This week’s Retro 71 shirt is completely era-driven. I wanted to incorporate some unique designs into the apparel line that didn't necessarily rely on an attraction. Instead, I wanted to play around with the general feel of 1970's apparel design. I've seen a few shirts on the market that pull off this same look—most of which are sports-related—and every time I see these shirts, I instantly think of Walt Disney World. It might have to do with the typography of the shirts.
Nothing says ‘70s to me more than the classic typeface Avant Garde Gothic. Avant Garde Gothic is one of my favorite typefaces because it was designed by my favorite typographer, Herb Lubalin. He based the typeface on a logo he had created for the magazine, Avant Garde. The demand for a font based on the logo was in such high demand that he and a fellow typographer, Tom Carnase, designed the full-fledged typeface in 1970. My second favorite typographer, Ed Benguiat, later created a condensed version of the font in 1974.
I extended the font by creating the diagonals, and I added the Walt Disney World logo to the design. Also, no Retro 71 shirt concept could be complete without some aged distressing to the design. I personally feel this shirt sums up the attitude of an era, and it reminds me of both Tomorrowland and the Contemporary Resort because Avant Garde Gothic is prevalent in both places. Well that about does it for this week. Tune in on Friday for another typography case study and thanks for stopping by.
