The concept for this project was to design clothing that prompts awareness of deep consciousness. The client was in the process of creating a retreat workshop inspired by expanding the exposure of wellness and balanced living. He wanted to create a clothing line with designs inspired by anecdotal stories prompting mindfulness and awareness of deep identity.

​

The challenge this project presented was finding an effective way to represent the anecdotes and their messages in visually appealing designs. My process was to first read each story, glean the main objectives in the message and create a list of visual representations. From there, I built on those key elements to create sketch variations until landing on the design concept that best represented the anecdote in an interestingly fresh design.

​

Once the concept was established, I refined the illustration, then digitally processed the design. In working with the client throughout the process, it was decided that the designs would be simple black and white prints so as not to take away from the intended message visually represented in the conceptual designs.

​

The first design originates from the anecdotal story, "Acornology." The principle is that we are more than our physical, mental and emotional form. The story illustrates refers to beautiful acorns at the base of a great oak tree, afraid of being broken. They rejected a broken acorn until it revealed that they were destined to become as majestic and tall as the tree they lay under.

 

The only way they could achieve their individual potentials was to allow themselves to be worn and broken open. Thus the first graphic was designed showing a cracked acorn growing into a majestic oak tree.

 

The second graphic was based on “The Oil” from The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. The principle is to enjoy the physicality of life without forgetting your true spiritual nature. The design was inspired by the Buddhist symbol for "life path," in the shape of a drop of oil.

 

The last two designs originate from the anecdote, “Spacesuit” by Ram Dass. The principle: the body and mind are tools for awareness; you are awareness. The graphic was first designed with the moon as a direct reference from the story. The second design was presented as a more simplified representation of the anecdote.