By Rory McCartney and Charlie Morgan

The iron-on lettering that is the subject of Heated Words: Searching for a Mysterious Typeface remains without attribution. Created anonymously and passed down over decades and across subcultures, the typeface is unique within the histories of typography and street fashion.

With roots dating back to the first calligraphic forms, the enigmatic letters evolved from embellished military flight jackets and sports uniforms in the early part of the twentieth century. Seemingly omnipresent from the 1970s onward in youth culture in New York City, this particular blackletter typeface—bold and imposing—would go on to decorate the fabric of the most influential music and fashion subcultures of the last half-century.

Heated Words provides a unique thread through the subcultural landscape of the last fifty years. With insights from voices in the fields of music, fashion and typography, the unique volume features previously unpublished archival images, including hundreds of illustrations and ephemera. Exploring the visual branding of the “outsider” and the resurgence of analog typography, Heated Words is creatively designed with images on top of images to reference the layering process of cultural appropriation.

With contributions from insightful voices in the fields of music, fashion, and typography including Andy Cruz and Jonathan Hoefler, this book is a celebration of the ingenuity and irreverence of street style. A colorful and vibrant reference for designers and students of fashion and typography.

Published by Rizzoli, 2023

Hardcover, 288 pages, full color, 8.57 × 11.09 inches

ISBN: 978-0-84-787227-5