A pattern filled with stories
A truly successful design is above all one that makes its creator happy! And I was delighted throughout the entire process of creating this pattern. Discover the story and inspiration behind the creation of a unique and original men’s shirt pattern.
Antique birds
I created this “Antique Birds” pattern inspired by ancient Greek art for Yiume, a men’s shirt brand with Aloha vibe. I chose to infuse it with a bit of Art history and earthy colors to create an ethnic and captivating shirt. They decided to make it into a long-sleeved shirt.
@oscar_oscar_88 is wearing the ‘Antique birds’ Yiume men’s long sleeved shirt.
Hidden stories
Ancient Greek art inspired my “Antique Birds” pattern.
I focused on birds because birds are a connection between heaven and earth, between past and present (don’t they have dinosaurs as ancestors?) They link the spiritual world and the material world.
Black swans are a reference to Zeus and the birds of Lake Stymphalus. Athena’s owl is a symbol of knowledge and wisdom in the ancient world. I also depicted a hoopoe. It’s a colorful and striking bird, fascinating to anyone lucky enough to observe it (and I was!).
All sketches ©Andrea Leonelli
John Boardman, Athenian red figure vases, the classic period, WOrld of Art edition; Silver coin depicting Athena’s owl Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, France.
Pattern & narrative
Black-figure pottery
I studied archaic vase painting when I was an Art student. Archaeology, combined with art history, is a mysterious gateway to the past, brimming with exciting discoveries and Sherlock Holmes-worthy hypothesis.
I still regularly immerse myself in those fascinating books that attempt to distinguish styles, potters, and painters of the 5th century BC! They succeed through clues such as the use of a new technique, a different glaze, or the way to use a particular color!
In-depth research
Ancient Greek black-figure pottery features black motifs on a terracotta background. I tried to respect this grammar of shapes and colors while maintaining my drawing style and I kept these earthy tones and the aged look in my final pattern.
Herakles and the Stymphalian birds, 560-530 BC, attributed to Group E, British Museum, London.
Meaningful pattern
Echoes
In Art, as Lavoisier (almost) said about Matter: “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.” So here is my creation a few centuries later! I made my material from this past.
In a way, this archaic world is still part of us and our collective imagination.
And my ambition is that my ‘Antique birds’ pattern will be a kind of echo of this shared mythological past.
My goal is for those who wear these clothes to feel connected to a narrative that make sense to them. I want my designs to evoke stories, memories, and a desire for discovery, for connection with oneself and others. Well, wear these shirts and join the conversation 😀
