Graphic Tees

Although you may not know her personally, there’s a decent chance you’ve seen the illustrations of Francesca Boyd-Barrett, a.k.a. Franmo. A native to Mother England, she now lives and works in sunny Los Angeles. By day she’s an Art Director for a tee shirt company, and over the last several years she has seen her designs printed on countless tees sold at retailers like Urban Outfitters, Delia’s, and F21, to name a few. Seriously, girlfriend has done a lot of tee shirts.  In her spare time she continues her craft through collaborations and personal work, and has devoted special attention to her pet project, Desktop Lover. It’s a great site where you can browse really cute desktop wallpapers for a variety of screen sizes, and download any of them completely for free! Did you hear that? Free surface design! Check it out and test one of those bad boys on your desktop – that is, as soon as you’re done reading Francesca’s hilarious interview below. Scroll down, there’s more!

AW: Where do you like to find inspiration?
Franmo: Nature is inspiring. I go hiking a lot which clears my head and chills me out.
I’ve always loved fashion from every era including current trends and I’m heavily into that.
I also spend a lot of time on blogs which is a pretty extraordinary source for inspiration. Although the internet is awesome it isn’t as all-encompassing and exciting as getting out in the real world.

AW: Describe your style in three words.
Franmo: Quirky. Scruffy. Weird.

AW: Do you have a favorite theme you like to follow within your personal work?
Franmo: I love funny and silly art that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I love comic style art also, simply because I don’t have the patience for that shit and I’m in awe. David Shirgley is pretty awesome in every way. I love Will Sweeney‘s attention to detail and Neckface because of his drawing style and fucked up nature of his art in general. There are many other artists I love also but I don’t really have one favorite in particular.

AW: If you could choose any designer or artist to collaborate with, who would it be and why?
Franmo: Fuck I really don’t know. I would love to collaborate with anyone who is super talented but who’s style is completely different from my own. Those are the best collaborations I think because the results are exciting and unexpected.
Collaborating with a fashion or shoe designer would be kinda rad. In my day job, I’m an Art Director / designer, for a t-shirt company, and it never gets old seeing your art as a wearable piece.

AW: What do you like to do to unwind when you need a break from work?
Franmo: I’ve been getting into movie and TV show watching. I never really was a TV person and I”m feeling a bit like a couch potato these days, but it’s fun. I love Dexter. Who doesn’t though?!
Again, getting out into nature is also something great for unwinding which I do almost every day. Squirrels make me laugh. They make strange noises too.

AW: If you won the lottery today, would your job, your art, or the process you use change in any way?
Franmo: I’d probably spend about one month shopping for clothes and shoes. Lame I know, but it’s true. Then I’d get bored, so maybe I’d go to some exotic country and explore. Then I would come back and live like a trust-fund baby in an overpriced loft somewhere, painting and getting high all day. Seriously though, I would really love to get an MFA in art or illustration. I would probably write and illustrate children’s books, not caring whether or not they got published. Maybe I’d work towards getting a solo show so I can drink free wine. The possibilities are endless.

AW: Indeed, Franmo, indeed they are.

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Today we’re kicking off a new blog column where we interview rising artists, designers and small companies, getting to know them a little better. We’re starting with one of our absolute favorite clothing labels, WkShp.

Known for their colorful graphics and distinct, neo-bohemian flair, they’re located in downtown Los Angeles, and they make some of the softest graphic tees around . I love their new Spring ’12 collection; it’s good I have some time to save some money, because I’m going to need one of everything! Be sure to check out their facebook page to see the rest of this collection, find out where to shop, and to keep up with all the latest WkShp news.

Scroll down to read what WkShp’s head merchandiser, Christina Carter, had to say in response to our brand spanking new interview questions.

AW: Where do you like to find inspiration?
WkShp: Vintage textile prints, clothing, and works of art found in places all over the world like Tokyo, Paris, and Sydney inspire the themes and colors for each collection.  WkShp’s merchandisers are constantly traveling both globally and locally, gathering ammunition for the art team to begin their creative process.

AW: Who is the WkShp girl?
WkShp: The WkShp girl is confident, bold, and fearless. She knows a great tee can totally transform an outfit! We want each tee to invoke a feeling of complete comfort and ease while simultaneously achieving a trendy, fashion right statement. Cool and effortless.

AW: What is the best type of accessory or item to pair with a WkShp tee or sweatshirt?
WkShp: With our bold prints and bright color palettes, we view our tees as the accessory! We are pairing our tees over maxi dresses and skirts for Fall and Spring; come Summer, we can’t wait to pull out our patterned short shorts for an unexpected print mixed look.

AW: What are your two favorite pieces from the new collection, and why do they stand out?
WkShp: We are obsessed with our new high neck Optic racer tank! The cut is super flattering and perfect for our edgy girl! We are also really loving Geo Inception. The print turned out so fantastic that we had to offer it in two colorways, we couldn’t choose just one! This is the tried and true geometric art with a twist that WkShp has become known for offering.

AW: If you could pick one celebrity to shoot the ad campaign of your dreams, who would it be?
WkShp: Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine. Her style vibe is the perfect mix of feminine and edgy…she always gets it right!

AW: What can we expect to see from WkShp in the near future?
WkShp: We are always experimenting with new silhouettes, so expect to see us delve into other categories such as dresses and bottoms. One day we to hope to expand into a men’s line as well!

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