cosmosis
branding / screen printing / exhibition
Cosmosis is a clothing brand I created for my senior exhibition at the University of Minnesota. The designs are screen printed by hand and inspired out of love for the 90s rave scene. I created the identity for Cosmosis, then printed shirt & tote designs, hang tags, info cards, and zines.
I additionally curated a physical pop-up shop experience that was a part of the graphic design senior class exhibition, on display in the Goldstein Museum of Design HGA Gallery in Rapson Hall.
background
I found a book on British rave flyers from the 1990s and was immediately captivated by the unapologetically bold and experimental spirit behind them. After researching more, my obsession with them grew, so much that I wrote my senior thesis on the history of rave culture and design.
Taking my knowledge and inspiration from my thesis topic, I created a clothing brand for my graphic design senior exhibition at the University of Minnesota.
the name
Cosmosis is a portmanteau of cosmos,
“the universe seen as a well ordered whole,” and osmosis, “the process of gradual or unconscious assimilation of ideas, knowledge, etc.”
The rave movement in the 90s was a utopian escape from mundane life, centered around music, acceptance, and connection. Cosmosis captures the fluid, collaborative, and positive energy of rave culture.
ephemeral bodies design
Rave flyers were both ephemera and art. Receipts, newspapers, and stickers are other objects that are ephemera and hold so much history that can get buried in the past. We’re all ephemeral in a sense, and whether it’s short or long lasting, the connections we have with others is one of the few important things in life. In rave culture and design, a strong focus on connection and optimism emerged at the forefront of the scene, and although the raves were just an escape from reality for a night, it meant so much more to those that attended.
The first drop by cosmosis, “ephemeral bodies”, combines the uplifting essence of rave culture and design with the concept of us all being transient.
zine
I created an accompanying zine printed on a risograph machine, which basically combines the aesthetic of screen printing (from the layering of ink) and the efficiency of a laser printer. Its signature vibrant ink colors complement rave design aesthetics.
The zine contains a summarized version of my senior thesis written on rave culture and design in the 1990's. It gives a historical context to my exhibition to show what inspired me to make Cosmosis in the first place.