Design Deep Dive: Áo Yè
This time around Idioma explains the origins of our “Áo Yè 熬夜” design, a saying taken from Mandarin Chinese and roughly equivalent to ‘burning the midnight oil’.
The literal parts of the Mandarin expression translate as ‘endure’ (熬) and ‘night’ (夜) and suggest the struggle we’ve all felt when working late, hoping against hope, to finish that thing that needs finishing.
“Second star to the right, and straight on ‘til morning...” As Scottish novelist J.M. Barrie writes in Peter Pan.
And finally, taken with the task, the night stretches and we reach our place of peace and purpose. We and the wee hours together, pacing and pushing each other on until the exhausted end.
Idioma’s design remembers the nights in vigil, wracking brains and backs to finish whatever ahead of whenever. This is a salute to all the sleepless souls!
Áo Yè: Up at night and up against it.
Stay up late and look through our Spring Summer 2021 collection. Áo Yè is available as a t-shirt in white and yellow, and also as fine art in our print store.