Kinetic Type meets Fashion

Fashion is undoubtedly an ever-evolving form of self-expression that has transcended time and culture. It extends beyond just mere attire; it is a reflection of social movements, societal trends and the self.

Whether through the daring and innovative creations of high fashion to the everyday practicality of streetwear, fashion allows a canvas for individuals to convey their identity and adapt to the current aesthetics of their era.

As a dynamic and ever-evolving domain that is constantly reinventing itself, fashion captivates us all, making it a fascinating and compelling aspect of our existence.

Moreover, as the fashion industry is ever evolving, kinetic type needs to evolve with fashion in a similar way in order to help brands communicate their brand identity more accurately and attract the appropriate demographics to their products.

∘ __ Chic • Minimal • Natural • Luxurious __∘

The creation of boutique clothing brand, Krem, serves as an exemplary example of how designer Sunnita West utilises kinetic type in the realm of fashion. Moreover the thoughtful and creative ways that kinetic type is used in Krem aids in communicating the brand's visual identity and aesthetics of minimalism, luxury and overall naturalistic feel to customers looking for exactly that.

Fundamentally, West wanted customers to have feeling of luxury when experiencing the branding of Krem. "I wanted it to feel luxurious and high end, but tasteful with its minimalism and earth inspired tones. Effortless-earthly-chic, if you will'

Naturally, West decided to use Brenly, a modern variable san serif front that has an elegant and luxurious look. Additionally, to further suit her intention for this brand, she manipulated the lettering by rounding the edges and adjusting the width and height of the typeface in order to create a compelling and unique logo type for her fashion brand Krem.

“By rounding the edges and adjusting width/height etc.. it made the brand identity more noticeable. I created mockups of the store-front and signage using this manipulated type”

Furthermore, West has explored and exploited this customised kinetic type to its full potential by implementing it for different uses in four posters, being promotional material and a series of custom clothing tags that incorporate unique design elements.

Additionally, when working on the designs for the clothing tags, the designer experimented with techniques of blending, warping (including bulge, arch, shell), text on pathways, and such things as opacity changes to create different unique effects. And other techniques exhibited in one of the posters included erasing parts of the lettering in order to create an illusion that pieces of fabric were in front of the text making the design more dynamic.

As you can see here (pervious/above) the kinetic type uses repetition to create an abstract pattern and dynamic effect.

Moreover, depending ways in which kinetic type is used (even though the viewer may not notice the subtilties of kinetic type used in this application) can add an extra layer of meaning and feeling to the design.

"On the clothing tags, I experimented with more warp tools and outlined vs filled text. The subtext; 'from the heart of Croatia' is Optima regular with a kerning of 300pts... I believe that using kerning really enhances the feeling of luxury."

Fundamentally, fashion often relies on movement and fluidity to convey a message or evoke a feeling. Garments that flow gracefully or use innovative materials create a kinetic element, enhancing the wearer's experience and making a powerful fashion statement. Both kinetic typography and fashion harness the power of movement to captivate and engage, demonstrating how motion can be a compelling and communicative tool in the world of design and self-expression.