Get Stoked About The Surf-Inspired Jeff Canham For Target Collection
Jeff Spicoli would be so proud! Right in time for summer, Target enlisted San Francisco-based artist Jeff Canham to design a series of surf-inspired prints that could be emblazoned on beach-ready tanks, tees, shorts, flip-flops, and totes. Born in Hawaii, Canham grew up immersed in surf culture, hanging ten since age 14. Now 39 years old, Canham continues to surf and to infuse the colors and energy of beach culture into all of his artwork. To create many of the graphics seen on the apparel and accessories in this limited edition collection, Canham jotted many pencil sketches and painted atop them, photographing or scanning these to create images that could be mass produced. Much of the lettering was informed by Canham’s time as a sign painter, so that any words are easily legible and use unusual, nostalgic-feeling typography or cool effects like three-dimensional perspectives, gradient colors used to create shadows, and juxtapositions in the height and width of different letters. Target’s designers, meanwhile, ensured that all the garments were faithful to the youthful spririt of the Mossimo Supply Co. brand.
Available at Target stores and Target.com, the collection includes four breezy, sleeveless tank tops with turnback hemlines, rounded collars,and a U-shaped cut-out along the back. Retailing for $14.99 each, these tanks boast playful screen printed graphics. A gray tank, pictured second above, features three rows of squares with geometric patterns that nod to those commonly found in nautical flags. But, of course, these designs are way more groovy and incorporate vibrant shades like peach and neon yellow alongside the standard black and white colors, as opposed to relying on the standard blue, red, and canary yellow tones.Similarly, a distressed red tank, shown fourth above, features an all-over print consisting of tiny white beach umbrellas. Yet another design features a circular graphic that mashes up a wealth of surf-inspired symbols and words. The white tank, shown next to last above, features words like “Surf’s Up!,” “South Swell,” “Off Shore,” and “Yes” in shades of carnation pink, aqua blue, and chocolate brown, alongside iconography like beach umbrellas, sunglasses, surfboards, beach balls, life preservers, board shorts, paddleball rackets, SPF bottles, seagulls, and shark fins.
Short-sleeved tees, also retailing for $14.99 each, feature similar Endless Summer-worthy imagery. A charming white T-shirt, shown seventh above, features an image of yellow, peach, and black surfboards stacked atop each other, with a blue bird propped atop the board at the top of the pile. A blue tee, shown at top, pays homage to Canham’s birth place of Hawaii by showing the word “aloha” in three different lines, using bright colors and rounded letters that seem to melt off the surfboards propped right above each line. A sun graphic on a peach shirt, meanwhile, seems to nod to the poster for the 1966 Bruce Brown surfing documentary The Endless Summer.
Two board shorts, one a hot pink and the other an aqua shade, meanwhile, feature undulating lines meant to resemble ocean waves and come with handy elastic waistbands and drawstring closures.These retail for $16.99 each and are the perfect bottoms for sporty beach babes with a keen sense of style.
In addition to apparel, the collection includes fun flip-flop sandals (retailing for $12.99 each) such as the aqua-colored pair pictured fifth above, which features two-toned thong straps with a berry red color along the top and a contrasting white shade along the bottom. Each shoe’s footbed features a different graphic, with the left foot having the word “Swim” printed on it and, below it, an arrow pointing to the left, and the right foot featuring the word “Surf” and an arrow pointing to the right.
Similarly, the collection includes several roomy canvas beach totes, each retailing for $24.99. My favorite is the “Aloha” tote shown above, which comes in a fun hot pink shade. And, if you’re in the market for a beach towel, several terry options are available for $19.99 a pop.
You’ll feel like a modern-day Gidget with these surf-flavored goodies!
