Galasynth 2024, a MASSIVE free Vocal synth fashion collab, released on 9/20 on Itch! Yay! I recommend viewing the collab before reading.
Online viewer || Itch download page
Tohoku Thrifttan. It was planned from the start to use Kiritan for this collab, even if I was the only person using a CEVIO character. Few CEVIOs appeared after all, so I'm proud to have represented her. "Thrifted clothing" was also my first idea. The top image includes my first ideations for the theme, with the Kiritans on the far left being vague recollections of items I saw at my usual thrift. I know for sure the painted Vans were my memory of a pair with Kanto Pokemon on them lol. I've thrifted for a few years now, good way to keep down on waste, find unique materials and designs, all that. Why not celebrate it.
Anyway, this was developed while I was on vacation in Canada. Nothing about the work stands out as Canadian, but all of Kiritan's clothing are based on items I saw at various thrifts there.
The backpack was the only thing not in a Canadian thrift, because originally it wasn't going to be a branded backpack at all. I thought of making it a randoseru like the black one Kiritan wears, but that's not in the spirit of this project. So I hopped around a bunch of resell sites to see what vintage red bags could match the other articles in location and timeframe. I found a lightly used patagonia--Californian brand, like Skechers--and rolled with that after two mystery bags I couldn't find brands for.
The outdoor scene and text profile reference FRUiTS, which famously featured DIY-savvy teenagers, imported brands, and fucked lighting situations. (marshmallow-manju, who drew CUL and Galaco for the collab, also referenced FRUiTS!) I imagined Kiritan is at an age that she'd begin to explore fashion, though she'd do it awkwardly and frugally, hence the heavy thrifting. And that one day, in a world where I worked for FRUiTS for some reason, I caught her in this fit.
Last, those cast shadows. They were nonsensical in my rough painting and not having a useful reference when painting over drove me up the wall. So I did what any sane artist would and mimicked Kiritan's pose on my bed, positioned my desk lamp in the same angle as the image's lighting, and photographed my reflection in my giant TV screen. Nothing beats direct observation! (For your safety, a photo is not included)
I'm deeply thankful to the Galasynth team for this beast of a project. They and the other project artists were always pleasant and encouraging. Maybe too forgiving with deadlines for a project of this scale, but lending an ear to your creators never hurts.
Many artists on board mentioned it was their first collab, and that's a huge step forward! So while it was surely a pain in the ass to manage, Galasynth provided an opportunity and community that isn't often available to smaller or less experienced artists. Passion projects like these should celebrate work of all levels.
Some pieces I love: