Zara, Zara, Zara. Oh how I am in love with this store at the moment. Firstly, their prints are on point with the latest trends. Secondly, if anyone is doing the 70s theme right this coming season it is Zara. And, thirdly, their fabric is to die for! On a recent trip to Zara to collect print inspiration I got more inspired by the fabric, its quality and its colours.
The new TRF collection features - lace, denim, cotton, ribbed knits, suede, velvet, polyester, viscose, wool and faux fur. Not only are the fabrics soft to touch and dyed or woven in seasonal colours but they are cut beautifully. That wool coat (B2) for instance is coat perfection and the perfect autumn accessory. Denim comes in soft cottons that are frayed at the seams to give a natural, worn look (T2 & M2). Everything feels very oversized and boxy but fresh and exciting for the new Autunm season ahead that can be layered going in to the Winter season with messy hair, plaits and simplistic make up. I mean, who doesn't want to look like a Zara model with the clothes, hair and make-up!?
The collection as a whole makes me wish I could shop in Zara more, I think they are the main high street store easily translating catwalk trends and colours at the moment but still keeping to that Zara look and catering to the Zara customer. I seriously want to rave about these fabrics and looks!
What is your favourite? How would you wear these pieces?
Due to the fact that I am currently being inspired by the Valentino Spring/Summer 2015 collection my eye is constantly on the lookout for high street inspiration and my brain on colour overdrive. On a recent wonder around the stores in the city I was suddenly hit by a wave of inspiration by the new collection at Warehouse. The red 70's inspire floral t-shirt (1) immediately made me think of the Valentino collection, with the mix of reds, blacks and creams along side the mirror repeat and swirls. Looking around the store I started to see more inspiration in the style of the boarder floral cami's (2/3) that have intricate details and a mixture of shapes and lines with contrasted accent colours. After searching for the collection online I found the prints were also on dresses, with a little more detail to them and changes of placement and repeats.
I like how the designers have taken a more intricate approach to the lines and elements that build up but still make use of space, scale and colours. The colours are really inspiring which is great because I am still working on the colours in my designs.
After a little break from freelancing it's time to get back in to it and create as many design groups as I can before Premiere Vision. My last collection was a William Morris inspired one and this new collection is also based around the idea of his work, but more inspired by the Valentino Spring Summer 2015 runway collection. I achieved a good outcome with the last group and I'm very excited about this new theme. Of course, I'm a little wary and scared as I always feel about taking on a theme I haven't experimented with before. I have a constant look in my head of how I want the designs to look and try not to feel disappointed when the outcomes don't match the ideal look in my head. But, overall, it's about experimenting and testing myself and my design skills. There is always something to learn from designing a collection and to use those for future themes.
I'm not a huge fan of tropicals and tend to avoid them in my own work and in my wardrobe, but when I saw Issey Miyake's Resort collection I begun to like tropical prints that little bit more.
The colours used are what draw me in the most with lush trend and burning reds and pinks. The blend of tropical greens with earthy blues are a perfect combination against the softer greys and whites. The creative director, Yoshiyuki Miyamae, and the team have combined visits of tropics amazingly well and even experimented with its 3-D stretch technology (which I am to get my head around still) that is visually stunning on the outerwear pieces.
My comparative shop this week has taken an interior turn. Since I was quite young and knew I wanted to go in to textiles I've always been inspired by interiors. I get a real sense of excitement when I go in to a department store and see all the bedding and wallpaper with coloured walls and accessories. I could definitely spend a fortune on interiors from bedding, wallpaper, cushions and throws.
My eye was instantly drawn in to the kaleidoscope print from Anthropologie (1) and the mixture of greys and oranges (my favourite colours at the moment). It is such simple repeat that is just built up with layers of textures, motifs and shapes.
I've always explored the Urban Outfitters home section and have a couple of accessories from the brand, but this duvet (2) is one I have been admiring for a while. Firstly, its mainly blue which is a favourite of mines. Secondly, I love the simplicity of lines filled with colour and the overall structure of the print. The lines have a sense of looseness about them and there is a mixture of busy and more spacious areas.
The 100% cotton duvet from Zara Home is so simple in terms of colours, but so intense with its paisley print. I like the variant degree of blues with the cream as a core colour. The motifs are a combination of large versus small scale that give the print an overall balance and flow. The bedding is also a brilliant price for the high level of design it represents.
I have recently used this woodblock print from Anthropologie on a recent project I did (more on that to come in later posts) and I love the loose handwriting of this print (4). It is screen printing in gorgeous colours like reds, greens and oranges with deep greys and a hint of pastel yellow/orange. This is one of my favourite Anthropologie prints at the moment with its large scale motifs and use of lines with block colours and sketchy marks. And, because the core colour of a simple white, the colours are so strong and eye catching.
Recently, as I browse through the high street stores I have noticed a vast amount of tropical prints being featured in front shop windows. From New Look to Topshop, the tropical trend has officially hit the high street.
Think Osklen and Tracey Reese, Matthew Williamson and Mara Hoffman. This print trend explodes with colour and layers with print repeats from mirror, all over and half drop.
I've noticed the high street are experimenting with base colours including white, orange and blue but a lot of the base fabric colours are black. This makes tropical prints easier to translate from day to night and, in my opinion, more sophisticated and easy to accessorise. An array of different greens and browns form the colour of the leaves or tropical flowers with accents of neon blues, creamy pinks and purples.
Every week for the past month or so I have been blogging my favourite five prints from browsing in-store and online which I have really enjoyed. It's made me more aware of what trends are filtering down from the catwalks, more aware of the different styles of high street stores and made me aware of new brands. But now I have decided to change the look of how I present my comparative shop after being inspired my a River Island look book magazine. As you probably guess by reading my blog often I love putting together mood boards and making presentations of my inspirations in neat little layouts.
This week I have been inspired by quite a mixture of prints. The first being this conversational bug print from Urban Outfitters. With its retro feel it is a fun and easy wear, with the softest material and minimalist drape cut. I am also a really big fan of the base fabric colour which is a deep green navy. Who doesn't love a fun conversational print?
Of course, Zara has been a winner with me this week and I have fallen in love with these florals shorts with a flowing cut and high waist. It is a perfect summer wardrobe hit for weekends in the park or a BBQ with friends. The composition of the print and the simplicity of the lines and colours makes it very eye catching and a print I would love to try and replicate in my own style (when I have a spare moment).
Just like Zara, Topshop and H&M have again been two of my favourites this week. I love scarf prints and this Topshop one (3) has such a great free, bohemian feel to it. I love the loose lines, the simple colours and the variety of scale. It has that hand drawn feel that H&M have achieved with their print (4). This v-neck top has an Ikat look to it and is a soft, drape jersey top with a round hem and the ideal partner for shorts this summer. With layers of colour and a structured repeat the contrast lies in the looseness of shapes and elements that have been built up.
I wish I had the time to sit and create my own versions of these prints! I love them all. What was your favourite this week?
I am a big fan of William Morris designs and so I was thrilled when I discovered my latest freelance print theme was designing all over Morris prints.
I had a brief research in to this trend that took the runway by storm and was instantly inspired my the Marc by Marc Jacobs Autumn / Winter 2015 collection.
The colours range from browns, green, blues and reds creating an exiting colour palette for me to work from. The prints are so bold and stand out on the jackets, trousers and skirts that Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley placed them on.
I am just hoping my designs come out as great as these.
As a print designer, I find it really important to not always be so focused on one area on the textile industry. The textile interior industry is an area of design I have always dived in and out off over the years. For my graduate collection, the beginning drawing process drew a lot of inspiration from the beautifully crafted prints by Bluebellgray. Fi Douglas, the creator behind the brand, established Bluebellgray in 2009 after graduating from Glasgow School of Art. Just like myself, Fi has a "love for colour and all things floral" which result in these gorgeously painted pieces which give your home a unique touch.
The design philosophy behind the brand adheres to the ‘eclectic mix’ school of thought, encouraging the designs to sit beside vintage finds and modern design alike.
Each design is painted by hand in the Glasgow studio before being printed on natural cottons and linens.
The printing methods used enable every brushstroke and colour to be captured, enhancing the feel of the hand-painted design.
The prints are colourful, eye catching and, overall, aesthetically pleasing. I would love to have one of her cushions on my sofa or bedsheets on my bed. I am really drawn in to this style of interior design, it is a style of designing that I love and miss the most. The prints have an essence of freedom with the running inks, loose florals and scratchy marks that are in elegant repeats.
A colour mix of florals and texture graces my top 5 prints this week, which features a mix of perfect summer hits!
My favourite print is these brilliantly bright shorts from Topshop (1). I spotted these in my local store about a week ago and I was so eager to by them. The light fabric and elasticated wait is what I love in a pair of shorts and are great for summer heat waves and buckets of ice cream. The prints sums up the cut and fit of these shorts, very loose and fun. The print mix of a busy background and more spacious forefront print makes for an interesting variety.
I have loved H&M prints for a long time, but since recently making myself search and create each week my top 5 prints I have noticed how H&M have become so advanced in their print designs. My second print is this beautiful H&M dress from their Premium Quality range. This print is also available in a swimsuit and trousers. At £100 it is quite pricey but is a silk woven dress and a piece that will stay in your wardrobe for quite a while. To me, the print feels fresh with sharpness of colour and sits so well on this garment which can be worn in so many ways.
Zara is on my list again at number 3 with this summer sweet dress. It is a simple composition of colours, flora and fauna with a tropical feel. I was drawn in to this dress for the simplicity of the lines and colour, yet it has a sense of fullness because of the large scale print.
This dip dye cotton dress by Jigsaw (4) is so feminine and captivating. I was instantly attracted to the richness and various hues of colour. A colour hit in my book and one I must work with in a design at some point (a note to myself I must remember).
My last print comes from Miss Selfridge and this cute floral angel sleeve blouse (5). I was drawn in to the light colours and delicate detail. The print has a simple layering, which adds depth and colour. The blouse is great for the spring summer season and, of course, I love it because it is a floral print.
Another project under my belt this week was researching and creating a Spring / Summer 2016 print trend for underwear and nightwear. And so, I came up with the theme Elegance. A theme composed of a soft base colour, bright core colours and a dark accent colour that all compliment one another. The prints range from being very busy to spaced out and half drop, straight or all over repeats. It was a very quick project but if I had more time I would wanted to expand on the number of prints I created and combine elements a lot more.
Below are the florals and leaves I hand painted with inks and watercolours that were then indexed in Photoshop. Indexing, for those who are a bit unsure what I mean by that, is where I have made the drawings around only 5-6 colours so I could easily select and fill the different shades of my florals and leaves. These were then made in to three simple prints that were inspired by the prints on my mood board.
As I stated in my previous project post, I love to put together design mood boards that show my prints to their full potential. I placed the prints on the best underwear / nightwear garments suitable from WGSN. I love seeing my prints on simple working flats and presented nicely, it makes the print feel to me much more successful and professional.
Designing the prints was something I got stuck in to and went in to frantic design mode. It was a lot of fun creating prints that I hand drew and brought to life in Photoshop just like I used to at University.
I've been doing a couple of short projects this week. The first being this kidswear print, based on the theme of Scandinavian Forest.
I hand drew the little fox and triangles but digitally working in to them on Photoshop and Illustrator. The pantone colours are all on trend as according to WGSN kidswear. I decided to place the print on working flats. As illustrated there are two tops (one has a grey marl fabric base) with the print on and a rusty pink neckband. And a cute little summer dress with a rusty pink frill around the waist.
It was quite fun doing kidswear and creating something different to add to my portfolio. I love putting together design presentation mood boards like the one below, which feature all the pantones used and the measurements of the half drop repeat.
One kid print down ... maybe time to do some more?
This weekend just gone I spent a very fun and busy day in London. I haven't been back to London since leaving after my placement ended there back in September and it was great to go back and visit. I felt quite excited about going back on a day trip and visiting old spots I went to when I lived there last year. Once the crowds used to be normal to me and I could easily work through them and on to a tube, but I found this time I was actually scared of busy London was. I do miss that London vibe though.
My reason for going to London was to see the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty Exhibition with two good friends from University at the Victoria and Albert Museum And I honestly do not think anything has left us speechless before ... until now.
Sadly, you weren't allowed to take pictures, but this Youtube video below by Vogue explains and guides you through the exhibition. However, it does not do the exhibition justice. It is really something you need to see for yourselves.
It starts off with a video of past runways shows and him speaking, which made us all feel a bit emotional. It's is hard to remember exactly which room of creations came first (probably should have wrote it all down) but they ranged from his themes such as animals, romanticism, tartan, jungle, a mix of his creations (including accessories and head pieces) and florals. I couldn't believe how up-close we could get to some of the dresses, you could literally smell the leather and feel the dire need to touch the fabrics, the animal hair, the embroidery.
Each rooms interiors related to the collections themes and had different atmospheres. This resulted in royal musical tones, jungle overtones, golden baroque frames, misty glass stand stages, floral wallpaper and walls illustrated with bones. It was regal, romantic, exotic, sexual and emotive in the true McQueen form.
My favourite room of all was the last one, which featured dresses and a video from his collection - Plato's Atlantis. The digital prints of this collection was amazing to see up close and inspired me so much to work harder on my designs. Alexander McQueen was never afraid to push boundaries and test his limits, which is something I really took away from this last room (and the exhibition as a whole). He put all his energy and passion in to this collection, which was sadly his last runway show.
I think I speak for many when I say that Alexander McQueen was not just a fashion designer, he was an artist and a passionate creator. He thought so far out the box and brought every idea to life with structure. amazing materials and layering. This exhibition takes you from the very beginning of his career from the Central Saint Martin days to his last. I found the fact we got to see his journey quite emotional, and that fact he would never see how much and how many people appreciate and love his work. He has inspired many people in so many ways. How I saw the exhibition would be different from my friends, the people who saw it the same day as me and the people that saw it on other days. Listening to people overly review his work and try and get in to his mind and others who would quietly focus on the one creation before moving on to the next gave you a real sense of how different people have enjoyed and taken in this show.
Overall, I came out the exit door with a thousand more questions than what I had about his work when I went in. How did he does this or that? What was his thinking behind this or that? It amazed me how many ideas one person can have and how you can truly bring them to live with hard work and passion. Sadly, we won' get to see any more of this ideas but the collections live on and stay true to the McQueen brand.
If you didn't make it to the exhibition you can purchase the book on Amazon. Or visit the V&A website for more.
This week I've selected a range of prints that have all attracted my eye in different ways.
I instantly fell in love with Zara's printed dress (1), that would be gorgeous for any holiday or picnic party. Instantly, I was drawn in because of the strong orange (a big colour this year) against the black. It has a touched of simplicity about it. When I looked closer at the print, I was interested in the roughness of the lines as it has that ragged edge to it. It isn't something that is overcomplicated but has a lot of depth.
Another Topshop print has made it to the list again this week (2). The overall mix of colours, scale and repeat. But, mainly, I love the print mix and the way they are easily all blended together. It's quite a fun take of the ethnic/African print mix that I have attempted a few times. Normally, I would be too scared to mix prints like these together, but maybe it is worth giving it ago after seeing that it can be successful (and quite funky) on a dress.
Number 3 is the H&M top I instantly fell in love with when I spotted this print in my local store. I couldn't take my eyes of the layers of colours, print, scale and repeat. Which, combined together, is the perfect tile meets floral print for summer. It is almost as if someone has got this print and delicately coloured it in with a gorgeous bright colour palette. It also comes in a maxi dress and straight cut dress.
I decided to see what prints Oasis had in store this week and I came across this cute little summer cami (4). Of course, I love florals and Oasis always seem to fill their collections with bright, colourful pops of florals every season. The base colour of this cami works so well with the crisp floral repeat that looks perfectly painted (by Photoshop I can imagine).
Being a fan of not only floral prints but abstract, inky prints too I loved these Reiss shorts (5). White and me don't have a good relationship, but these shorts rock this print so well. Its uncomplicated and a perfect summery print on the right garment.
Yesterday I spent a couple of hours at one of my favourite little finds here in Nottingham - the Debbie Bryan Shop. An afternoon spent drinking tea, eating cake and hearing amazing stories about lace.
As part of NTU's (Nottingham Trent University) research for the collection of stories from or about lace workers from the 1900s onwards, Debbie Bryan hosted an afternoon gathering for anyone with a story, wanting to hear stories and those who wanted to help collect these oral stories. The purpose of gathering these stories is to enable Nottingham's lace heritage communities to preserve lace history.
So, with my tea and cake I sat back and listened to some amazing stories that these people had about their family members working in the lace industry and how they wanted to fill in the gaps that were missing in these stories.
Facts I learnt (and remembered to note down) ...
- Methodism was a popular religion with the working class and lace factory workers around the 19th century.
- Around 1810, lace machines were smuggled out of Nottingham to Calais, France.
- Nottingham lace and Calais had a big connection with families moving to Calais or families moving to Nottingham.
- Nottingham lace is renowned as Nottingham lace because its machinery.
- Apparently, Hooters in Nottingham used to be a lace dye house.
I don't have any known stories of any family members working within the lace factory, but I found it very interesting to hear these stories and learn things about lace I never know. I remember learning about lace back at school when I was in Year 4 (I was about 9/10 years old) and how fascinating I found it back then and how, even now, I do find the history of it all interesting. Hearing personnel stories from peoples past made me want to ask my family if they have any stories (my history, if any, would be about Bedfordshire lace rather than Nottingham lace).
Do you have a story about lace (especially Nottingham lace) you would be willing to share with me for NTU's research? If so, then please get in contact with me as I would love to hear it.
I also couldn't recommend a visit to Debbie Bryan for tea, cake and a wonder enough.
This weeks TOP 5 is very much a floral / inky one (two of my favourite themes).
My top print comes from Karen Millen and for the past few weeks since seeing that dress in the window of my local store, I have not stopped looking at it. I don't normally like dipped hems, but for this dress I will take it and (try) to rock it. The running fluidity of bold colours alongside the intense blue and green just makes this a perfect placement print.
The all over floral print from Reiss (2) is just visually beautiful and bursting with colour ready for spring. With hints of black and white florals that have a hand drawn feel balance out the water marks and loosen the intensity. The gorgeous 100% silk crepe de chine has been digitally printed and is also from Reiss. That fabric was one of my favourite materials at college and University and I would love to get my hands on this top, which also comes in trouser and jump-suit form. Wear it to work, a lunch date or even a party. It is one of my absolute favourites that will brighten up any wardrobe.
I would never wear those Topshop trousers (4) as they are, for me, a bit too daring of a bottom garment. But, with William Morris prints rocking the high street, I couldn't help but be caught up by these beauties. The simple colours and running smoothness of such a print fits Topshops style so much right now.
The inky loosen of print five is from a Jigsaw t-shirt dress that caught my attention. The loosen plays a big part in that attraction for me as it can denotes freedom and movement and very much reminds me of marks I used to make when drawing at University and for previous freelance designs.
I've payed slightly more attention to a more luxurious side of the high street market compared to Topshop and my previous picks from other high street brands. I tend to fall deeply in love with stores like Karen Millen and Reiss every so often, dreaming endlessly of wearing this style of clothes and prints.
Which is your favourite? Would you pay more money for a little more excitement in a print or for more of a natural fabric?
I love finding new prints or brands to fall to keep my eye on for what they do next or follow along their journey. I sit and wonder "how was that done?", "what was there starting point?", "can I do that?".
Having recently come across my new find via my personal Facebook I am asking myself just these questions and fallen head over heels for the next seasons designs from C S'tudio London.
This men and womenswear fashion brand is qwned and created by Limin Han and Xi Zhu. "They use their oriental heritage to merge it with European romanticism and modernism to reveal their concepts through a focus on print design".
It is their A/W 2014 prints that has grabbed my attention. The digital manipulation draws your eye in alongside the deep boldness of dark colours that blend so easily together. The collection of prints are printed on silk (my favourite fabric to print on) and I can only imagine how beautiful they look in person. If my bank balance allowed me to splash on these pieces I know a few would be in my wardrobe.
Visit their website or Facebook page for more information and stockists.
As a print designer for the high street it is obviously important to keep my eye out for how the different stores are translating catwalk trends that could inspire my own designs. As a way of keep doing making sure I check different websites every day or every so often, why not do a a mood board of my TOP 5 PRINTS!
I'm falling in love with Zara so much more now their new season prints are coming in to store and online. How cool is the hot water balloon print (2)? That is certainly on my NEED list! I'm not normally a huge fan of jumpsuits, but the print on this Topshop one (3) is to die for. I like the mixture of colour with black and white that gives it an interesting balance against the dirty green base.
Textile Federation for Urban Outfitters (4&5) have that funky, hand drawn 60s/70s feel. Not something I would necessarily wear but love to look at.
I could only dream of designing prints like the oriental Zara print (1). I haven't quite learnt how to achieve such a rich and eye catching design, but can only hope that one day I could design prints like that one.
It's always quite exciting when you reach the end of a design that has been challenging and taken you days and days to complete. It's even more of a Woop! Yeah! moment when it sells ... and it sells in New York. My first freelance design recently sold on a sales trip in New York and it couldn't have made the start of my freelancing career chapter better. I was excited to learn that my first collection, based around fragmented florals, who going to New York but I became ecstatic when I learnt I had sold a design that couldn't have been more painful to finalise.
Freelancing so far has been a great challenge. Yes, it has been a bit scary at times because you have to guide yourself a lot more and make your life fit in around designing for hours on end. But, the themes and ideas are endless excitement that only gets better when your work is greatly received.
So, here is to more of them Woop! Yeah! Moments. I hope there are more to come.
With a collection inspired by the Bronte sisters, Art Nouveau and Edwardians it was hard not to fall in love with Clover Canyons Autumn/Winter 2015 collection. Smokey hues of burnt brown, deep green and dusty rose fell on beautiful and feminine shapes that shouted Boho Seventies (a trend that doesn't seem to be dying down anytime soon) with an Edwardian twist.
Tapestry florals, embellishment and layered print mixes came together with a variety of fabrics from lace, velvet, fleece and the brands signature neoprene.
What attracts me most to Clover Canyon, and the reason behind the beginning of my love for the brand, is the amazingly clever way they manipulate a combination of prints that sit so well on the fabric and shapes together. The attention to detail is admiring and I could only wish to create prints like these.
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