Hey guys! Chrissie here. I’m so excited to introduce you to a good friend of the brand and one of our creative collaborators—Derek Roberts.
Derek is a former colleague of mine from my American Eagle Outfitters days. He’s always up for an adventure and joined my early Love Is Project Mongolia trip in 2014. After riding the Trans-Siberian railway in, Derek flew in and we went off-roading across the steppe, attended the Naadam Games, rode camels across the Hongor Sand Dunes in the South Gobi desert. We stayed in yurts known as gers in Mongolia and are traditional nomadic homes.
Because Derek’s aesthetic has always had a sense of playfulness and purpose, we asked him to collaborate on our latest project—our VOTE Bundle! Derek designed the old school VOTE pins and stickers to inspire people to vote for LOVE in the 2020 election. The inspiration behind the pin designs were taken from vintage badges, posters and signs, with strong motifs of stars and stripes all rooted in American culture. He dreams to “see a world of more equality, humanity and thoughtfulness.”
Let me tell you a bit more about the maker who designed your VOTE swag! Derek is based in Buckinghamshire, England. At Loughborough University, he studied multi-media textile design, but later turned his skills to graphic design. He’s super passionate about global youth culture, redefining visual languages, and cultivating lasting, meaningful connections between brands and people.
Derek believes LOVE is truth, honesty, an unwavering commitment, and the greatest gift you can ever share.
We asked him about an experience where LOVE inspired him and immediately Derek recounted a special experience he had in the Gobi Desert:
I was fortunate enough to meet local goat herders who told me their thoughts of LOVE and life. One herder said he didn't understand the LOVE written about in books between man and woman, but understood the LOVE of his land and animals. I perceived, his response was based on survival in extreme elements and nomadic life. It inspired me to think about what is important to me in my life and what I really needed, rather than wanted. The herders had a rich simple life full of adventure, based around nature rather than being tied to a life of materialism.
This 2020 election, think like Derek and ask yourself,
“What’s important to me and what do I really need?”
SHOP OUR VOTE COLLECTION
VOTE for LOVE,
Founder, Love is Project