One of my most favorite t-shirt lines SoftService is having a little bit of a summer sale right now. The super limited-edition, hand embroidered, hand painted, hand massaged shirts normally priced at $60 are available for $40. While still a little bit on the pricey side, not only are they never available online, I assure you you’re wearing a piece of artwork here. Make sure to check out their beautiful pillows as well.

There isn’t to much negative press floating around about “The Pattern Man” Dan Funderburgh these days and the recent publicity on Design Sponge and interview with pingmag.com have definitely rejuvenated our interest since our first report back in July ’05. Based in Brooklyn, Dan began his career making prints while working for a clothing company with limited creative vision, which meant anything decent he designed got shelved, even things he himself would not include on his website. These days Dan is a bit more discriminative of his work and with tutelage from creative directors Kimou Meyer and Pete Christopherson has advanced his ability in patterns (Death from Above shown here) and illustrative type to a level few can match. We have really enjoyed watching his collection grow and agree with Dan when he says, “Plenty of kids can make pretty patterns, but to me a good idea is always far more attractive.” Judging from his work it seems he has plenty of them!

FavoriteThingz.com is a brand new online company that allows its users to create badges that show off their favorite bands, movies, brands, stores, and more. The way it works is simple. Sign up with FavoriteThingz.com, pick from the available categories, and post the code into your webpage, MySpace Profile, blog, or where ever you’d like it to be seen online. When people see your badge and click on the links, you get paid! There are plenty of categories and brands to choose from, so its easy to create a badge that is truly reflective of your personal tastes.

Helvetica is a full-length independent documentary film that investigates the deeper and more subtle ways in which type affects our daily lives. Using the now ubiquitous font helvetica as the thematic centerpiece, the film explores urban spaces with regards to the fonts that inhabit them, and also engages in discussions with world renowned designers about the aesthetics and rationale behind their choices of type. Helvetica was filmed in the United States, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until 2007, at which time it will start screening at various film festivals around the world. For now, you can check out the online store and purchase a limited edition (100 pieces) print for the film or a t-shirt with the movie logo screened on the front.
Via JaimeMacias.com

Along with Comic Con (July 20-23, 2006) came a myriad of goods–and some items definitely not to be missed are the new tees from UNKL. You can support your favorite characters JunPo, TinPo, HazMaPo, and SUG by wearing one of these great tees or go for one of our favorites including the Mak Model by Kow Yokoyama or the always classic UNKL Zip Hoody, because fall will be here before you know it. There’s also a superb selection of sale items like the TinPo bag (shown here) or UNKL Camo bag which are both available for almost 50% off. Some good deals on great gear here!

Forget any ideas you have about old woolly jumpers in stuffy second hand shops. TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development) innovatively bridge the gap between recycling and fashion. TRAID has customers that re-design and reconstruct donated materials into new edgy garments, actively reducing waste and raising money to fund international aid and development projects. A great concept, cleverly branded. Check it out!