Where Design First Found Me

I really loved drawing, like most kids do but my first memories and awareness of being really attracted to "design" really stemmed from clothing brands. I realize now how fortunate I was as a child to be given the clothes I had and on top of It be able to choose styles I liked. My mom was very much Into fashion as well and exposed me to my first brands. Growing up in the 80s, I had clothes and gear from Esprit, Guess, Benetton, Swatch etc...

I actually had this same bag in elementary school. Oh how I LOVED this bag!

I found myself drawn to these brands not knowing why! But whatever marketing they did, it got me! I just knew I liked their looks and I somehow appreciated the paper tags. After my mom bought the clothes, I would cut and keep the tags because I liked the artwork. I didn't know anybody my age that felt the same way about tags.

Then shortly after growing an awareness for clothing brands, I was Introduced to the surf world through another new-found love which was "Hawaii"! (Look for additional story on that) It was like eye candy to me to see the logos of these Surf brands such as Hawaiian Island Creations, Da Kine, T&C Surf Designs, Billabong, Quicksilver, Instinct etc. I was such a tomboy when I was kid and I loved a lot of the men's/boys tees and tank tops because they would have the logos designed on the shirts In different colors and styles. I became obssessed. I was so Into these brands that I remembered how the logos looked and could design them from memory. I clearly remember this one time In 6th grade playing a guess-the-drawing game In class and I drew logos of these surf brands and nobody could guess It! I'm like really!???? hahaha My expectations were on another level. Most kids had no freakin clue!

Around this time, shopping In the mall, my mom would eventually leave me and my brother to play at the Time Out Arcade and when I ran out of coins, I would go to Waldenbooks next door  (my favorite place at the time, besides the Sanrio store) and get lost In the aisles, breathing In the new book smells! I found myself consistently going to the Graphic Novels/Comics section (where I bought Garfield books) and Magazines section. But one day I discovered the Art section where there was a huge thick blue logo book. I was fascinated at around 5th or 6th grade at these clean designed shapes. I think my brother finally bought it for me (he Is 6 years older), and I kept that book and flipped through It like a bible and would try to recreate the logos on tracing paper or free-hand It! Others would look at these logos and think Its boring!

Some other honorary memories I had that contributed to my fascination with the art world were video games! At the Time-Out Arcade, I always gravitated to Dragon's Lair. It cost more coins though and I hated losing. The graphics were so advanced at the time on this particular game! My brain and senses were also Infiltrated by playing Atari and Nintendo constantly as well! Being able to manipulate graphics and motion on screen was on another level!

I also made frequent trips to the Sanrio Store and would enjoy all the different characters on the various stationary and pencils and pens. Even the erasers smelled yummy! I never wanted to use any of the stuff that I bought or were bought for me by my cousins who treated me there! It was such a happy place for me. The bright colors and clean graphics always got my attention!

Last but not least, to start my hoarding habit of collecting was discovering Garbage Pail Kids! I loved weird and funny stuff and GPK fell right Into that! I not only loved the art but they were the first cards I started collecting that were different than business cards! I loved the feeling of the card In my hand and the fact that they were stickers too was such a cool Idea at the time! I never wanted to use the sticker though unless I had multiple doubles but even that, I would try to limit peeling It off! Then there were the cool clever names that matched the artwork. Then when you turn It around, you either get a list on the back or Its a puzzle piece of a larger artwork! It was a new obsession.

Having the privilege to be exposed to all these little luxuries humbles me. I'm so grateful for these moments In time that helped shaped my design journey. - Nabuki