January 31st, 2007 was the specified deadline for Art Vespa 2006, a design contest speaheaded by Vespa South Africa. There is one rule that’s foremost on the list which serves as a tip to participants: Break them (except the deadline)!
So that’s what I did exactly. I joined though and tried my luck though I’m not from South Africa. There were six downloadable images of Vespa LX in different colors to serve as ‘canvass’ to the proposed design. The rules also demand that entries should not cover the seats, lights or any unpainted parts of the Vespa. I chose to download the Midnight Blue vespa for my entry.
The entries will be judged by Francesco Maffe, the international designer for Piaggio in Italy. The winning entry will be unveiled in Design Indaba Expo on February 23-25 at the Cape Town International Convention Center. Aside from a trophy, the winner will also recive an actual Vespa LX sporting his/her original design. How cool is that?
Each entry is required to have a title and here’s what I called mine…
They also suggest that the design be simple and practical to execute. Based on last year’s winner — jigsaw-puzzle Art Vespa (see photo inset) – it was indeed the case. As for design of my Art Vespa submision, I tried to keep it as simple as possible. Denim-finish paintjob with familiar Levi’s pocket stitch on the cowls and legshield, some simple graphics on the fender and of course, the Red Tab. Here’s how the scoot looks like.
