Overview
Swami’s Athletic Association is a Southern California cycling organization based in Carlsbad, California, with a strong presence in the local cycling and racing community.
I have worked with Swami’s across multiple collections from 2022 through 2026, with the team consistently requesting me as their Eliel designer each year.
For the 2025–2026 collection, I developed two designs: the Main Design and the Summer Design, taking the team’s established visual identity and translating it into a detailed performance apparel system ready for production.
The challenge
Swami’s provided a strong starting direction: maintain their established three-color approach and general layout while giving the Eliel design team freedom to reinterpret the visual treatment.
The challenge was translating that direction into a high-density graphic system made up of numerous small vector elements, while keeping the artwork flexible enough to work across multiple garment panels.
Because the design contained layers of spiral vectors and hundreds of small painted-dot elements, building everything directly into a single Illustrator production file would make the artwork extremely heavy and difficult to manage during panel nesting.
The solution
I developed the design through a combination of Illustrator and Photoshop, using linked PSD artwork and Smart Objects to keep the detailed graphics flexible without overloading the production files.
This workflow allowed me to continue adjusting colors, positioning, and graphic scale while keeping the detailed artwork linked externally.
Before moving into final production, I created test prints to evaluate how the fine graphic details, textures, and color relationships translated from the digital artwork into physical fabric.
Design system
- Color
- Swami’s has a consistent color identity built around SPRUCE, COLD, PALOMA and NUGGET. I kept the established palette intact throughout the new collection.
- Graphics
- The graphic system combines layered spiral vectors with dense painted-dot textures to create movement and depth across the kit.
- Branding
- Swami’s primary branding remains centered on the front chest, while sponsor logos are integrated across the back and shoulders.
- Applications
- The system was adapted across the full kit and developed into two distinct designs: the Main Design and the Summer Design.
Production
Once the design system was approved, I translated the artwork into the final production templates, building each garment panel while maintaining alignment and consistency across the complete kit.
The linked Photoshop workflow allowed the highly detailed artwork to remain editable while keeping the production files manageable during panel nesting and final preparation.
Impact
783Orders
Swami’s has continued to return for new collections throughout our 2022–2026 collaboration, consistently requesting me as their Eliel artist.
Across those four years, the team generated 783 orders, making Swami’s one of Eliel’s highest-volume team accounts.
This collection also became one of the team’s favorite designs, reinforcing a long-term client relationship built through consistency, trust, and a strong understanding of their visual identity.
The Finished Kit
Regroup Women’s Cycling