their iconography really is. To most of us it seems like it was always that way, but it wasn’t… this is what it used to be like in the UK and this is what it’s like since K and C worked their designer magic.

Still, I’m going way off point, or maybe not, I just wanted to prep the uninformed about the beauty of simplicity in functional abstraction, or in other words, ‘how to say the most with the least information’. Not one of my own personal strong points I know, but it all adds up to a variety in life :/

Milk & Eggs Co. are Ade & Dave of Burbank, California. They launched their label in February of 2009, and find their highly humorous inspiration in everyday life. They cite some of the folks that have influenced their style including the illustrator/graphic designer Charley Harper and the abstract artist Büro Destruct. Why the name? They say that milk and eggs are essentials on their shopping list, and so they’re hoping the same will apply to their t-shirts! Still not sure how well the lactose-intolerant will take that one on board. Heh.

Self Portrait T-Shirt

This tee is probably my favourite at M&C’s store. A perfection of simplicity and a nice visual gag too. Only large sizes available at $18 each. Get your Self Portrait tee here.

Rearview Mirror T-Shirt

A really smart abstract design, the Rearview Mirror tee is for sale at $18, only small and medium sizes left!

Cat & Mouse T-Shirt

A very sweet abstract graphic, the Cat & Mouse tee is available at $20 in sizes XL/2XL here.

Peace T-Shirt

A lovely retro design, very cute vintage typography, pure nostalgia wrapped up in a simple logo. Get the Peace T-Shirt for only $14 in sizes L/XL here.

They don’t just sell tees, they also knock out a fine range of graphic buttons and write a groovy blog too. Go nuts for Milk & Eggs!

The Zen Of T-Shirt Design

admin    T-Shirt Articles     abstract t-shirts, abstract tees, geometic t-shirts, pattern t-shirts, patterned tees, shapes, stripes

Not everyone loves illustrated graphic t-shirts, I can’t think why, but it’s true. I suppose it might all be part of a plan to live a simpler less cluttered life, sporting stylish modular and expressive abstract tees might constitute part of training to be a Zen master these days. Who knows, I know Tibetan monks wear Nikes these days? So get ready for a glimpse at a few labels that try to eschew the mainstream t-shirt graphic scene and focus purely on the calm trance-like shapes and patterns of the abstract t-shirt deign. Yes… The Zen of T-Shirt Design.

Kenzo Minami has to be one of my all-time favourite abstract artist/designers, he’s worked with some very big names such as Nike, MTV, Reebok and the Sci-Fi Channel. Murals, backdrops, graphic design, packaging and of course t-shirt design are just some of his talents. Here’s what he has to say about his astounding work. “It makes sense that I studied both philosophy and industrial design, one is ergonomics, the functioning of humans in a physical environment, and the other is the functioning of humans in the social and metaphysical environment. As much as they seem to be polar opposites, there is a place they can coexist and cooperate.”

Prism T-Shirt by Kenzo Minami

This incredible piece of t-shirt design comes at a price, not only is Kenzo Minami’s work very popular but it’s usually very expensive and hard to get hold of too. The beautiful Prism tee is available at Blackbird in black in a large size for $118.99 and this was reduced from an incredibly pricey $199! Not something I can afford but at least I can admire it from afar :/

Symbolika are old friends of Buy Tees, a French t-shirt label that’s heavily involved in meditation and trance. Their designs are sketched and then rendered in beautifully precise detail using CAD. Here’s one of my faves by Symbolika.

Time T-Shirt

Here’s what Symbolika have to say on the design… “a thirteen moon phase inside a flower of life grid with a skull and a foetus, representing the passage of time.” I think I’m having one of those 2001 moments, definitely worth wearing if you think you might be attaining Nirvahna in the near future (not the band btw but the transcendental state) then this is probably the t-shirt to wear. Before you sneer at my hippy ideals take a look at the back!

Wowzers. Anyway get this tee for €25 here.

Pattern and Shape t-shirts do exactly what it says in the logo, they create abstract pattern and shape tees for those looking for something simpler yet iconic. Check out this one:

Parallelogram T-Shirt

Definitely not a word to repeat quickly when you’re drunk, you’ll probably something similar when you see this tee. I’m sure that Pattern and Shape’s Parallelogram t-shirt could be used to test for 20/20 vision, or some form of mild psychosis, but I love it. It frazzles my brain, and unlike certain illicit substances, you pay once and can trip out forever. Lol. This superbly simple Andrio Abero t-shirt is available for $23 here.

Jiménez Jurado – Tijuana based designer and illustrator has a great style, I particularly like this tee for the girls available in Volcom‘s featured artists collection.

Foi Jiminez F.A Sheer T-Shirt

Volcom Sliders Jersey Tee

Nope this one has nothing to do with the awful 90s US TV series, loving the 80s pixelated graphic style, oh so retro. Cleverly the design is based on their logo – ooh sneaky. Volcom’s Sliders Jersey Tee is available for girls in XS-XL black for £16.42 here.

Rain Drops & Rhombuses T-Shirt

Here’s a cool tee by Plink Design, reminds me a little of the wallpaper we used to have in the 1970s, it was nice wallpaper, not at all cheap. Probably from Habitat. I miss that wallpaper. Get this superb abstract shirt for $20 in all sizes here.

Red Valentino Ribbon Bow Jersey T-Shirt

I was in two minds about including this tee, the thing is the embroidery is actually an abstract representation of embroidery, or at least that’s the theory from the part of my brain that can remember art college. It’s quirky and according to the nearest females of the species in my vicinity, “gorgeous!” Ah well, we’ll say this one crosses the boundaries of decorative and abstract, still, cute. Get the Red Valentino Ribbon Bow Jersey Tee at Net a Porter for a ridiculously whopping £85. Ouch.

Richard Altman is a designer that believes that “the closer we live our lives in harmony with our innate creative abilities, the happier, healthier and more productive we will become”. Who knows, he could be right, still his shirts are nice and jazzy.

Bipolar T-Shirt

Bipolar by Richard Altman (no relation to Robert I suppose?) is cool, crazy but cool… daddio. Get it for $22 here.

Two lovely isometric t-shirts from Babble Tees.

Isometric Green T-Shirt

Isometric Orange T-Shirt

Here are a few more to keep you going ;)

http://www.thegrandsocial.com.au/das-monk/t-shirts/mount-hexx—white

http://www.daviddavid.co.uk/t-shirt/index.html – London based fashion designer who makes a mint in Japan.

A Spongebob Tee …but a little bit Picasso too!