MAVI JEANS + LEMON TWIST

MAVI JEANS is a renowned denim and jeans-wear brand founded in 1991, based in Istanbul, Turkey. The name "Mavi" translates to "blue" in Turkish, reflecting the brand's core focus.

During a visit to San Francisco, MAVI JEANS’ Art Director, Andrew Paine, stopped by our store in Hayes Valley. At the time, several proof prints of my stencil work on newsprint were on display, including the Lemon Twist Men's logo. Impressed by the artwork, Andrew later reached out to propose a T-Shirt collaboration with a “Brazil” theme.

Over the course of a few months, under Andrew's art direction, I created several storyboards and we developed an animal-themed collection consisting of 10 designs: 6 for men and 4 for women. The collection was a huge success at MAVI, which led to an exciting opportunity to design for a Converse shoe campaign with the theme “Istanbul/Constantinople.”

Two of the Converse designs were inspired by Istanbul’s vibrant metropolis and rich history. One design envisioned laundry hanging between buildings, symbolizing the collision of old and new worlds. Another depicted a youth drawing on their sneakers in class, embodying the concept of “ense yapmak” (indulging in no work) and “oglum” (my friend). These designs also became favorites at MAVI JEANS.

BRAZIL

ISTANBUL/CONSTANTINOPLE

A few in progress shots of the sample T-shirts.