Paramore didn’t release an album in 2024, but it’s still been a busy year for the band. Hayley Williams, Taylor York, and Zac Farro, as well as touring members Joey Howard, Logan MacKenzie, Joey Mullen, and Brian Robert Jones, opened for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour. Beyond dedicating “Decode” to “Mr. Waterhouse,” however, Paramore also reached out to “friends & fans” to design merch to be sold in the band’s official store.
“All of the new merch items available on our site were designed by Paramore friends & fans,” a recent note from the band reads. “It means a lot to be able to represent our fan community via fan-designed items. So many of you are mega talented and we hope to continue featuring your talent in ways like this moving forward.” Best of all, the designers get a cut of the royalties for every item that’s purchased.
I recently had a conversation over email with one of those talented designers, Eleanor Osada, about how she got involved with the project, the inspiration for her work, and her love of Paramore. You can find Osada’s work here.
How did the collaboration come together?
I got an email back at the beginning of September, so it’s been brewing for a little while! I wasn’t sure of the specifics in terms of the launch, but I had an inkling there would be other designers involved. It’s so lovely to be a part of a cohort like this, and it’s great that there’s a variety across the whole collection.
Do you know how Paramore first became aware of your work?
Thinking about it, it’ll be over a decade now — though I use the word “work” loosely for that instance, because our first crossover was so unusual! At 16, I made a Paramore Twitter fan account, away from my “regular” Twitter to give my school friends a break, and I would post anything and everything to do with the band there. In December 2014, I woke up one morning to a tag in Hayley’s tweet. Her mom, Cristi, had custom-printed a little illustration that I’d posted online on their family wrapping paper. It was hard to get my head around as I had sixth form (college) for the rest of the day. I couldn’t concentrate!
I was asked to do my first official Paramore merch in 2019, to celebrate After Laughter’s two-year anniversary — an embroidered sweatshirt featuring their bars logo, and a Hockney-inspired graphic tee designed around the track “Pool.” The two designs existed already, and then I had an email out of the blue to say that Hayley would like both of them for their store.
The second time was about three years ago, when I was a runner-up in their Creative Allies contest, which asked for a Riot!-inspired merch design for Fueled By Ramen’s anniversary. They ended up choosing three winners instead of one, so it was such a privilege to be included.
Then last year was huge, and full of unbelievable Paramore tour work. I was asked to design a limited edition poster for their two sold-out London O2 shows (in which all of the proceeds went to charity) in April; a commemorative tote and poster for their Madison Square Gardens dates; and a holographic poster and tee for their L.A. Forum show.
It’s been such a surreal whirlwind, but all so gratifying. Paramore have been so central in my life for as long as I can remember, so to play this sort of role in what people grab at shows, sport with the band’s name on it, and hang on their walls… I never would’ve believed I’d get these opportunities. I’m just so happy I found them in this life, and that they like what I do.
Did the band give you free reign, or was there back and forth feedback?
The initial email asked for a few specific designs of mine that Hayley had liked, in the form of screenshots from my online store. Their first ask was to see a spread of all of my Paramore-inspired designs in one place, just in case they’d missed anything. The emphasis ended up on designs I hadn’t shared – or hadn’t gone on to sell anywhere – aside from the tarot, which was already publicized and in my store.
I’d never posted the “You First” design that ended up on the notebook, but had been trying to perfect it since the album came out in February last year, as it was such a clear visual for me when listening. I never would’ve imagined its debut would be in the band’s store.
The band liked the crashed van design, which I’d only ever tweeted about and moved on from, and so their merchandising director asked for mockups and color variants on different apparel. It allowed me to really explore a design I thought I’d already finished with, which was so cool – it was like giving it a new life. That’s when I came up with the big, stretched typed “PARAMORE” back piece for the sweatshirt, to accompany the little embroidered van on the front.
Whenever we’ve worked together, I’ve always felt creatively at my freest. There’s been a few small changes requested in the past, but ultimately things that have made my designs that bit better.
What is the inspiration for your designs?
Man, Paramore actually influence near enough everything I do, always have! They evoke the most exciting things in my work, and bring out the best in my abilities, I feel. Even when they’re not the client I’m designing for, I think back to projects I’ve done for them and pinpoint what was successful, or remember what people particularly liked.
As for the designs in the store, my trick is to pull visuals out of lyrical content and run wild. The tarot in particular was a good challenge, because it started with a rough sketch of every single track from This Is Why, all drawn up in their little card frame templates — but songs like “Liar” were more of a challenge as they were less literal in their imagery, and I had to think more contextually, and cross reference some other Paramore songs.
Red also runs through each of my designs, really by accident, but maybe it was a subliminal decision. It’s a shade that to me, along with orange, feels definitive for the band. A warmth, ferocity, passion – however you want to define it under colour psychology – it just makes sense for them.
How rare is it for artists/designers to get royalties for their work?
Very, very rare, basically unheard of. Reading extensive praise from far more versed and seasoned industry designers tells me all I need to know about this move. It wasn’t asked of Paramore, but they went out of their way to make sure we get more than just a flat fee, and are fairly paid. When I found out, I actually gasped — it’ll make such a massive difference.
I don’t know how likely it is that it’ll become an industry standard, but I can only hope more bands and artists follow suit. It would be typical Paramore for them to pave the way on this front.
How would you describe your aesthetic?
Strangely enough, I’m in the midst of getting my personal branding side of things together, like my logo, website, and business cards, and I finally feel like I’m nailing that down. I’m as much a photographer as I am a graphic designer, and so I really wanted to involve both sides of me in what I was showing off, so to speak. In that respect, mixed media is a must, and I’m still experimenting with all different kinds.
Nostalgia and color are major ruling principles for me, and I often love to have a photographic element as an anchor in my designs. I like to make something that feels familiar, but brand new all at once.
What’s your history with Paramore like? When did you first become a fan?
I first listened to Paramore when I was 12 after hearing some friends in ICT class talk about how cool they were. I went home and YouTube’d them, and the rest is a blur! I do remember raiding HMV of all the albums they had out at the time on CD, then syncing their library to my iPod.
My dad took me to see them the following year, 2010, when they played Newcastle Arena, and though we were sat at the very back, you could feel the pure force of their energy. It blew the roof off. We had to leave early, but my dad let me pick one piece of merch – I remember how it felt to look at the spread on offer, and why I liked the shirt I chose best. I still have it today!