WNW x Print All Over Me Launch First Member-Designed Collection
If you've ever tried printing on a shirt and were sorely disappointed by how it turned out, you're not alone. But then came Print All Over Me, a creative service that allows people to turn their designs into real world objects. PAOM brings out the wannabe fashion designer in all of us. And with their super high-quality neoprene fabrics, modern silhouettes, and frequent artist collaborations, PAOM makes it really hard to keep your wallet closed.
We first got wind of PAOM through WNW Member Leta Sobierajski's art inspired collection and it made us think: what if we gave a blue sky brief to our members, encouraging them to design whatever they wanted? Given our shared missions of empowering the creative community to produce the work they love, a partnership between WNW and PAOM was inevitable. Together, we selected eight WNW members from all over the world, with varying aesthetics and perspectives and challenged them to take advantage of all that PAOM has to offer. The result? Over fifty products from backpacks to kimonos, tote bags to tall tees. The common thread? We want to buy everything. Shout out to WNW Member Michael Burk for shooting the look-book.
While the goal of Working Not Working is to make hiring the best talent more efficient, co-founder Justin Gignac explains that we're so much more than a job site: "We're always looking for opportunities that promote our members, allow them to flex their creative muscles, and showcase their talent outside of client work." Founder of Print All Over Me Jesse Finkelstein adds, "Our companies are very much aligned in respect that we both give creators the tools to do what they love. We like collaborations as they serve to expand the number of people in the PAOM network and they push us to think about what we do differently."
The launch party will be held on Thursday, November 12th from 7-10pm at Rivington Design House, 52a Kenmare St, New York, NY 10012.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I am from Finland, spent the last 8 years in London, and this year I am living in Australia but my mom went to see a fortune teller and she said I used to be an Italian painter in my previous life - who knew!
What was the inspiration behind your design?
Rally and nature. The chaos of big cities in contrast to wild order of nature, or the other way around.
Any anecdotes you can share from this process?
I drew the cars I would like to have and selected the top 4 - two convertibles, a family saab and a fun car - something for every occasion. This is what we used to do with my friends sitting on top of the double decker selecting our top cars for the future.
From your collection, which is your favorite piece?
Tricky, but maybe the workshirts, as they combine crazy fun into a formal and fancy.
Which WNW Members do you think should design our next collection?
Theres many, definitely Kyle Platts, Rose Blake or Lynnie Zulu, they all have great style. I would say Sara Andreasson - but she has worked with PAOM already - maybe she could do some more!
What do you do when you’re Not Working?
Normal stuff, hanging out with friends, planning trips, staring at dogs and eating salty liquorice.
Any dream projects?
A dream project would be to be given a big budget to do whatever I want to.
What's next for you?
I just got a new book out so at the moment on some editorial commissions and personal work.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m from Orange County, California now living in New York City. Something that people would be surprised about me is that although my work is quite extreme I’m a very low-key and private person. I choose to open up to my work more than I do with those surrounding me.
What was the inspiration behind your design?
The inspiration behind my design is technology. I’ve been exploring how integral it is to my artwork.
Any anecdotes you can share from this process?
I love to have fun with software and photography. I don’t really remember the original photograph actually, but I edited and warped the images so much that it becomes an abstract digital painting. Most of the time these come out terrible, but this is a good one.
From your collection, which is your favorite piece?
I’d say the floral image, it’s the first time I created a photograph that can repeat endlessly.
Which WNW members do you think should design our next collection?
Olimpia Zagnoli is so cool.
What do you do when you’re Not Working?
There’s so much to do here in NYC, where do I even start??
What’s a dream project?
I’ve always wanted to have an exhibition in a Catholic church.
What's next for you?
I’ve been working on several projects within editorial, fashion, music, etc. I want my photography to be printed on everything. I want to create skateboards!
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
After I finished my studies at university I worked as a web designer and programmer for several years before moving onto illustration.
What was the inspiration behind your design?
I find aposematism fascinating. Warning markings and colouration observed in nature is often graphic and engaging. I thought it would be fun to flip the aposematism effect on its head and make the bright colours and markings appealing and inviting instead.
Any anecdotes you can share from this process?
I’d never used cgi in pattern marking, so this was a fun new experience.
From your collection, which is your favorite piece?
A split decision between the work shirt or cap.
Which WNW members do you think should design our next collection?
I love the work that Pedro Veneziano has been producing recently. It’s a nice mix of 2D and 3D which I’ve not seen explored in such a way before.
What do you do when you’re Not Working?
When I’m not travelling I’m usually working on some form of personal project.
What’s a dream project?
I’d love to design graphics for sneakers.
What's next for you?
I’m currently working on my first music video which is a nice challenge and very rewarding. Unfortunately I can’t share anything on it yet but I’m looking forward to soon!
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
In 2011 I worked on a fundraising illustration marathon and created 12 illustrations in 12 hours. We sold out of prints and donated everything to cancer research.
What was the inspiration behind your design?
I've always loved the dazzle camouflage designs used on old warships. While it was called ‘camouflage’ and its purpose was to confuse others of the ship’s position and speed, the warships actually looked like beautiful works of op-art.
Any anecdotes you can share from this process?
The pattern is made up of lots of smaller striped circles each of which are rotated at different angles. The angles are actually randomly generated and no sequence of circles is ever repeated.
From your collection, which is your favorite piece?
I'm really looking forward to seeing how the pattern interacts over the five panels and seams of the baseball cap.
Which WNW members do you think should design our next collection?
I love where my friend Daniel Triendl is taking his work, I think he’d create something pretty special.
What do you do when you’re Not Working?
I’ve recently moved to Tokyo, so exploring as much as possible. And eating all of the ramen.
What’s a dream project?
I’d love to design my own large collection!
What's next for you?
I’m currently working on a music video, a typeface for The Designers Foundry and some new works for Sugarlift Gallery in Bushwick.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m Irish but have been living in London for the past 7 years. Before deciding to go to art college I was planning to be a teacher. I do a very convincing Furby impression.
What was the inspiration behind your design?
Self-care and taking the time to look out for YOU!
Any anecdotes you can share from this process?
One of the poses was quite difficult to draw from memory so I have a bunch of photobooth reference pictures where I’m pretending to fan myself with wads of cash. Thinking of making them into Xmas cards.
From your collection, which is your favorite piece?
I love the kimono, nothing says luxury bitch like swanning around your home in a kimono.
Which WNW members do you think should design our next collection?
John Lisle, I’d wear anything he designs.
What do you do when you’re Not Working?
I like to cook and read but mostly I just enjoy sleeping!
What’s a dream project?
I would like to work on a long-form comic soon but failing that anything with a long deadline!
What's next for you?
This month I’m heading to Mexico to give a talk and run a workshop at CutOut Fest which is exciting and terrifying all at once! After that I’m starting to prepare for a solo exhibition next year.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m obsessed with the tiniest details but also super messy and sloppy with the big picture, if that makes any sense. I also have OCD with morbid events and figures…it goes into my curiosity with the ‘dark side’ but from a very neutral perspective: Creepy but cute but creepy.
What was the inspiration behind your design?
Movement. The ability to dictate emotion and movement with static imagery is always a great challenge.
Any anecdotes you can share from this process?
Seeing my work, which is usually in a 2d sphere, on apparel and/or a functional object helps me think outside of my usual creative space.
From your collection, which is your favorite piece?
so fresh so clean shower curtain. Never thought I’d think about shower curtain design until the option to!
Which WNW members do you think should design our next collection?
Julian Glander and Jimmy Simpson - two animators with work that will translate so well into static form.
What do you do when you’re Not Working?
Last minute trips, rock climbing, kickboxing, drinking bourbon on the rocks.
What’s a dream project?
The $ and space to create my own experiential gallery/exhibition. I also want to design a building exterior.
What's next for you?
I’m working with Ghostly International on some products and vinyls.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
As a good superstitious Colombian I like picking up pennies on the street for good luck.
What was the inspiration behind your design?
My inspirations are the Colombian rainforests.
Any anecdotes you can share from this process?
My illustrations tend to be really large as I work to scale. I thought my palm trees, which are 12 feet tall, were going to be large enough to use as patterns for the clothing, but it turned out I needed to rebuild them 3 times larger at 36 feet tall. I guess I ended up creating a real life-sized palm tree. Every time I had to save the file it took about 10 minutes.
From your collection, which is your favorite piece?
I’m excited to own a clutch and the draped t-shirt, and I love the drop pants, which I wear all the time. I’ve been getting lots of compliments on them.
Which WNW members do you think should design our next collection?
Laura Alejo & Dan Funderburgh are both amazing illustrators. I would love to have some scarves or pants with their work.
What do you do when you’re Not Working?
Hang out with my husband and 6 year old son.
What’s a dream project?
I dream of seeing my rainforests around the world as building-scale interventions including murals and projections.
What's next for you?
I’m working on a really large street mural for the Goethe Institute in Colombia as part of the culmination festival for environmental initiative Sinfonia Trópico.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I once had to draw portraits of all 550 members of the Art Director’s Club Germany in about 1 ½ months which was quite the challenge for me.
What was the inspiration behind your design?
In order not to go with the obvious one, let’s say everyday life, which is also in general where I draw my inspiration from.
Any anecdotes you can share from this process?
I’m not used to draw in repetitive patterns, so it was nice to come up with something that worked as such by still being in my usual figurative universe.
From your collection, which is your favorite piece?
If I had to choose maybe the scarf because of the draping and what it does to the boys.
Which WNW members do you think should design our next collection?
What do you do when you’re Not Working?
Right now preparing my move from Berlin to NYC, which will take place in two weeks and which I’m quite excited about.
What’s a dream project?
In the field of commissioned work, a dream project is when the freedom to create is offered with no restrictions attached – when you can do you.
What's next for you?
Right now I’m working on drawings for Sneaker News Magazine.