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For everyone who is not familiar with Frost* Design, this is one of the more forward thinking agencies happening at the moment. What are they exactly? A Design Agency? An Advertising Agency? Environmental Design? Experiential? And now they have a range of t-shirts? Well, the answer is, yes: all of the above. Simply, they have graphic vision, and it crosses many paths.
I’m excited by this because it’s not determined by fitting into a niche, it’s about being driven by what they’re fundamentally good at – visual communication. Whether that is in the forms of traditional graphic design and advertising, or whether it’s through the feel of an environment, they are experts at seeding emotional reaction through visual medium. Which brings us to the specific reason I’m writing about them here.
Frost*Fashion have just released their Series 3 collection shirts for both men and women, in collaboration with renowned UK photographer Giles Revell. There are basically 3 themes running through the collection, varying from the precise ’moment’ photography of Revell, the geometric drama and simplicity of bold graphic design, and then also a tribute to Vince Frost’s beloved dog Norah. This is where they have taken the person as the medium, and have created design to embody the drama of the individual contained within – with a limited print run of only 500 shirts in the series, it’s unlikely that you’ll cross paths with a similarly attired doppelganger.
Personally, the examples I like best in the collection are the collaboration pieces with Revell. There is something delightfully sensual and surreal about the human body (or parts thereof) dripping with an unidentified liquid. Revell’s ability to capture suspense moments (such as networks of bubbles, and air pockets floating to the surface) have been colourised and integrated with the shirt design incredibly thoughtfully, resulting in dramatic flair. These are t-shirts that will be noticed, and aren’t meant to be worn by anyone who wants to remain in the background.
Most importantly, whilst being serious about design, these shirts also have a sense of playfulness to them that suit a Sydney summer. They’re a relaxed fit, light-weight super soft jersey, that are woven from sustainable bamboo fibres – a renewable resource grown with minimal use of chemicals or pesticides. So, designer casual but with an environmental conscience – sounds cool to me. Which, after all, is what you’d expect from a company called Frost*.
Article by Carolyn Miller
Frost* Series 3 collection is available now from David Jones, Glue Store, Frost* shop on-line, exhibitions and key fashion retailers.
www.frostdesign.com.au
www.gilesrevell.com
Great piece Carolyn!
*Frost has long been at the forefront of Australian design. That Vince and the agency itself defy the usual labels we apply for categorisation is part of the charm. Like the Sorry Trees book and nearly everything else they turn their hand to, *Frost’s t-shirts are stunning. It’s just such a shame that their interactive experience is a little…underwhelming. Ahem. They could truly take a leaf out of Zoltan Csaki’s book – he co-owns http://www.the-affair.com which has won numerous awards not only for its t-shirt design but also for its outstanding website. Well worth the look for any thinking person who also happens to be a t-shirt lover.
They certainly do some great looking tees! I am always on the lookout for another one or two, and they seem to have some pretty nice looking graphic ones. (which are exactly what I am after) The other good thing is, you can find them in the big stores so you can see the quality before buying them.