208 pages Edited by Daniel Eckler Text(s) by Daniel Eckler Photographs by Tom Van Schelven Designed by Glenn Manucdoc & Moxy Creative 28 × 24 cm Language: English Paperback Publisher: Gestalten 2010
Bold lettering, illustrated characters, photographic prints and abstract patterns turn the T-shirt into a portable surface for graphic design in Torso. The selection explores how independent labels and streetwear brands use this familiar garment to communicate identities, humour and attitudes. Designs range from simple single-colour motifs to densely worked images, showing how scale, placement and colour change the relationship between a graphic and the body wearing it.
Product images and styled photographs place the designs within the visual culture surrounding them. Compiled by Daniel Eckler, the book connects illustration, typography and fashion through an everyday object that serves both as clothing and as a public statement. Seen together, the examples reveal different approaches to making an image recognisable, expressive and wearable, offering a broad view of T-shirt graphics and their place in contemporary streetwear.
