Maciej Lepiedowicz and Łukasz Zieranowski met during the "identification project" at Fotofestival in 2007. As a team, they have already organized the next edition of the event. Maciej Lebiedowicz was the first to start his adventure in graphic design. He created, together with his wife Justyna Burzyńska, the clothing brand Pan tu nie stał. T-shirts, bags, sweatshirts and leggings with inscriptions of a bygone era: Gospodarcza (Economic), Weź się (Come on), Jan Kowalski (John Smith), Art. Spożywcze (Grocery Items), or Sprawunki (Purchases), are to remind the charm of Assam tea drunk from a glass with a basket.
Worth mentioning is the fact that all Pan tu nie stał clothes are designed and manufactured in Lódź. It's one of the reasons why the brand has been awarded in the Project of the Year by the Association of Graphic Designers. It is the only award in Poland which focuses not only on aesthetic values but also on ethical issues in design. In the selection process, the jury takes into account the designers' sense of social responsibility.
Sometimes, the aesthetic qualities of Pan tu nie stał intermingles with those of Fajne Chłopaki. This is because - as Łukasz Zbieranowski explains - many of the projects have been created at the same desks. Currently, the studio takes a two-track approach. Maciej Lebiedowicz focuses on the PTNS brand and Łukasz Zbieranowski is building a papermaking brand Nieladaco that is to be the bookbinding branch of the studio. Under this name, the studio will produce hand-made notepads and business cards, using craft techniques and bookbinding tools.
It is a shift towards things made of paper in the digital age, and a return to the idea of taking notes - says Zbieranowski.
Fajne Chłopaki have already been employing old, not widely used methods in the production of some of their items. They have created several handmade screen printed posters, and for more complex works, they have used machines from Book Art Museum in Łódź or bookbinding tools that Zbieranowski inherited.
We are looking for ways to do something that for many manufacturers today is a problem, because it requires much time and effort - says the designer.
For Zbieranowski, it is important that one should not be satisfied with the merely aesthetic form in the process of designing.
At the moment, there are a lot of the projects that incorporate current design trends, but say nothing about the idea that stands behind them. I also observe a trend which results from the tendency of breaking the mould. This, unfortunately, I do not accept. Designers who have great skills make projects that are deliberately unaesthetic. It's fun for the designers, of course. However, in my opinion, when facing all of the kitsch that surrounds us, I find it damaging to add yet another ugly thing to the environment. So, if for some reasons, one fails to realize ones madly creative idea, let it be at least executed in an aesthetic way, especially that as designers we deal with applied arts and not with artistic revolutions - emphasizes Zbieranowski.
Fajne Chłopaki has been recognized by American magazine WOW as one of the 10 most promising graphic studios. Both of the artists are self-educated graphic designers. Maciej Lebiedowicz studied econometrics and Łukasz Zbieranowski - psychology.
Author: Katarzyna Zacharska, October 2013, trans. GS, June 2014
Awards:
2012
- Honorary mention by HOW magazine
- Silver award at KTR
- First place in competition for design of poster for Chanuka Festival
2011
- Main award for a design of chocolate packaging for Wedel