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  • Set One is a beautiful blend of old knitting techniques and a complicated parallel. We created it to provide a subtle yet unique piece of fashion that allows HunterxHunter fans to express their love for the source material. 

    In the beginning stages of set one’s creation, the colder months had fully set in and the icy temperatures led to a search for warmer fabric and knitting styles. INTRWVD will always be a vessel for older designs to shine through in new ways, and set one was the first to put that idea in motion. In our search, the unique knitting pattern referred to as “waffle-knit” continued to catch our eye. The waffle-knit technique brings a unique raised texture to the pieces it creates, giving a greater depth to the feel and look of the garment. Typically, older designs would use this technique for thermal shirts due to the technique’s ability to create warmth. Using this technique for headwear allowed us to bring an idea from the past into our present design. Now that the groundwork had been laid, the true inspiration, HunterxHunter (HxH) needed to shine. 

    There are many famous parallels in the stories told through Japanese animation, however, Gon Freeces and Meruem have one of the most interesting. As the story of HxH unfolded, hints of Gon’s true nature crept out in small instances, but never fully realized. This was until the Chimera Ant Arc, where Gon risks his life for revenge. At the same time our main character dives into darkness, another character is born in the darkness. Meruem, the king of the Chimera Ants, is born with knowledge and ability superior to many life forms. However, through the introduction of a blind human, Komugi, Meruem grows into a more compassionate life form, while our main character does the opposite. 

    Melding the complex themes of Meruem and Gon with a subtle design proved difficult. Making use of the color schemes of the character’s design created a more recognizable design while remaining subtle. Research into vintage beanie design proved that stripes were a crucial component in the history of beanie design, and ultimately made their way into our design. However, the extra details of these two designs is what makes our work special to fans of the series. Each beanie features an embroidered patch sitting on the right-hand side of the brim, representing the beginning and end of two journeys.

    The_Boy & The_King

    The_Boy, the beginning, with a patch of Gon’s iconic hunter exam patch, where his journey begins. In parallel, The_King, with a patch of a Gungi board piece, where his journey ends with Komugi. Additionally, subtle stitch detailing on each brim references these themes even further. On The_Boy’s brim, intentional distressing represents his struggle to retain his humanity as his journey moves his morals.

    Similarly, The_King’s brim features stitching that has repaired previous “damage” to represent his gradual gain of humanity. Our attention to detail directly correlates with our love for these masterpieces of art from which we draw inspiration. As INTRWVD’s catalog of unique anime pieces continues to grow, the love and care put into each detail with grow with it. We hope every piece means something truly special for the fans of HxH and future series to come.  

  • Set Two aims to combine a classic pattern riddled with a rich history with an anime series known for its beauty. This combination creates a unique approach and design to the anime-inspired clothing space. 

    When the design process for Set Two began, there was a goal to create an affordable and lightweight accessory that seamlessly blended into an everyday outfit. Firstly, a driving force behind the design needed to be found. Through research, the perfect period for a summer accessory came to light, vintage bikers. The culture surrounding old-school bikers is vast and extremely interesting. Cigarettes, drugs, fighting, and importantly, a gritty fashion style. After exploring this rich culture, we found a beloved accessory that complimented our goals perfectly. This accessory was the classic Paisley pattern bandana. Bandanas have long transcended biker culture and have been used as faceguards for decades. However, specifically the Paisley pattern bandana found great popularity in biker culture and Western culture as face guards for ranchers. Using this classic pattern, we aimed to create a design that brought subtlety to a different level. 

    That subtlety was needed for an anime as grand as Demon Slayer. Known almost exclusively for its eye-catching animation, Demon Slayer is loved by many fans. Standing at the forefront of this beloved anime is the trio of potential Tanjiro, Inoskue, and Zenitsu. With flourishing backstories and battles, this trio truly shines with they are together. Their unique powers and personalities are key to their popularity, and every detail of their character is important. When the designing began for Set Two, it was a struggle deciding how to keep the designs subtle while also paying homage to the Paisley pattern. 

    The_Trio

    That struggle would eventually lead to the designs you see today, a literal fusion of the Paisley pattern itself and the references to each character. To achieve this, each design was built by individually creating a boteh, the tear-drop motif you see in Paisley patterns, that centered around a reference. For example, Tanjiro’s water and sun breathing each has their own boteh featuring the classic tear-drop shape. However, at the converging end-point, they turn into their respective element. Once the the boteh’s have been created, they are then made into a symmetrical design that mimics the classic bandana look. Each bandana centers around the boteh’s filled with the trio’s kimono patterns, images synonymous with the characters. This excludes Inoskue, who is known for his boar mask. This created a beautiful opportunity to take a signature piece of the character, specifically his nose, and build it from the ground up completely out of botehs. Paired with character-based color schemes, the 14 unique references woven into each design make the impact for fans that much more special. 

    By creating three designs that take a closer look to truly appreciate, an accessory that works with any style was born. Set Two takes subtlety to a new level by melding an established design with moments and traits from characters that have captured the world’s attention. Though we appreciate a style that draws from past fashion styles, subtle design welcomes everyone. 

  • Pulling from America’s favorite pastime and one of the most iconic characters in history, set three contains truly unique pieces of art. Samples upon samples have been created to tailor set three into a quality vintage-styled group of accessories that blend in with any wardrobe. The importance of hidden details and features fans of One Piece will love still holds in this set. With the addition of our first teaser tee, Set Three is the most robust collection yet. 

    The beginning of the set started with a search for the next period to inspire it. Each set draws inspiration from a vintage period/sub-culture around which to build the designs. In this research period, I felt inspired by 50-60’s vintage baseball. The fashion of the sport, as well as the unique typography of the team logo, meshed extremely well with the aura of One Piece. Specifically, the aura of the icon himself, Luffy. To me, Luffy is the physical representation of freedom, and that freedom directed my entire design process. I wanted this set to focus fully on Luffy, and to accomplish that, every piece needed to feel fun, goofy, and most of all free. This would ultimately spark the creation of the first piece of set three, Straw_Hat.  

    Straw_Hat

    A staple of vintage baseball attire is the deconstructed team hats worn by every player. These hats became a key to the design process of Straw_Hat. Luffy’s straw hat is one of the most well-recognized parts of his character and became the direct inspiration for Straw_Hat. My favorite design aspect of anime-inspired apparel is the recreation of an established piece from the show. Straw_Hat is just that, a reimagining of the original hat with a vintage baseball twist. The design combines references to the original hat, Luffy, and 50’s baseball cap design. The first piece of this design was the main logo, inspired by vintage baseball typography. The addition of the oval in the back was created as a way to separate the logo from the cream foreground color of the hat. The smaller size of the logo is also typical of vintage cap design, as well as the oval design in the back. Additionally, corduroy was chosen as the main fabric type for two reasons: to give much-needed texture to the design, as well as a representation of the rough texture of a real straw hat. To incorporate the red strap of the original hat, the brim is colored the same deep dark red. The next design aspect, 10 Xs embroidered in brown on the top of the hat, draws from three distinct references. The main reference of these X’s is a nod to when Nami stitches the straw hat after buggy tears three distinct rips in the hat. However, two secondary references to these stitches give the design even greater depth. The X’s are not only a One Piece-esque, cartoonish way of representing stitches, but they are also the same x tattoo the crew paints on their arms in the Alabasta arc. The third and final reference is the number of Xs, 10, to represent the current 10-strong straw hat crew. The small logo on the back of the hat also represents a significant reference to Luffy. The number 56 is a mysterious number that has long been associated with Luffy. The number shows up many times in many ways within the series: 56,000 grand fleet, the estimated final bounty of Luffy, seen on Luffy’s t-shirt as a kid, etc. Not only does the number work as a reference, but it also has a use as Luffy’s “player number” further reinforcing the baseball theme. Each reference in this hat was carefully thought out to give meaning to this piece and celebrate the character that inspired it. 

    In total, three samples would be made for Straw_Hat, making it the most expensive design process thus far. Color was the biggest contention between the samples and the biggest headache. Originally, the hat was going to be colored as close to the original hat as possible. This would help further solidify where the design choices came from. However, when this first sample arrived, I immediately knew that this wasn’t the right choice. These bright colors conflicted with a vintage-styled design and, most importantly, made the hat stand out more than desired. The goal of INTRWVD is to create subtle pieces that celebrate people’s love of anime without over-saturating the design. To correct this issue, the second sample would have a darker brown base color. Unfortunately, when the second sample arrived, I knew it still wasn’t enough. The brown was almost pinkish and truly did not look aesthetically pleasing. An additional change was made to this design: a white snapback for hat size adjustment. This change ultimately made the hat feel cheap, a feature that certainly wasn’t desired. After an almost nine-month sample process, the final sample arrived. This design replaced the darker brown base color with a cream color closer to a real straw hat’s color, and it worked perfectly for the overall usability of the design. The white snapback was changed to a tuck strap, which improved the quality and aesthetic of the design. Ultimately, the hat would become one of my proudest creations, a true blend of vintage-inspired subtle design that fits into any wardrobe. 

    Tee_One

    In the long sample process of Straw_Hat, specifically a five-month wait between samples one and two, an idea was formed to break up the extended wait of set three. A teaser tee that hinted towards the overall themes of the set. This would serve as the first piece of clothing I would design that isn’t considered an accessory. When researching design ideas for this tee, 50’s Baseball magazines became the main inspiration for Tee_One. The unique baseball-bat/ baseball border paired with the striking logo was the exact design that would pair perfectly with this set. Not only was there a great opportunity for countless hidden references but there was a chance to create a whimsical design that matched Luffy’s big personality. Ultimately, I chose to recreate one of these magazine covers with Luffy as the star of the cover. This was achieved through a concept that uses Luffy’s third gear, a cartoonish ability that had great potential as a centerpiece of the design. Using his third gear, Luffy is pictured smashing a baseball through the cover itself, as a nod to his fourth wall-breaking abilities featured in gear five. In addition, there is Gum-Gum fruit on the border replacing the baseballs of the original design, the date of the magazine on Luffy’s birthday, news quotes relating to the straw hats big win the world series, the straw hats Jolly Rodger on Luffy’s baseball bat, 56 on Luffy’s og outfit reimagined as a baseball uniform, and an earlier version of Straw_Hat worn by Luffy. To further the tease of this tee, the logo created for Straw_Hat is placed on the front of the tee, hinting at what is to come. In a truly unique and exciting design, Tee_One is the start of a staple in future sets to come. 

    The_Scar

    After the full design process of Tee_One was completed, The_Scar became the new focus. The goal for this piece was to create a tote bag that would tie the entire set together and be used as a daily-use bag. The_Scar wasn’t going to be just any tote bag, this was going to be a bag that would last for a lifetime. To elevate this bag from a tote bag to a daily-use bag, extra storage was needed. This was aided by one small pocket on the outside of the bag, and one large pocket and small pocket on the inside of the bag. This allows for maximum storage of daily items. Additionally the larger the normal size of the bag aids with storage. Like the other piece of set three, this bag would be based on Luffy. However, the first piece of design that needed to be established was the fabric. This would lead to the choice of cotton canvas, an extremely sturdy material that would give the greatest structural integrity to the bag. Next came the embroidered design on the front and back of the bag. The main embroidered X on the front of the bag is a reference to the chest scar on Luffy. The second piece of embroidery is our logo made out of baseballs and baseball bats, placed on top of a smaller pocket for additional storage. Unlike the previous pieces of set three, The_Scar does reference another straw hat crew member, Zoro. To incorporate Luffy’s right-hand man, a second strap system was created, a set of smaller straps meant for carrying. On these straps, 3 baseball bats reference Zoro’s three-sword style. The final reference is also the most hidden, specifically at the bottom of the bag. A print mixing a baseball/Gum-Gum fruit pattern and the mysterious 56 number truly tied the entire set together, as all three pieces use the 56 references. 

    Each piece of set three is a celebration of Luffy, and the interwoven references and easter eggs show our love for One Piece. The freedom in each design allows for a truly whimsical trio of items that cannot be found anywhere else. Set three is a blend of subtle vintage design and the most popular shonen of all time, creating pieces that mesh into any fashion style while still showing off the love One Piece has created around the world.