Hasta La Ideas

The Dutch team will take to the field for the second World Cup 2014 semi-final match today in a Nike kit featuring a bespoke typeface by graphic design legend Wim Crouwel.

Crouwel has created a modern typeface for the names and numbers used on team jerseys for Holland’s new kit, produced by Nike in collaboration with Dutch designer Floor Wessling.

Case Crouwel is based on the Dutch typographer’s Gridnik typeface, originally designed in 1974, the name of which is a reference to Crouwel’s use of grid systems that also led to his best-known nickname “Mr Gridnik”.

Like Gridnik, the new typeface replaces the curves usually used to form the shapes of letters with thick straight lines and chamfered corners.

For the numbers, a thin stripe is included down the middle of each line – either in the colours of the jersey or in a contrasting colour from the kit – and the larger characters are outlined with a thinner border.

“The lines inside the numbers are reminiscent of the numbers famously seen in football in the 1970s,” explained Nike. “To lend a further stamp of authority, each number also houses a small Royal Dutch Football Association crest at the bottom.”

Case Crouwel is used across all versions of the kit in different colour combinations, including white on orange for the home kit and orange on blue for the away kit.

In an interview with Dezeen to mark the launch of a major retrospective of his work at London’s Design Museum, Crouwel said that he favoured a “no-nonsense” approach to design.

“I have always tried to be a designer, a no-nonsense designer  – straightforward, no baroque, no fantasies, readable, with well-structured typography,” said Crouwel.

“Design shouldn’t be complicated,” he added. “It should also have a certain tension, be recognisable, but never stand in the way of getting out the message.”

Designed to mark the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Dutch Football Association, the new home uniform includes an orange jersey with a V neck and a hidden white trim inside the cuffs of the sleeves, which can be turned out to suit the preferences of individual players.

The jersey also features a redesigned crest with an enlarged white lion – meant to represent “a new era in Dutch football and the team’s core values of simplicity, honor and unity” according to the sports brand – replacing the previous lion’s head.

Nike also worked with British graphic designer Neville Brody on the typeface for this year’s England kit, as well as creating unique fonts in-house or adapting existing ones for each of the uniforms created for the eight other Nike-sponsored teams in the tournament.

For the Portugese kit, Nike created a modern version of art deco typefaces used on old shop signage in the country, while the US team kit uses the existing REX family from free type foundry FontFabric set up by Bulgarian-based designer Svetoslav Simov.

This year marks the first time that Nike has been the official sponsor of more World Cup football teams than Adidas, the official sponsor of the tournament.

Both companies have created boots for individual players, which have often been worn with kits sponsored by the rival. Adidas’ official World Cup boot collection has been worn by a number of key players during the tournament including Dutch team captain Robin van Persie.

The post Wim Crouwel designs typeface for Holland’s
Fifa World Cup 2014 kit appeared first on Dezeen.

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Forget making the two-hour trek to the Hamptons or upstate New York along with the mass of people with the exact same plan. Instead, why not consider treating yourself to a staycation in NYC: when you want to escape the hubbub and the…

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Gowns with gradated ruffled skirts were accessorised with delicate head scarves in fashion designer Giambattista Valli’s haute-couture collection, shown in Paris yesterday.

Giambattista Valli put on one of the most talked-about shows at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week with a Mediterranean-themed collection.

The show began with black and white striped silk garments, with material gathered into skirts or draped into dresses to create a courtier version of casual poolside attire.

Stripes continued on pencil skirts, some of which featured sheer strips and sequinned panels, creating a 1960s feel.

Flared calf-length skirts on strapless and high-necked dresses took this one step further, referencing the holiday attire of golden-age Hollywood stars.

Tulle dresses were scattered with embroidered and appliqued fabric flowers in purple, yellow, pink, white and green.

Floral patterns covered a series of floor-length silk chiffon dresses, while frilled tops included bunches of purple petals.

Flowing monochrome dresses had long sleeves in black and white, accessorised with golden belts and necklaces.

A full-length goat-hair cape with black and white patches was worn over one billowing lightweight gown.

Models wore white, or black and white, scarves tied into a knot on top of their head.

The show closed with gowns that featured collared shirt tops paired with voluminous ruffled chiffon skirts in gradated pastel colours.

Italian-born Valli has a studio in Paris and put on his first solo show in the city in 2005. This season’s Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week continues until 11 July.

The post Giambattista Valli shows haute-couture
collection in Paris appeared first on Dezeen.

Le studio lituanien Wowbüro a réalisé une très belle série intitulée « Strokes ». En reprenant des photos de mode, Tomas Markevicius a voulu les transformer en œuvres abstraites avec des coups de pinceau et des fonds uniformes. Plus d’images de ce projet dans l’article.

Original photos by: Marton Perlaki, Tsatsani Katarina, Justin Borbely, Matthew Josephs, Ahn Joo Young.

Tomas Markevicius’s website.