Icon Typography
Project Overview
Based on the person we choose, we would create a motif to create a personalized font. I wanted to focus on Vivienne’s fashion over her jewelry, where she expresses her boldness, sharpness, and chaotic energy. Recognizing her for her plaid outfits, I incorporated the pattern into the design book and poster.
Year
2026
Course
Intermediate Typography
Theme
Vivienne Westwood Fashion
Description
The focus was to create the typeface first and then carry the theme into the specimen book and poster. Vivienne Westwood is known for pushing the norms in fashion. She used the Victorian era's royal style, including extravagant accessories, corsets, and petticoats for gowns, with a rebellious twist.
Brainstorming
Vivienne Westwood led the wave of infusing punk and Victorian styles together. It was her way to rebel against the norms and make statements using fashion as an outlet. I took descriptions of what defines her style and made a chart of motifs that would embody it: being bold, sharp, chaotic, and anatomical.
Chaotic
Sharp
Bold
Anatomical
Typeface
I used Western calligraphy-style letters to represent the Old English aspects while implementing the sparkle motif to counter the expectation of blackletter fonts. The sparkles serve to make the letters seem “iconic,” like in the name; they are the stars that make words shine.
Specimen Book
One of Vivienne Westwood’s prominent traits is the tartan pattern with different combinations of colors. Each spread took aspects of the lines and motifs to become the blueprint of the composition. I want to showcase her personality, so each page is a completely new composition and color scheme for each spread.
