Heated Words

Rory Mccartney, Charlie Morgan

ISBN 10: 0847872270 / ISBN 13: 9780847872275

Published by Rizzoli International Publications, US, 2023

About this Item

As more than 300 richly layered illustrations in the book reveal, this particular typeface bold, neo-Gothic, and imposing decorates the fabric of the most influential music and fashion subcultures of the last half-century. Having evolved from embellished military flight jackets and sports uniform lettering in the early part of the twentieth century, the typeface appears on the denim vests of street gangs, the t-shirts of B-Boys in the 1970s, and the lo-fi DIY outfits of punk kids through the 1980s. Since its heyday as the Helvetica of the hip-hop generation, the font is once again an inescapable element of referential contemporary street style. Creatively designed with images on top of images to reference the layering process of cultural appropriation, and with contributions from insightful voices in the fields of music, fashion, and typography including Andy Cruz and Jonathan Hoefler this book is a celebration of the ingenuity and irreverence of street style. A must-have reference for designers and students of fashion and typography.

Seller Inventory # LU-9780847872275

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Heated Words
• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications, US
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0847872270
• ISBN 13: 9780847872275
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Dimensions: 8.57W x 1.34H x 11.09D inches 8.57 inches width by 1.34 inches height by 11.09 inches depth

About this title

Synopsis

The iron-on lettering that is the subject of Heated Words: Searching for a Mysterious Typeface remains without attribution. Created anonymously and passed down over decades and across subcultures, the typeface is unique within the histories of typography and street fashion.

With roots dating back to the first calligraphic forms, the enigmatic letters evolved from embellished military flight jackets and sports uniforms in the early part of the twentieth century. Seemingly omnipresent from the 1970s onward in youth culture in New York City, this particular blackletter typeface—bold and imposing—would go on to decorate the fabric of the most influential music and fashion subcultures of the last half-century.

Heated Words provides a unique thread through the subcultural landscape of the last fifty years. With insights from voices in the fields of music, fashion and typography, the unique volume features previously unpublished archival images, including hundreds of illustrations and ephemera. Exploring the visual branding of the “outsider” and the resurgence of analog typography, Heated Words is presented through a layout and design that echo the frenetic history of the letters themselves.

About the Author

Rory McCartney is a creative director working within art, fashion, and music. He established Modern Construct, a creative practice with a focus on typography, and holds a research position at The Slade School of Fine Art, London. Charlie Morgan has spent the last quarter-century at the intersection between brands and culture, working in-house with brands such as Crooked Tongues, VANS, VICE, and New Balance.