Jobs from the past - Number 81

Regular followers of this blog will know that my first post of every month is a "job from the past" so that I can show some of the really good work from years gone by and here's one from 2005. 

Levi's Vintage Clothing

Spring & Summer 2005 

 

Over 125 years after the birth of the Blue Jean in 1873, Levi Strauss & Co established the Levi's Vintage Clothing sub-brand; resurrecting the past by creating exact reproductions of original jeanswear from the 130 year old design archives. Based around authentic pieces, denim garments are made in the US from historic quality XX selvage denim from original narrow looms.

This is the skilfully crafted lookbook for the range. It is a 'pocket book' size of 180x125mm, portrait and is an 'unfussy' self cover. There are 28pp and it's saddle stitched.

Click on images to enlarge

The lookbook is printed offset litho in CMYK on our Redeem 100% Recycled 130gsm which is a neutral white shade giving the publication a genuinely vintage look and feel, However, as you'll see if you click on the images, the reproduction of the images stands up superbly.

Click on images to enlarge

To give you a sense of scale, the book is pictured below with a couple of everyday items. As I mentioned, it's a handy 'pocket size' but looking at the pictures it's easy to imagine this was an A4 or over size project.

Art direction and design is by a studio called the Kitchen, who were based in Margaret St, London W1. According to my notes, the creative directors and designers who were there at the time were Phil Evans, Phil Sims, Ramon Marin and Mat Jones. Sadly the studio disappeared in the mid 2000's. Photography is by Jason Tozer.

The outstanding printing is by Push Print based in Rotherhithe, London - and as I often say about these 'jobs from the past', it looks a good and fresh today as it did 11 years ago.

...and as if to prove that it stands the test of time, even though this is a job from 2005 which itself is about vintage clothing, the Levi's Vintage Clothing range is still available!
http://www.levi.com/GB/en_GB/features/levis-vintage-clothing
http://www.push-print.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 01.07.2016

Big Book Bonanza 2016

The Big Book Bonanza is the showcase of new books from Harper Collins and this is the bewitching invitation for the launch that was held this April at the Ham Yard Hotel.

The invitation is quite literally a gatefold! The delightfully lasercut gates are hinged over the inner invitation which is tipped onto the back panel of the main invite. 

Finished size of the invitation is 150x265mm with the inner card being 128x245mm. It is printed on Colorset Natural 350gsm (100% Recycled) throughout.

Click on images to enlarge

Below shows the corner cuts where the inner card sits, holding it in place.

Below image shows outside back cover with the corner slits.

Click on images to enlarge

The reproduction on the Colorset Natural is bright and vivid, the colours really lifting off the page.

The lasercut gates are wonderfully crisp and really set this invitation off.

Art direction and design is by London based studio, Design by St. Creative Partners are Steve Fenn and Tom Pollard. The excellent print and production is by Hampshire based Senator Press.

www.harpercollins.co.uk
http://www.designbyst.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 29.06.2016

Thesis InForm

Following on from my visit to CSM last week, a publication arrived in the post today which accompanies a student led symposium and exhibition titled 'Thesis InForm’ at the LCC. The exhibition provides an opportunity for students to develop their research and writing into an exhibition outcome and runs concurrently to the year end main show at LCC. Works selected are from a panel of Contextual & Theoretical Studies and course tutors based on mentored proposals.  

The finished size is A4 (297x210mm) portrait folding out to an A2 size 594x420mm and is printed offset litho in one pantone colour (solid green) on the outside and two colours, fluorescent green and silver on the inside.

Click on images to enlarge

The paper chosen is our lightweight Offenbach Bible 60gsm, which feels beautifully light but retaining a quality feel, flopping and rolling in the hand. The printing of the solid colour is superb.

Below image shows fully folded out broadsheet/poster with the image below being the inside printed in two colours

Design is by Giorgio Marani and Tom Greenhill. Editing and production is by Andrew Slatter (Senior Lecturer Contextual & Theoretical Studies). The publication is expertly printed 'in house' at the LCC at the Elephant and Castle by Litho technician Tony Yard - the print result is truly exquisite, especially given the limitations of the equipment at the LCC. My thanks to Andrew for sending me copies.

www.thesisinform.wordpress.com
www.arts.ac.uk/lcc

Posted by Justin Hobson 27.06.2016

Central St Martins - Degree Show 2016

Yesterday evening I was invited to the private view of the Central St Martins Degree Shows at King's Cross. It was a very humid London evening but the show was well attended, laid out on the ground, first and second floors.

I spent most of the time at the BA Graphic Design course where I was shown around by Helen Ingham, from the letterpress workshop.

It was a very busy show with lots of thought-provoking work on display. Interesting (for me) to see just how many final projects still involve paper and printing. There was a superb project by Michal Kuzmierkiewicz, beautifully illustrated, exploring the roots of his family's exodus from Poland to Britain after WW2 (unfortunately I didn't get a pic of that project.) 

Below is the work of Odira Morewabone on Matatuism, a subcultural exploration of the urban youth culture in Nairobi in creating these artworks used on local taxis.

And below is the work of Anna Finch on the Jewellery Design course who has incorporated paper into her work. Through extensive experimentation, including pulping, carving, cutting, laminating, heating and sanding, Anna has been able to create some extraordinary pieces.

This piece is made using paper that she has processed, inlaid with pearl and silver.

Thanks to all staff and people I know at CSM for the kind invitation and a chance to see the work of the new graduates.
http://www.arts.ac.uk/csm/#

Posted by Justin Hobson 24.06.2016

Coast Lookbook

Coast is one of the leading occasionwear brands for women. Established in 1996, Coast now boasts 52 stand-alone stores with 184 concessions and 46 international stores. This is the lookbook for last Christmas and is a really sublime piece of print

The cover is printed on our Astralux board - this is a one sided 'Cast Coated' board which means it has a high gloss surface and an uncoated reverse. So in this instance, it's been used inside out! The uncoated reverse has been printed offset litho in a silver special solid colour and hot foil blocked in silver metallic foil and used as the outer cover - the high gloss has been printed in a champagne metallic shade which appears on the inside front and back cover.

The cover is printed on Astralux [1 sided] 350gsm. Size of the publication is 240x165mm (which is an economical size to be printed on a B2/B1 size press)

The text material chosen was our Omnia, which would beautifully reproduce the photography with the delicate patterns and dark colours superbly - without forgetting the fleshtones ...and it looks wonderful! The 44pp text is on Omnia White 150gsm, printed offset litho in CMYK throughout.

Click on images to enlarge

Image reproduction is paramount but it was also important that the publication also projected the tactility of the clothes and in the image above and below the detail of jewellery. An ordinary feeling silk or gloss coated paper wasn't an option, so Omnia fitted the bill perfectly.

Click on image to enlarge

Omnia is a very bulky paper, so even though it is only 44pp, the Omnia 150gsm gives it a 5mm spine thickness. As with all quality publications, it is 'section sewn' and here is a close up showing the spine and end of the book with the sewn sections:

Another impressive detail is the spine which is also hot foil blocked in silver metallic foil but which as you can see from the image below centred perfectly within the 5mm spine - great attention to detail

Art direction and design is by Coast. Printing, neat foiling and careful finishing is by Identity Print based in Paddock Wood.

http://www.coast-stores.com/

http://www.identityprint.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 22.06.2016

Refurbishment at Fenner Towers!

We have just redecorated our modest reception area at Fenner Paper, we have a new cabinet to display books and magazines and a new bright yellow sign to indicating where the intercom is.

We've used a Crown Matt Emulsion in a pale greeny grey with the imaginative name of 'Potting Shed'! ...to top it off, we have a new framed poster titled 'The Power of Creativity' which is a limited edition poster designed by Johnson Banks, originally produced for D&AD. I wrote about the posters on this blog before here

The design of the poster is such that there is plenty to read on the wall, should any visitors have to spend some time waiting! The posters are produced on Omnia 200gsm and are printed by Gavin Martin Colournet.

They are available to purchase from the studio here: http://johnsonbanks.co.uk/shop/power-of-creativity-poster/

http://johnsonbanks.co.uk/
http://www.gavinmartincolournet.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 20.06.2106

The Winton Beauty of Mathematics Garden

This is the literature produced for one of the gardens at last month's Chelsea Flower show. This leaflet is about the Winton Beauty of Mathematics Garden, which is the Silver Gilt Medal winner. The garden is designed by Nick Bailey.

"The garden is a celebration of the beauty to be found in the mathematics and algorithms that underpin all plants, growth and life. It features a beautiful flowing copper band, etched with plant growth algorithms and represents an emerging seedling. As it snakes through the garden it takes on different functions from bench to stair banister, to planter pitched 3.5m (11 1/2ft) above the garden, and overflowing with trailing plants"

Finished size is 112x220mm concertina folding out to 448x220mm. It is printed on Omnia 150gsm, which is very bulky (around 200microns thick) which makes the leaflet substantial, but because it has been well pre-creased, it folds well and sits nice and flat.

Pia called to discuss the type of paper she was looking for, wanting something that was tactile and engaging but concerned that the images would reproduce accurately ...well Omnia certainly cracked it! - the printed result is superb. Excellent reproduction but still with tactility that the subject requires. It is printed offset litho in four colour process. The below image shows both sides, spread out flat.

Click on images to enlarge

Below is a hi res image of the actual garden....

The leaflet is designed by Pia Östlund, who is a graphic designer and printmaker with a long background of working with gardens (Chelsea Physic Gardens and Oxford Botanic Gardens). Print is by Severn Print based in Gloucester and was handled by Anita Barry. My thanks to Anita for sending me some copies and a lovely note.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/Gardens/2016/winton-beauty-of-mathematics-garden

http://www.severnprint.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 16.06.2016