Have you ever wondered how something came to be? What inspired the maker or designer of one of your cherished possessions? At cinder + salt we believe the process is a BIG part of what makes our apparel special. Every item we sell has a story and is the product of some serious teamwork and creativity.
Behind the scenes photo shoot - model + photographer + stylist = success!
All posts titled with Inspiration + Process on our blog will give you a behind the scenes look at what goes into creating our products, our window displays, our stores, and basically every other thing we do!
At the printing press. Video still by Mojalvo
Aside from the nitty gritty of the production side, we’ll show you how a simple photo can inspire an entire collection. See, take by take, how we turn ideas into finished work.
Our inspiration board : Fiesta Collection
Some designs start with a concept, like our Ursa Major tee.
I really wanted a bear design for our Fall/Winter 2015 collections, but wanted it to be unique. After a quick Google search for “Bear T-Shirt” we noticed a pattern; the world doesn’t need another t-shirt with a bear slapped on it.
We like our t-shirts to be simple and fun, and we never want them to look like we just threw them together. Every design deserves a fabric and fit that suits its personality. For starters, we wanted a different bear; an animal that was more in tune with nature. Simplified, but not dumbed-down. I did a quick review of the starscape and got to work sketching out my interpretation. My first sketch was the final sketch and it went to print within a week.
We chose white ink on a navy tee, but print it through a fine mesh screen which means less ink actually makes its way to the shirt. You’re left with a very fine print, soft to the touch, but with some nice contrast against the dark hued cotton.
Our team loved Ursa Major so much we added it to some womens tri-blend styles for Spring 2016 and eventually created some rad wall hangings out of upcycled canvas and found sticks.
We love how understated our bear is. He’s cool and he’s got nothin’ to prove. If you don’t feel like he’s right for your closet, that’s OK. But take some time on a dark night and find him in the sky with the Big Dipper on his tail!
Tell us what you think about Ursa Major, and our Inspiration + Process section in the comments below!