Behind the Designs – with Typecave

This design series smells of cocktails with little umbrellas, garages, and good vibes.
Our goal: Tiki style for everyday life, with a wink and a touch of custom culture. For this, we brought Typecave from Los Angeles on board. Their strengths: bold lines, cheeky characters, and clean typography.

In short, motifs that stand out and immediately create a good mood.

How it all began

We sent mood boards featuring surf, garage rock, mid-century tiki, and old hot-rod zines. Along with that, a playlist spanning Dick Dale, The Cramps, Agent Orange, and Brian Setzer. Typecave captured that vibe and translated it into playful shapes, bold outlines, and a color palette of teal, sunset orange, coconut brown, and off-white.

The look remains close to comics, but not childish. Crisp, legible, and with strong print.

The characters

Sharky
Our shark with sunglasses. Always on a road trip, always hungry for waves. Sharky is the link between surf and street. Large areas, clear shadows, so the print looks equally good on the chest and back.

Tiki
The icon of Tiki-Pop aesthetics. Bamboo frame, torches, waves, and a cheeky grin. The motif relies on rhythm and symmetry to keep the figure calm while the waves rage around it.

flamingo
Vacation mode in pink. A casual drink in hand, relaxed shoulders. A design for days that call for shorts, but also works well under a hoodie. Light, friendly, instantly recognizable.

Hot rod
"Loud and fast" as a graphic. Wide tires, visible compressor, spray, and smoke. A direct nod to custom culture and old show posts. The style handles large print areas without tilting, making it ideal as a back print.

From scribble to shirt

Typecave starts with rough sketches. We fine-tune the composition, proportions, and typography. Then come the detailed artwork and flat areas of color, along with subtle hatching for depth. We test sizes, placements, and colors on mockups until the design fits perfectly on T-shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts. Printing is done on demand by our partners in Germany. This way, we only produce what's truly needed.

Why this series is fun

The motifs are direct. They're catchy and friendly. No forced irony, no excessive detail. A clear mix of surf, tiki bar, rockabilly garage, and summer evening. Exactly what you'd wear when the day sounds like music.

Material and feel

We print on high-quality, tactile materials. The bold outlines withstand many washes. Colors remain vibrant. This is important because humor only works if the graphic remains legible for a long time.

A word about respect

Tiki is pop culture with roots in Polynesian imagery. We treat its aesthetic as an homage. Playful, but without resorting to clichés. In other words: fun, yes, but also respect.

Learn more about TypeCave at:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ4duMyPZ8N/