We are convinced that every company should evolve consciously. Not referring to the growth of a business or the financial status of it, but in an ethical way!
It’s simple tho. We need to save the world and make it a better place. We, me, you, everyone. And that has to start somewhere! With this view, we truly want to come out with an eco-friendly product!
So here it is, the ISLA shirt. This piece is a real milestone for the brand. It’s our first 100% ecological and fair wear product! The cotton we used is entirely made of organic materials. Not a single synthetic fiber was used in the production. This makes the texture softer and smoother. We can guarantee you it will fit you comfortably perfect! And yes, you will notice it!
On top of this, we can assure you no kids were harmed during the process. From the plant to the shirt, it was all done by doing fair business. This means excellent work conditions and paying fair prices for good products! That’s why this shirt is a bit more expensive than the last series. Better is not cheap!
Our residential, We've already had the perfect shirt, we just needed an epic design. So we did what we always do! Find new people and collaborate with them. Cooperation is the key to success, though.
This time a massive shout-out to ISHTAR For this fantastic series! This talented guy from Ghent put all his energy and love into this design. Resulting in a simple, but genius print!
So this is your chance to make this world a better place. A 100% Ecological product that's worth buying!
On top of it, we have a special little interview with our designer, ISHTAR!
Meet Ishtar Calligraphy.
Hello Ishtar! First of all, thank you for designing this crazy shirt. But for all the people who don’t know you, can you please introduce yourself?
Aloha, I am Ishtar a 27-year-old modern calligrapher or calligraffiti artist originally from the metropolis that is called Aalst. At the moment I am living a starving artist life as white trailer trash in Lichtaart. A severe depression which resulted in a decent suicide attempt got me here. I can rent this trailer for almost no money. I spend my days in the trailer which I dubbed The Forge, close to a big forest with ink, paint, brushes, paper, canvasses, and art. I also help as a volunteer in youth services. I am all in for chasing my goals so it is either paint the whole world or starve trying to do it. Pretty much at the starving part but fucking watch me in 5 years.
So when did you start designing?
I think it is something I just always did. My mother tells stories that as soon I could hold a pencil as a toddler, I just lost track of time making nonsense doodles. I guess in a way, I am still doing that. The primary love for letters and graffiti came when I did a graffiti camp when I was 12 years old. It was also my first introduction to hip-hop as this white middle-class kid and I was utterly blown away. I fell in love with everything about the culture and it's the single major art influence in my life. Everything else came after it because of it. Doing graphical science in high school, getting arrested in England and deported for doing graffiti all these things started from that camp.
You describe your style as Calligraffiti, where does it come from? I never heard of it, are you the only one doing this?
Damn... where to begin, so Calligraffiti is a mix of traditional calligraphy and graffiti. It uses the traditional techniques, mediums, and precision with this pure and raw self-expression that modern graffiti has. Me and a lot of other artists find, while we love letters, traditional calligraphy is a way to restrictive to express ourselves. I'll make my art literally on anything from glass to pinecones even. I always go out with paint markers just to write calligraffiti on people I just met while talking to them.
We tend to also work on a level that transcends mere letters. I use letters as a basis for my lines that I compose in a visually attractive way that it goes to the territory of abstract expressionism sometimes. Letters are just lines that we as a society agreed upon that represent a sound. Well, I am saying that this shape stands for this sound. That is what you see in the design for Everything Else. All these lines are letters just completely 'dismorphed'. I want to communicate a broader message than just what the letters read. Calligraffiti does tend to have a lot of rebelling against mainstream society because it still has this graffiti vandalism element in it.
I am going to skip explaining where the term comes from because there is a lot of arguments in the scene where it's rooted and what exactly falls under Calligraffiti. I guess it won't be an art style if it should have internal arguments of what it exactly is.
Some work of Ishtar.
What is the source of your inspiration?
At the moment my strongest influence is Pokras. He is making gorgeous things from the world's biggest calligraphy piece on a roof to collabs with Lamborghini. The funny thing is that he uses Cyrillic letters so the Russian alphabet so I don't understand shit of what he writes. Yet the beautiful thing about modern calligraphy and calligraffiti that it transcends more reading. So I find it absolutely fascinating.
What’s your biggest dream?
I want Obey his god damn fucking throne with his head on my lap. I grew up in the highly competitive world of graffiti. You always want to be king of the city. You want to be everywhere and won't tolerate any competition vying for the throne. Well, I am not thinking of a city anymore, I am thinking global and I am coming for the king. Until people who have no clue wear the shit that rages in my mind. I want that.
What’s your biggest fear?
Not living authentically to who I am. Conform to the norms of this society that really wants us to live this grey and dull life. I am not just talking about that wife, dog, and house with a stable job and so on. A lot of people are against that, while they still conforming to a lot of bullshit things. I am talking about levels deeper as in our society like when men show their emotional expressions, it's a sign of weakness. I am talking about this constant competition of being happier than your friends on social media and shit. I don't want to be a part of that. I try not to hate on it because hating on it doesn't make me better. I want my energy to come from love and positive feelings.
The doctor says you’ll die in 6 months, how are you going to spend that time?
Aside from the world, getting faded and spend it with people I love. I would go back full-blown into graffiti and spread my name combined with a political message of love, revolution, self-empowerment, and power to the people. So I will leave my visual mark on this world, smaller than I would have liked but I will leave it.
Wow man, thank you very much to share your story and good luck in anything you do! Up to the next collab man!
Don't forget to check out his work:
Instagram & Facebook: @ishtar.calligraphy
Make sure to drop those follows and likes.
Peace out
Floowz.
Sweet article!
Leave a comment