Mossimo Test Brief

Spring/Summer 2012/13Trend Report & Graphics Collection

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Obey

Huffer

Overall I believe the trends for menswear

will continue along similar lines as it has in

the previous few seasons and that means

it’ll be even more important to stand apart

and yet remain commercial in an ever more

crowded marketplace. The military/sports

luxe trend will remain as the foundation,

but with even more features to the apparel,

epaulettes, embellishments, fabrications,

fits + tailoring, and will eventually bleed

into a safari silhouette theme, backed up

by a neutral colour palette and lightweight

fabrics. Light Leather/PU and tech fabrics.

Some form of denim on denim trend will

emerge and keep getting stronger—denim

shorts with light coloured chambray shirts

and chambray patching and appliqués.

Catwalk trends are predicting a more loose,

pyjama style tailoring for pants which might

show itself in a relaxed, lightweight denim

or combat pant silhouette and a floral/

botanical theme to shirting and prints —

but I think these will be a bit too far in the

future to filter down by the time the Summer

season rolls around. Men in the 18-25 year

old channel will remain true to the tried and

tested but should start to experiment in

colours outside of the standard black, white

+ grey, if only in terms of print colour and

pop contrasts and accessories.

I started looking at the Mossimo brand,

where it was now, what it was currently

selling and the small glimpses I could find

(mainly on the Facebook page) of what was

coming up.

From what I can see Mossimo had previously

invested heavily in the collegiate trend for

vintage athletic prints in SS10/11 then moved

to a more deconstructed futurist vibe for

AW11, slogans over photographic prints

etc. Quite a departure from the previous

season. The SS11/12 collection seems to be a

continuation of those themes, this time with

American place names and a small sprinkling

of large font type tees and vintage style

typographic layouts.

To begin my research for SS12/13, I first would

have to think about what trends would

emerge between SS11/12 and AW12 and then

decide where I think it’s leading in terms of

Mossimo and the channel you’re currently

selling into. For this I looked at websites such

as ASOS Fashion Finder, GQ Style + Revolve

Clothing for fashion, the websites for Myer

and other stockists to understand your

competitors, and trending Graphic Design

sites for a more rounded perspective. I also

ran out to Politix, Smith + Caughey’s and

Paris, Texas among others to gather some in

retail information.

MossimoSpring/Summer 2012/13// Trend Research

Scotch + SodaASOS

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In terms of tee and sweat graphics, there’s a continuing trend of mono

and duotone photographic prints, halftones, with an overprinting for pop

whether to highlight an area of the design or used in the typography, the

prints will mainly consist of iconic hero shots, or panelled multi interest

images depicting lifestyle or street trends. Graphics overall will keep

getting bigger, just holding off on becoming allover prints, but staying

fairly large and in your face. Slogans are more esoteric and abstract

sometimes being illegible by the rearrangement of the letters or the print

size and geometric patterns will reemerge but in a more subtler fashion,

framing accents, images or highlights of colour. Some graphics will also

start taking on a more overtly sexual tone, sexy girls, lips, coy looks to

camera etc, But all in a halftone, monotone image or overlaid to tantalise

not show all. There’s also a trend towards paint splatter effects as this

trend starts to expand it’d be wise to reference it future graphics. Themes

such as rebellion, religion, skulls (as usual,) icons (retro logos, celebrities,

movie characters etc,) punk sensibilities and vintage typography seem to

run through all major brands, there is also a overriding and pervading

‘Americana’ vibe that’s hard to ignore, flag prints, American cities,

wrestling, TV and movies icons, red, white and blue, stars + stripes....

It’s everywhere.

Substrates won’t vary wildly from current trends, you may have to throw in

one or two lightweight fabrics and plenty of vests/singlets.

Religion

Scotch + Soda Religion Howe

Raw Power

Insight

Supreme Being

Freshjive

Beta Unit

Topman

Joyrich

Paper Root

TeeGraphics// Trend Research

The three themes I’ve decided to focus on are:

Hazy Summer States //Playing on the brand’s roots, an exploration of the dream of the long American summer, a heat haze of days turning to evenings, beach gatherings with

friends, slow sunsets, wrapped in blankets as time seems to lap along with the ebb and flow of the sea. Like looking through a kaleidoscope of memory,

geometric snippets of half remembered dreamy nostalgia and soft summer afternoons. Bleached out reds, yellows and purples bled in photographic

images play on the current trend for retro photography linked with nostalgic references to the emerging Americana theme. Inspired by Jasper Johns, lazy

daze, that half-remembered summer, reminiscences of the cute girls and the days that never seem to end. American collegiate grows up.

keywords // Americana • sun bleached • photographic halftones • endless summer • large scale graphics • geometric patterns • lazy daze • nostalgia •

Meso-AztecA micro trend that could explode, or quickly die off in the same way as it’s namesake. A Mesoamerican mash up of geometric tribal patterns and bright

coloured prints. The key is finding a way to reproduce the flavour of the tribal while remaining commercial, I think again photographic prints coupled with

bright pop tee colours could add the much needed colour boost to this season.

keywords // tribal • bright colours • interlocking patterns • old gods • body paint • symbolic icons

Rebel Without a Pause //It’s all chaos + light, rock + religion, skulls + Slayer, tear it down and make it again the way you want it. The raw edge of punk tempered with the soul of Rock

and all wrapped in a who dares wins type of deal. Heroes are legends, girls are tough, sultry + passion, Jackson Pollack action painting and music are the

inspiration for this theme.

keywords // black • punk sensibilities • misfits • mortality • religion • super distressed • monochrome • slash of colour • splattered • discharge prints •

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Hazy Summer States // Style #01

Tee Colour: White

Print Technique: Direct to Garment

Polly Snapp


Tee Colour: Yellow


Polly Snapp

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Tee Colour: Black

Print Technique: Halftone Screenprinting,

simulated 4 colour

process

LiveForever


Tee Colour: White


simulated 4 colour

process

LiveForever


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Tee Colour: Eggshell


DazeAway


Tee Colour: Oyster


DazeAway

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Rebel Without a Pause // Style #01

Tee Colour: Distressed Oyster


SnakeCharmer


Tee Colour: Distressed Black

Print Technique: Discharge Print

SnakeCharmer

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Tee Colour: Black


2 Colour

CrackleSlash


Tee Colour: White


2 Colour

CrackleSlash

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Tee Colour: White


Reverse Discharge

1 Colour

LunarStrike


Tee Colour: Navy


Reverse Discharge

1 Colour

LunarStrike

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Meso Aztec // Style #01

Tee Colour: Yellow

Print Technique: 3 Colour Screenprint

StoneBreaker

Meso Aztec // Style #01

Tee Colour: Electric Blue

Print Technique: Reverse Discharge

1 Colour Screenprint

StoneBreaker

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This was a really interesting project and I think I may have done far more work than I should

have done, but once I got into it I found it hard to stop! I had plenty of other graphics ideas

and I intended to show them but sadly ran out of time. I tried to think carefully about the print

application, trying to balance traditional screen printing with newer technologies. In theory

the prints could all, with a little tweaking, be produced via traditional screen printing methods,

mainly though either simulated 4 colour process or by colour reduction and halftoning.

Mossimo Test BriefConclusion

Full Collection

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All Themes // Variations All Themes // Variations

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Research + designs completed for Mossimo by Benjamin Thornley Monday, 5th September 2011

All original designs © 2011 Benjamin Thornley All other work © their respective owners

Benjamin Thornley [email protected] // +64 (0) 21 0694 795

Documents

Mossimo Test Brief