When I met People Pattern’s CEO, Ken Cho in the beginning of 2015 I was left with the feeling that someone really “got” me and what I do. One of my past creations that really resonated with him was my Vespanaut. Unlike so many other design clients I was used to (who wanted to know if I could deliver within their strict parameters), I had this guy saying “What you love doing most I want you to do with creating our brand. Cool?” Cool? Yes, that’s pretty much the coolest thing ever. After 6 months as a contracted designer I was made the offer to stay as People Pattern’s Art Director and continue my mission for People Pattern’s brand and visual content.
I had this guy saying “What you love doing most I want you to do with creating our brand. Cool?” Cool? Yes, that’s pretty much the coolest thing ever.
What is the Vespanaut and where did he come from? In 2005 my wife Jayme and I had just moved from Los Angeles to New Orleans (yes 2005, 6 months before Hurricane Katrina came along and made life interesting for us). Before we left Los Angeles, we were both really immersed in a very strong vintage scooter culture scene there. I helped start the scooter club The Vespastics and we were very involved with The Reflections Scooter Society. Initially, I wanted to start a new scooter club in 2005 called The Vespanauts and first drew The Vespanaut for the club then. Soon after I decided to shelf the idea of the club for the time being. Post hurricane Katrina we bought a house in Baton Rouge, Louisiana right next door to my future friend and partner Josh Ford who was then running a screen printing company right there. I started feeding him designs including The Vespanaut for a new apparel line he was doing called Giraphic Apparel through his company Giraphic Prints that sold in Storyville stores and Whole Foods Market in Austin, New Orleans and Baton Rouge. I retained the rights to my art as we continued to work together. I loved seeing people enjoy wearing my art, and was glad I didn’t squander it on a club when it could instead be for the masses like this.
So how did People Pattern and The Vespanaut merge like Voltron? One thing I did with my designs for Giraphic Apparel was they had a common voice. First they had a visual style. Second they all combined different content elements that wouldn’t be as interesting alone than they were together creating a sense of amusement with each design. Like the combination of putting the world’s most stealthiest assasin the ninja on the world’s loudest and slowest vehicle, a Piaggio Cia Moped. So Ken totally got my voice there and wanted it for People Pattern. We further defined the voice for People Pattern to broadcast “Welcome to the Edge of the Future” without taking ourselves too seriously and having fun with it.
More on our branding to come. See more of our brand here: peoplepattern.com More of my work here: alexaustindesign.com
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