We were lucky to catch up with Giovanni Thompson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Giovanni thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I have ever worked on recently has been “The Butterfly Effect Collection” with my creative partner-in-crime and seamstress, Fatima Edmondson of “FITTED. by Fat” (@fittedbyfat), who makes custom tote bags. We decided to do a tote collection together because of the meanings behind our brands/aesthetics. Both FITTED. by Fat and Incognito have an underlying meaning of transformation and walking into the next version of yourself, so having our worlds collide was not only long overdue, but also made sense creatively.

I speak for both of us when I say that our brands are incredibly meaningful to us and we hold it closely to our hearts, so to be able to creatively trust each other for The Butterfly Effect Collection from brainstorming, to execution, to its campaign was the cherry on top. The totes in our collection were inspired by my poems “Sunset Boy” (pg. 53), “Home of a Butterfly” (pg. 3), and “Metamorphosis” (pg. 98) in my collection of poetry, “Incognito”. We sought out to play on the theme of a monarch butterfly, as that represents transformation, hope, and faith as you step into a new and better version of yourself emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Working with Fatima’s creative style was very seamless. Often times when creatives, artists, or anyone collaborate on a project, it always feels as if you’re in their world or vice versa. However, with this project, it never felt like that at all. As a creative, it’s difficult to create those partnerships with other creatives due to wanting to have full creative control because we run our own brands and are very particular on how we want our art to be presented and represented. We have a very trustworthy creative relationship so we know when to be submissive to the others’ creative reign.

Giovanni, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am the author of “Incognito” and CEO of my graphic design business, GZIGNED (@gzigned). Fatima Edmondson is a designer, seamstress, and CEO of “FITTED. by Fat” (@fittedbyfat). To commemorate the two year anniversary of Incognito, we decided to create “The Butterfly Effect Collection”. This collection symbolizes transformation – a shift in confidence, walking in your purpose, and allowing yourself to flourish. In this collection, we have three totes, “Metamorphosis” ($75), “Monarch Mini” ($110), and “Incognito” ($55).

Special S/O to Jordan (@m.jordanallen), Sumi (@luvvvsumi), Brak (@btfbrak), Ramtin (@ramtinrezaei_), and AJ (@rns_honestly) for modeling our collection. S/O to Kenrick (@thegrand_finale) for letting us shoot in his convenience store, Quick Stop Columbus (@quickstop_columbus).

The Butterfly Effect Collection is available NOW for purchase only on www.fittedbyfat.com.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part about being graphic artist and creative is being able to see others enjoy my art. When creating flyers, I try to hit the nail on the head of the execution and my client’s vision. When I deliver the final product, it is always a rewarding experience to know that they are incredibly satisfied with my work. In hindsight, it also strengthens my creative flow and skillset as a graphic designer. My clients’ vision for their graphic allows me to challenge myself and pushes me creatively.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

There isn’t anything specifically driving my creative journey. I’m a natural-born creative so being creative is second nature to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fittedbyfat.com (for The Butterfly Effect Collection)
• Instagram: @gzigned (graphic design) / @blvckprvnt (personal)
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IijxG2v7w8c
• Other: Fatima’s Socials: Business Page: @fittedbyfat Personal: @thaprophetsdaughter

Image Credits
Flyer Credits – @gzigned