Earlier this year, I was tapped by renowned global flip flop brand Havaianas to be one of their designers for this year's limited edition collection in the Philippines called Filipinas. Of course, I said yes! :)
The brand wanted to incorporate hand lettering and calligraphy to its designs for this collection, and I was tasked to come up with a design that was truly Filipino in nature - but still keeping in mind the modern aesthetic Havaianas is known for.
In line with creating the design for the pair, I did a quick online survey to the specified target market and also pitched 3 ideas to the client based on the results I gathered. I realized all the ideas I pitched were travel-related, and were all approved by Havaianas. However, we all agreed to execute the first idea (below).
The brand wanted to incorporate hand lettering and calligraphy to its designs for this collection, and I was tasked to come up with a design that was truly Filipino in nature - but still keeping in mind the modern aesthetic Havaianas is known for.
In line with creating the design for the pair, I did a quick online survey to the specified target market and also pitched 3 ideas to the client based on the results I gathered. I realized all the ideas I pitched were travel-related, and were all approved by Havaianas. However, we all agreed to execute the first idea (below).
The design merges two of my favorite things: art and travel. Apart from being artistically inclined, I spend most of my time traveling and taking on adventures (which I also document in transit). I have a habit of keeping travel diaries, so the ultimate challenge was incorporating that aspect into my design, which was centered on lettering.
Initial drafts
I made sure to include key terms / phrases that would encapsulate Philippine travel in the layout. There are common expressions found in the design such as Tara (let’s go), and Mabuhay (Filipino greeting), as well as Philippine-related terms such as Timog Silangang Asya (Southeast Asia), Kapuluan (archipelago) and Agos lang (keep going; pertaining to the waves), among others. I also incorporated some of my personal travel mantras: Adventure awaits, Explore the unknown, etc.
After finalizing the font styles and treatments I wanted to incorporate in the design, I then hand lettered and illustrated the final layout before scanning.
Initially, the layout was one image - but during design application, I had to break down the elements and create a new layout that would fit the actual shape of the flip flops (and to make sure the labels weren't covered).
For the color scheme, I was already set on keeping it at a minimal number of colors. I initially played around with teal, violet, and green for the background - but it was decided to make it a bright sky blue. Orange, yellow and brown were then applied to other elements of the design to make it a bit more varied. I kept the keywords in white to make them really stand out on the flip flop.
Coincidentally, the color scheme ended up becoming a modern version of the Philippine flag. The original Philippine flag colors are red, blue and yellow (primary colors) and for this design, I decided to make it a bit more fun by playing around with colors from the same family but tweaking it to look more youthful.
Coincidentally, the color scheme ended up becoming a modern version of the Philippine flag. The original Philippine flag colors are red, blue and yellow (primary colors) and for this design, I decided to make it a bit more fun by playing around with colors from the same family but tweaking it to look more youthful.
Above: First pass, which was eventually tweaked to fit the shape of the flip flops.
Below: Recolored first pass design which was used for the launch invite as a coloring sheet / postcard.
After back and forth submissions and approval from Brazil, this is what the final output looked like when applied to the flip flops.
(You can only imagine how ecstatic I was when I first saw the prototype.)
The neon yellow strap was an accidental decision, and I initially was set on having the strap in orange. Good thing we pursued with this combination as it really bridged the contrast between the blue color of the base.
My pair is entitled Lakbay (which means travel in Filipino), and it focuses on Philippine travel. I hope it inspires others to take on more adventures and do some exploring here in the Philippines!
(Which reminds me, I should probably do more traveling locally; I’ve been going abroad for most of the time I’m in transit.)
Every purchase of a Filipinas pair comes with a handy canvas pouch, perfect for gifting this holiday season. It also doubles as a bag for your next trip. :)
The Havaianas Filipinas 2015 collection consists of (3) designs: Laro (designed by Patrick Cabral / focusing on games), Lasap (designed by Alessa Lanot / focusing on food) and Lakbay (designed by me / focusing on travel).
Check out the video below for more information about the collection.
Above: Promotional material for the collection (from Havaianas). Our designs were used as part of their print and billboard ads.
Below: Alessa, me, and Patrick holding our own designs for Havaianas
To officially announce the collection, Havaianas organized a special launch last November 25 for the Filipinas collection. It was an afternoon of creativity, food, fun and games. The three of us also did a live demo to showcase our work.
Guests were also encouraged to try hand lettering / calligraphy and get their creative juices flowing during the launch.
There were booths for each design, as well as a huge flip flop standee. Mine had a combi and it was transformed into a travel-themed photo op area. There were also flatlay stations with props so guests can instantly snap photos of the designed pairs.
with Tippy & Mansy, two of my closest friends
Me, Pat & Alessa before our demo
Pairs were available during the event for guests to claim.
Apart from that, Alessa, Pat and I also organized a 3-course intensive workshop this coming weekend in partnership with Havaianas. Below is the promotional poster (designed by Patrick) about the workshop.
The Havaianas Filipinas 2015 collection is available at All Flip Flops stores nationwide for P1,195 per pair. The collection is limited only for this holiday season, so I hope you can get a pair for yourself soon! :)
For more information about the launch and the collection, you can check out these press articles:
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Thank you for viewing!
