Olivia von Halle - The Marrakech Collection

Olivia von Halle is a British luxury nightwear brand that launched at London Fashion Week in September 2011. The brand can be found in nearly 100 stores in 20 countries including Harrods, Selfridges, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and online with Net-a-Porter.com.

Focusing on beautifully cut silk pyjamas in stunning exclusive prints, Olivia von Halle has quickly made a name for itself in the world of high-end nightwear. In 2013 the company was awarded the ‘Blue Butterfly Trust Mark’, which is given to brands and companies that have a positive impact on people and the planet.

This is the look-book for the Pre-Spring 2017 Collection. The publication is sub A4 - 290x205mm, portrait. It is a 16pp self cover format printed on Omnia 150gsm

Unlike many of the fashion look-books featured on this blog, which are printed offset litho, this has been digitally printed on an HP Indigo press. The colours are strong and punchy and the whole publication has a matt, tactile look and feel - in fact I can honestly say, every bit as good as litho!

Click on images to enlarge

Although Omnia was never originally developed for digital, we now keep it as a stock item with "sapphire treatment". This treatment is often applied to more unusual papers and provides a "key" so that the inks (which are different to litho inks) work on the paper surface. The great thing is the job just doesn't look and feel like a digital job. Below is a detail shot showing the excellent fleshtone reproduction.

 The self cover format means that it flows well with the pages turning nicely.

 A nice touch is the use of the white wire for the saddle stitches, in fact so white, you can't see them!

Graphic design is by Michael Knight, who runs his studio in East London called A New Mark. Print and finishing is by Gavin Martin Colournet.

http://oliviavonhalle.com/
http://www.anewmark.com/
http://www.gavinmartincolournet.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 24.05.2017

The 3rd St Bride Foundation Wayzgoose

Yesterday, I had a table at the St Bride Foundation WAYZGOOSE. This is a term (unfamiliar to most people) that used to refer to an annual holiday in a printworks and was often an awayday to the coast or some other sort of day out, more often than not, paid for by the firm.

In this instance the St Bride Wayzgoose is a kind of letterpress 'bring and buy' sale.

Over twenty five different tables displaying and selling everything from lead type to tabletop presses and printed examples of work.

Here is the table that I was allocated, where, as previous years, I adopted a "throw it all on the table" approach! I took lots of offcuts and discontinued paper and board items. All paper, cards sold by weight - 25 pence per 100 grams.

I'm pictured with the very helpful Andrew Long, a final year student at Central St Martin's who kindly helped me unload the van and set up the stall - he's looking for placements and work - I recommend him, he's a hard worker - you can find him at and.long@me.com

I served at my 'paper stall' from 11am to 4pm  ...and by the end of the day I had raised £210, all donated to the St Bride Foundation.

My neighbours on the table next to me were Caslon. Many readers will be familiar with the typeface, Caslon, first cast by William Caslon in the 16th century. The firm is still run by the Caslon family and today, they supply machinery, inks, powders and the ever popular Adana printing press.

They letterpress printed some cards on our exuberant So ..Silk, Beauty Pink 350gsm and they look amazing.

My thanks to Mick Clayton for inviting me and to all the staff and friends at St Bride.

http://www.sbf.org.uk/
http://www.caslon.co.uk/html/_adana_letterpress___.html

Posted by Justin Hobson 22.05.2017

Coal Drops Yard

Coal Drops Yard is the dramatic and dynamic centrepiece of the King’s Cross regeneration program opening in 2018. These stunning Victorian industrial buildings featuring richly coloured bricks, striking arches and solemn ironwork provide a stunning backdrop for this new retail development with design by Heatherwick Studio.

This visually stunning book sets out the retail opportunities to potential retail tenants. It features dramatic photography, high quality CGI and illustration.

Size of the book is a massive 420x250mm, portrait.

The cover has a 'bookjacket' that wraps around the 4pp cover with 175mm flaps. The below image shows the jacket open with the printed filigree pattern printed on the inside. The jacket is printed on Shiro Echo Bright White 120gsm.

The majority of the text is printed on Shiro Echo Bright White 160gsm. Shiro is a 100% Recycled text and cover paper from Favini and as I'm sure you will be able to see from the images below, it prints beautifully. The publication is printed offset litho in CMYK plus a pantone special gold throughout.

Dispersed throughout the book are six 'tip-ins' which are A6 size at the foot of the publication. They are printed on Flora Anice 130gsm which gives them a deliberately industrial look and feel.

If you aren't familiar with Flora, it is a part recycled text and cover paper with a deliberately recycled look and feel with specks and inclusions, so it looks deliberately flecky and specky. Flora is produced with 30% post consumer de-inked waste, together with 60% of virgin FSC pulp and with the "secret" ingredient of 10% of cotton fibres, which gives the paper a wonderful tactile feel.

Click on images to enlarge

There is a 16pp section which is printed on Concorde Pure Brilliance 170gsm, which is an exceptionally high gloss coated, real art paper, which contrast fantastically with the uncoated Shiro (below image, Shiro on left, Concorde on the right)

The quality of the art direction, photography, repro, print and finishing is absolutely superb. The paper also happens to have performed brilliantly! - the metallic gold in particular and the large areas of solid black look superb.

There are many fantastic elements to this job, as well as the 'tip-ins' the job is section sewn and a lovely touch is the use of dark blue thread as you can see in the image below...

Click on images to enlarge

...another thing is the superb line-ups between the inside cover and the bookjacket - stunning accuracy in the finishing.

Art direction and design is by Bell Integrated. You can read more about the whole project here: https://www.bell-integrated.co.uk/portfolio/argent/. The excellent print, repro and finishing is by Gavin Martin Colournet, based in London E3.

This is just a wonderful example of where great art direction and design has been complimented by the right choice of materials that work with the imagery and the physicality of the publication - all working together having been executed brilliantly by the printer.

https://www.bell-integrated.co.uk/portfolio/argent/
http://www.gavinmartincolournet.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 16.05.2017

St Bride Foundation Wayzgoose

The Annual St Bride Foundation Wayzgoose takes place next Sunday - 21st May

Wayzgoose is a term (unfamiliar to most people) that used to refer to an annual holiday in a printworks and was often an away-day to the coast or some other sort of day out, more often than not, paid for by the firm.

 

However, in this instance the St Bride's Wayzgoose is a kind of letterpress 'bring and buy' sale. There are companies selling type, letterpress accessories, ink and lots of letterpress printed books and cards and the proceeds from the event go towards the St Bride Foundation.

Why not come along... ?

 

For interest, this is what it was like last year:

http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/the-annual-st-bride-foundation-wayzgoose.html

 

http://www.sbf.org.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 12.05.2017

Jo Malone - Rare Teas

This new collection of colognes is a first in perfumery. Made using fragrance from ultra rare teas grown in the foothills of China to the Himalayas. The ancient art of the tea master is combined with the ingenuity of the perfumer to create these new scents. There are six colognes based on different teas - delicately floral Silver Needle Tea, sparkling and sweet Darjeeling Tea, herbaceous green Jade Leaf Tea, rich and earthy Oolong Tea, deeply seductive Midnight Black Tea and spicy Golden Needle Tea.

This is the promotional brochure produced by Jo Malone. Size is 150mm square and is saddle stitched.

The 4pp cover is on Omnia 280gsm with 12pp text on Omnia 150gsm. The reason that Omnia was chosen is because it would work with the rich detail that is present in the images but that would give a natural look and tactile feel.

Click on images to enlarge

It is printed offset litho in four colour process (CMYK) and as you can see from images, some of the photography is quite dark, but there is no loss of detail, which is what can often happen printing on an uncoated paper, which is why the Omnia was chosen.

Click on images to enlarge

The image below shows the outside back cover printed in solid black and as you can see, the solid looks great...

The image below shows the detail and the way the glass and fine detail has reproduced.

Art direction and design is by the Jo Malone design team. Superb repro, print and finishing is by CPI Colour with Mark Pitman handling the project.

http://www.jomalone.co.uk/rareteas
http://www.cpicolour.co.uk/

 Posted by Justin Hobson 10.05.2017

Multiplicity in Brighton

Yesterday evening, we were pleased to be the sponsor of  Multiplicity in Brighton. Hosted by Foilco, this is the third event hosted by Foilco, with the previous talks having been in Glasgow and Leeds. Just over 150 creatives came together at The Old Market in Hove to hear three great speakers.

The three fantastic speakers were Hamish Makgill, Anthony Burrill and Andy Stevens from GTF.

Hamish began the evening. His talk began by likening the amazingly simple concept and design of the JEEP to the work that they strive to achieve at his studio by "stripping away the unnecessary and drawing out the essential"

Hamish then spoke about his work for The It's Nice That 2014 Annual, Nike WE, ONCA, James Reade, the WW Chair and of course his work for that other well known paper merchant based in Hull!

 

Next up was Andy Stevens, one of the founders of Graphic Thought Facility (GTF). He spoke about their beginnings at the RCA and how they established the studio, including spending the money they won as a prize on a poster ...see below image:

Anthony Burrill gave us an insight into his beginnings at college and then at the RCA. He spoke about his years in the advertising industry and it's rather abrupt end when he made the decision that he wanted a change telling his agent not to look for new work - and how everything, including his existing work, just stopped! He then described his journey establishing himself as an independent graphic artist, print-maker and designer.

It was a great event and everyone I spoke to came away feeling enthused and charged.

Even I said a very few words at the beginning of the evening....

Afterwards may of us went to the bar until kicking out time!

This is the third event hosted by Foilco, with the previous talks having been in Glasgow and Leeds. They have been arranged by Andrew Cottam at Foilco and my thanks to Andrew and to Dave Sedgewick at Studio DBD

 

Foilco has been servicing the graphic arts industry for over 25 years, offering the largest range of hot stamping foils in all sectors. With a wealth of expertise on all types of applications, they have a wide range of colours and grades offering endless creative possibilities to designers the world over.

 

http://www.studiomakgill.com/

http://anthonyburrill.com/

http://www.graphicthoughtfacility.com/

http://multiplicitybyfoilco.com/

http://www.foilco.co.uk/news/multiplicitybrighton/

Posted by Justin Hobson 05.05.2016