PEBBLE BEACH: Embedded Storytelling
The task: Creating a dynamic hand-painted statement print for the 2019 US Open at Pebble Beach.
The response: After thorough research of the Pebble Beach Golf Links, I decided to focus on three things to give it a sense of authenticity: local flora, landmarks, and historical tidbits.
The floral print was centered around the use of native plants. I focused on bright flowers to make sure it would execute with optimum results, as the artwork was intended to be printed on the inside of garments with the pigment pushing through to the front, for a soft beach worn look. I picked the ‘Ice Plant’, an indigenous succulent, for it’s status among golfers as a famously difficult, if not impossible, place to successfully shoot or recover from, should you land in it. Among other plants incorporated were the state flower, a California poppy, as well as branches of Monterey Cypress. This was a nod to ‘The Lone Cypress’, an 250-year old iconic landmark along the 17-mile drive. It’s a tree so central to the area and sport it is at the heart of the Pebble Beach logo.
Another noticeable feature in the print are the clams. For the initiated golfer it’s a play on the tradition founded at the club by Bing Crosby, where he would invite some friends to play golf, enjoy a clam bake and a raise a little money for charity. But it is also a celebration of the course’s geographical fame with so many holes bordering the Pacific ocean. The color story is one of water and grass.
The body of work consisted of two AOP’s, Jacquard-developments, and Graphics.
The print was blown out across apparel, footwear and accessories, both on promotional capsule collections and in-line, including the sold out No Denim Allowed footwear pack. It was an athlete favorite, garnering dedicated press attention, as well as great sell-through. Additionally I created a women’s version of the print, which adorned the highest booked women’s printed style in several years.
