The Living Archive
Some stories deserve more than memory. Submit a moment worth keeping — and we will translate it into a one-of-a-kind graphic piece, designed by hand, worn for life.
Submit Your ArchiveFive ways into the archive
There is no wrong story. Choose the form your memory takes, and tell it in your own words.
Memory
A summer that never left you. A song in a kitchen. The feeling before everything changed.
Person
A grandmother's hands. A friend who moved away. Someone you carry with you.
Place
A hometown street. A city you left. A room that only exists in your mind now.
Object
A worn watch. A ticket stub. The small things that hold the biggest weight.
Moment
A first. A last. A single frame of your life you never want to lose.
From story to garment
Submit
Write your story in a few sentences. Photos are welcome, but words are enough.
Selection
Each month, our studio reads every submission and selects the stories for that cycle.
Up to 10 / monthDesign
Each selected story is translated into a custom graphic piece — typography, image, and symbol drawn from your words.
Receive
Selected contributors receive the first completed piece — before anyone else in the world.
First edition, yoursStories we have kept
A glimpse of how a few sentences become a piece.
"My father's compass. It never pointed north correctly, but he never got lost."
Became — a hand-drawn compass rose graphic, tilted three degrees off true.
"The sea wall in my hometown. Every important conversation of my youth happened there."
Became — a single horizon line in serif type, wrapping the back seam.
"The night we drove until sunrise because none of us wanted the day to end."
Became — a gradient of headlight beams, printed tone on tone.
Before you write
Does it cost anything to submit?
No. Submitting your story is free. If selected, the first completed piece is sent to you at no cost.
Who owns the story I submit?
You do, always. By submitting, you allow De La Forme to interpret your story as a graphic design. Personal details are never published without your consent.
What happens if I'm not selected?
Your story stays in the archive and remains eligible for future monthly cycles — unless you ask us to remove it.
Will the pieces be sold?
Selected designs may join a limited Living Archive collection. Contributors are credited (or kept anonymous, if preferred) and always receive the first edition.
