How Pilot and Captain Taps Into Dreams of Far-Off Places

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The new product line from Philadelphia graphic design house The Heads of State, Pilot & Captain can incite wanderlust in the even staunchest of homebodies. Comprising totes, prints, and men's and women's tees, the line taps into a bygone era when travel was a rare, exciting treat—not just a means to an end; the aesthetic is reminiscent of an old WPA ad. "Travel is such a universal constant," says Pilot & Captain co-founder Dusty Summers. "We've all got ties to dreams of far-off places, and we wanted to tap into that."

Here, Summers walks us through the inspiration behind some of his favorite Pilot & Caption pieces. (If you want to check out the goods in person, visit P&C's pop-up shop happening now through the holidays at Old City's Art in the Age.)

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• This was the first item we created that was travel related. We wanted to lean on the aesthetics of 50s and 60s air line posters but give them a modern take. San Francisco Travel Prin
• We had boxes of these old luggage tags sitting around and kept saying in meetings how awesome they would be on t-shirts. This has been our best seller by far. JFK Tee, $32
• Being strictly graphic designers it was a challenge to actually design a piece of merchandise. But in the end it's that same decision making process finding the right colors and fabric, the right leathers that match your vision. There is something pretty
• The history of New York runways all in one print. Our approach here was to do more of an artistic take on the graphic tags. Ruby lith, and exacto blades always makes for a unique look. New Yo
• We're breaking out of the big markets a bit and doing shirts for places that are more known for culture, music, arts. Loving the colors we picked for Music City. [Nashville Tee ($32) available via Pilot & Captain
• I had happened upon these toy boats a year or two ago while looking for Christmas presents for my son. Way too precious for a five year old but I've been pining for them ever since. [Papa Foxtrot Wooden Toy Boat ($160—$180) available via

· Pilot & Captain [Official Site]
· The Heads of State [Official Site]
· All Travel Week 2013 posts [Racked Philly]