55DSL x MTV the 5.5 SENSES

55DSL X MTV...An unlikely but interesting collaboration; have created a collection of 6 artist tee shirt graphics to be released in 55DSL stores from mid December.

Each t-shirt represents one of the five senses — touch, sight, sound, smell, taste — and the last will stand for 55DSL’s special 5.5th sense, an as yet unexplored streetwear experience. Together with MTV, 55DSL approached six international artists - Alex Trochut (touch),Ilovedust (sight), James Roper (sound), Tei (smell), Yué Wu (taste) and Zeloot (5.5th sense-intuition) – and asked them to represent a sense via their own artistic technique and tongue-in-cheek wit. Each t-shirt will be created using an innovative method and will feature a one-of-a-kind graphic.

As an extra twist MTV teams up the artists with motion design studios – including Universal Everything, Physalia and Digital District – to create innovative short films that will play out across MTV’s 63 international channels around the world from 8th November – each informed by one of the senses and the original artworks created for each t-shirt.

I feel that they have really done their research on this one with some of the artists. ILoveDust are at the top of the illustration game and they have done well to find and get them on board. The content and soft candy colouring used are on the money.
James Roper's print is also pretty sick. It looks like a modern take on Lichtenstein's pop art plane crash.

I think it's good that big brands are employing underground artists and it's a trend I hope continues to grow. The short film thing has been popping up with a few UK brands, I wonder if that's where the idea came from.

For more information please click here.