The Comparative Shop #12

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This weeks print comparative shop features nothing but prints from Zara's new woman collection. As you might be able to tell from this post and the previous post I currently have a huge obsession with Zara. 

I'm currently planning a floral themed collection so am already looking for inspiration. This printed Zara dress (1) caught my eye and I was interested in the way the florals were drawn and laid out. I wasn't so drawn in to the colours but they hit the 70's theme spot on. The print is so well conceived in terms of scale, placement and repeat.

The paisley blouse (2) is nothing but visually stunning and something I would love to have in my wardrobe. I'm not ashamed to admit I was staring at this print on the website for quite a while trying to take in the beauty of it and wondering how the print was created. It's such an easy style of handwriting and seems so fresh for Zara in comparison to a few heavy repeats I've seen. Yes, they have done paisley before but I think it is the colours and the white base that makes this blouse seem so new. It is interesting how some of the shapes/elements are coloured in, but some just have an edge of colour and overall gives the print a good balance. 

It has been a while since I have been drawn in to looking at bottoms rather than tops but, after seeing these floral trousers (3), I knew they had to make the list. What drew me in was the block colour leaves and then I noticed the colour in the florals and on some of the leaves which made it even more interesting. Overall, I just like the movement and flow of the print which work and make the trousers a perfect day/night garment. 

Tiles ... a print I don't normally feature on TCS (I actually don't think tiles have ever made it on the list). I want and need this t-shirt. The colours, the print mix and the red sleeves and back are gorgeous and so beautifully curated and put together. Pretty much everything I can say about this garment.

What is your favourite this week?

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Let's Talk Fabric | Zara TRF New Collection

Top // 1 | 2 | 3

Middle // 1 | 2 | 3

Bottom // 1 | 2 | 3  

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?

All images copyright of Zara.

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The Folk Edit

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

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. 

What is your favourite piece from the new Warehouse collection?

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Editorial Inspiration

My current freelance work is taking a lot of inspiration from the Valentino Spring Summer 2015 collection (see previous post) which is quite exciting now I've got my head around the drawing and technical issues I had creating the collection. The colours are gorgeous with dark blues, greens, reds and mustards. Primary colours in a more attractive manner.

The motifs are quite folky which means searching Pinterest for inspiration and then losing three hours due to how addictive it the site can be (of course I go of route to cute other things). I sometimes find that searching for editorials from the runway collection I am working on helps bring the mood together and I have come across the visually stunning and well put together editorial for the Valentino SS15 collection my Michal Pudelka. The clothes speak so loudly in the photos, nothing "fancy" needs to be done to make the garments stand out. It helps to see how the different repeat or placement patterns stand together and the contrast between them blend well together. I'm always pinning but to check out what all things folky I am looking at, follow me on Pinterest.

See the full editorial here.

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New Theme | Freelancing

(Source: Vogue UK)

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. 

So, lets get designing... 

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Book Haul

Having just gone on a recent trip home it was the perfect opportunity to go and route through my big box of fashion and textile books. I always forget how many I actually have. Some (like the career ones) won't come in handy like they did in college. But some of the books I own (like the designer, picture and printing books) I know I will go to again and again to build up my knowledge. Three of the books that I have used throughout University, and mainly for my dissertation, I wanted to share and point out what they include and what's good about them. All three combined together have a wealth of know,edge within the pages and have helped me so much along the way and still continue to. Just this weekend reading through them I picked up things I forgot about, like hoe this or that dye works and what this process does to fabric.

So, which is what and what do they do? 

1. The Complete Guide to Designing and Printing - by Laurie Wisbrun 

Includes: 

- Interviews with professionals

- How to develop collections 

- Developing your market plan ~ your vision

                                               ~ your objectives. 

                                               ~ your brand personality

                                               ~ what are you selling and who to

- Trade shows ~ developing your budget

                       ~ what shows to go to and general advice 

- How to build moodboards 

- Various different patterns 

- Building colour palettes 

- Legal considerations 

- Explains Photoshop filters 

- How to create block, half drop and straight repeatson Photoshop and Illustrstor

- Explains textile dyes and inks 

- Small amount of detail on types of fabrics 

- Explains dying fabric ~ resist and vat dying 

- Hand printing ~ block and stencil 

- Screen and digital printing process 

2. Printed Textile Design - by Amanda Briggs-Goode 

Includes: 

- How to understand a design brief and how answer that brief alongside how to brainstorm

- How to categorise prints from geometric to floral etc 

- Explains the variety of printing methods ~ resist printing 

                                                                ~ woodblock printing

                                                                ~ copperplate printing 

                                                                ~ engraved roller printing 

                                                                ~ screen printing 

                                                                ~ heat transfer printing 

                                                                ~ digital inkjet printing 

- Understanding the textile market 

- Trend predictions and trade shows 

- Design fundamentals like ~ drawing 

                                          ~ colour theory 

                                          ~ the various repeats from half drop to mirror 

- Creating a motif block repeat in Photoshop 

- Block repeat using offet filter 

- Creating half drop repeats

- Developing your drawings through composition, scale and filters 

- Discusses stencil printing, paper stencils, photographic stencils, relief printing, transfer printing, direct and indirect transfer printing, collagraph printing, digital printing, mono printing, reactive mono printing, direct and indirect mono printing

- Surface manipulation and visualisation  

- Colour seperations for screen printing    

- Manufacturing methods and materials 

- Talks of fabrics like ~ silk

                                ~ wool 

                                ~ cotton 

                                ~ linen

                                ~ synthetic and man made 

- Dyes and pigments 

- Discusses digital printing and screen printing

- Sustainability 

- Discusses freelancing, design studios, textile manufacturers, textile converters, garment suppliers, contract furnishings 

- Designer case studies 

- Becoming a printed textile designer ~ having a website

                                                          ~ digital portfolio 

                                                          - how to present your CV 

                                                          - Selling designs 

3. Digital Textile Printing - by Melanie Bowles and Ceri Isaac 

Includes: 

- Discusses digital, inkjet, sublimation and other styles of printing 

- Advantages and disadvantages of digital printing 

- Digital printing technology 

- Discusses drawing, using a graphic tablet and photography 

- Tutorials in using Photoshop filters, creating complex colour blends, building floral motifs, engineered prints, photomontage, sequin effect, building a brush palette, creating a colour palette

- Repeat tutorials in Photoshop and Illustrstor from basic block(with offset filter), half drop and half drop motif

- Creating gingham, stripes and plaid patterns 

- Pen mapping tool 

- Line drawing 

- Creating graphic silhouettes

- Discusses Devore, foiling, flocking

- Designer case studies  

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Competition | Bohemia

"Inspired by the catwalk shows of Etro, Valentino and Burberry, "A Travellers Dance" captures the Boho style. A colourful and unique print designed by hand that layers a fee-flwing repeat with a visually eye-catching boarder".

I recently entered the latest Textile Federation competition entitled "Bohemia" which I somehow manage to squeeze in to my busy schedule. I was quite excited by the project so wanted to give it a go and use this as a base to test my graphic tablet skills. I designed the print using various internet found paisley and indian woodblock designs which I then changed slightly using different brush marks that had a sketchy and relaxed edge to it. I then use copyright free designs for the boarder (which were slightly modified) that fit in with the half drop design of the main print. I was really inspired by the way Burberry had simple straight block repeats in a two colour way in their A/W 2015 collection (bottom right) and wanted this for the boarder rather than Etros dip-dye hem from their S/S 2015 garment (bottom left). This print, however, gave the the idea for the main repeat of my design which I decided to make slightly more busy and use warmer colours as well as the purples and blues. There is so much inspiration for the Boho style print and pattern so I could have spent a lot longer design this print in real depth, but competition deadlines call and submission is a must! I am quite pleased with the overall look which still carries my handwriting. Every project definitely teaches you something and this one taught me to not be afraid so much of an open brief. And yes the mood board is a great reference, but what it does and should do is in the name and allow that mood to be felt but not have to follow whats on the board so tightly and restrict design freedom.

Lesson learnt! Next project please!

See the design over at Textile Federation.

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Resort 2016 | Issey Miyake

(Sources 1 | 2)

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. 

Textile technology and print at its best!

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The Comparative Shop #9

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It's very much a floral theme this week and I have had my eye caught by a few fashion prints from the likes of Topshop, Zara and Warehouse. Recently though I have been much more in to block colour and have had weeks of have colour crushes (blog post must!).

My first print is one I saw at Topshop a couple of weeks ago and feel in love with it (as I do with most of Topshops prints). The layered inky detail contributes to the eye catching mix of reds and its stunning how there are hints of darker blues with the neon. Even though the print is very busy and made of of marks and what seems like brushstrokes, you can still see the detail of the florals and leaves.

Zara has made it twice on to my list this week. The printed top (2) has such an interesting lose style and the mix of bright yellows, oranges, pinks and black give it an eye catching overall look. With the combination of a ditsy, boarder scarf print it works so well across all the bottoms and dress the print also comes in.

The Zara jumpsuit (3) caught my eye immediately when I saw it online. The print is made up of jet three colours but overall is visually exciting. I think the scale of the print is what makes this print so fresh and effective on the jumpsuit. Even though I can make out the way it repeats, because of the scale and the way the garment has been cut make it seem more complicated and intricate. 

To sum up this floral shop is these giant floral tailored trousers from Warehoure, a brand that has been making me look twice every time I walk past my local store. The simple colours work well on this large scale print and, as I personally wear dark colours a lot, I like the hint of neon yellow that brighten this print up. The looseness of the lines give it a very hand drawn feel that is unique and not overworked. I could definitely see these in my wardrobe.

What was your favourite this week?

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The Comparative Shop #8

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

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. 

What was your favourite this week?

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