Graphic Design senior Lorenza Centi recently designed an exclusive T-shirt for Urban Outfitters Artist Editions, an ongoing series of limited edition graphic T-shirts created by artists from around the world.
The opportunity stemmed from her internship with Urban Outfitters during summer 2016 as a print design intern (you may have seen her Snapchat takeover from the URBN offices). Centi worked on in-store print advertisements, fliers, and helped curate the holiday store aesthetic.
“My desk happened to be next to the Special Projects Manager and we hit it off by talking about how we both design/sell T-shirts,” Centi said. “I showed him some of my work and he thought I’d be a perfect fit for the Featured Artist campaign.”
Centi’s featured design,Dream Girl, is abstract, otherworldly, and meant for deeper interpretation.
“Its intent was to play up the physical ‘necessary objects’ that are found in women and are often the main focus while characteristics of worth are often overlooked,” Centi said. “I knew immediately I wanted to create a series around this piece because of the many uncharted topics of gender equality. I wanted there to be a feminist series that wasn’t just all pink and soft, I wanted to create something that had mystery and androgyny.
“Reveal came later in the series and while it does have a softer palette it still pulls ambiguity and plays with the ‘glass half full’ vs ‘glass half empty’ mentality, sort of an ode to choosing your battles.”
Through the Artist Edition Feature, Centi has been offered a few different freelance opportunities, including a design opportunity with the Santa Monica Pier’s Summer Twilight Concert Series. “I’m very into the music design scene so I was super psyched to be apart of the concert series,” she said.
I wanted there to be a feminist series that wasn’t just all pink and soft, I wanted to create something that had mystery and androgyny.
Lorenza Centi
Centi credits MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design with helping shape her as an artist.
“I was lucky enough to have all my foundation courses with professors and was given such amazing feedback and honest criticism; it only drove me to work harder to impress them,” she said. “I also learned to find the beauty in everything, which I think, is a very hard thing to do. My way of thinking and seeing really changed.”
After graduation, Centi plans to head back to Philadelphia and continue crafting her design work at the Urban Outfitters offices.
