Though the argument is that digital prints have become too common, there is a new generation of designers who are pioneering the resurgence of bold and beautiful prints on garments. Gianni Versace, I would say really gave print it’s place in a woman’s wardrobe way back in the 80’s. His medusa head logo would adorn silk shirts and his repetitive bold black square print formed borders on skirts, shirts and dresses. His prints made a statement.
With the innovation, which is possible with computer graphics, today’s designers were able to be experimental. The designers are daring in their choice of colour and subject matter. The result is dramatic. Mary Katrantzou’s printed dresses have a three-dimensional feel and create a sort of optical illusion, which is seriously striking. Her inspiration for most of her current collections seems to be architecture. Trellises, lampshades, parapets abound in her garments. The tapestry of a sofa may form the neckline and the door architraves may be the main body of the dress. Her dresses are full of surprises. Her collection inspired by vintage perfume bottles was a huge seller.
I cannot forget a dress whose top half featured a swimming pool from an American home, I believe, and the bottom half was a sort of bird’s eye view of a city by night viewed from a skyscraper. These two contrasting images were fused together to create a homogenous impact. She also had in this collection, a printed skirt which had an image of a dining table with a perspective of the room behind rising up the torso. On seeing Katrantzou’s collection, a fashionable Italian socialite was famously quoted as saying that now stylish women in Italy will be wearing a room!
Basso & Brooke is the brainchild of designers Bruno Basso and Christopher Brooke. The label is called “Basso and Brooke — power prints”. The duo had won the Fashion Fringe in September 2004 and since then have had no looking back. Their success is based on creating the most surreal prints on garments and combining colours and layering to achieve a mesmerising effect.
Peter Pillato shot to fame when his psychedelic print dress was wore by Rihanna and covered widely in the press. In his spring-summer 2011 collection he has played with monochromatic theme but has interspersed his collection with effective prints. You can tell that he loves colour and unusual combinations
Digital prints have a “notice-me” sort of feel to them. They are effective pieces of clothing generally in one piece as in a dress or a tunic. You do not have to really wear accessories such as large earrings, bracelets and belts to create the wow factor. However, they seem more appropriate as daywear rather than formal wear. Go for it!
The writer owns a fashion brand based in Europe. She can be reached on info@amishi.eu [1]
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[1] mailto:info@amishi.eu