Think Positive Designer Prints

Images from RUSSH, Vogue and Ossie Clark, with Vintage Library Paisley samples

Paisley is one of the most iconic and recognisable prints. The paisley motif originated in Kashmir, India, where it is known as the symbol of fertility, taken from the early shoots of the date palm. The design became very popular in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom, in the mid-1700s. Original paisley shawls from Kashmir, brought back to Europe by the East India Company, were hand embroidered by Indian artisans and sometimes took up to 5 years to be completed. In some cases shawls were worth more than a London apartment! (Napolean Bonaparte’s wife is said to have used Kashmiri shawls for gowns, upholstery and bedcovers.) To keep up with the demand the Scottish town of Paisley began to manufacture the print, hence the name ‘paisley’, as it is known today.

By the late 1800s paisley was over-manufactured and out of fashion. Then came the 1960s and paisley was back – with a vengeance! Perhaps considered the print of the era, paisley was made famous by the likes of Mick Jagger and The Beatles, and admired for its exotic, elaborate aesthetic and Eastern influence suited to the hedonistic and rebellious hippie culture of the time.

After the spring/summer 2012 shows it would seem paisley is ready for a revival, featured in the collections for Jil Sander, Stella McCartney, Jonathan Saunders, J.W. Anderson, Haider Ackermann and Clements Ribeiro, where the rich earthy spice colours of 60s paisley have been replaced by pastels (Jil Sander and Jonathan Saunders) and blues (Stella McCartney and J.W. Anderson). Haider Ackermann’s paisley motif print was the only one that echoed the traditionally rich colours of the paisley print. Intricate and sensory, a new twist proves paisley to be a permanent…

(more…)

Think Vintage design #146 (recoloured)

Humans are capable of surviving in extreme environments from arid deserts to the thin air of frosted mountain peaks, but the ocean, despite covering  71% of the earth’s surface, is a life force of its own that we are unable to control or conquer. Predatory sea beasts, depths of the dark unknown, formidable surging waves, and rapidly changing tides have instilled a perpetual fear in our minds and imaginations.

We know more about the surface of the moon than the deep-sea canyons and the dark abyss’ of our ocean. And as time has told, what remains unknown will manifest both fear and fantasy… (more…)

Think Vintage Hawaiian # 1752 recoloured 3 ways

Middle-aged men who feel compelled to adopt leisure wear in warmer climates (particularly cruises) have given Hawaiian bad rap in the past, but if anyone can make these prints cool again it’s Stella McCartney. As the label continues to get bolder with print we love her take on this old favourite for her 2012 Resort collection. (more…)

Background design from the Think Vintage Library

Roses have a long history of symbolism in the ancient language of flowers, most commonly known as the symbol of love and beauty, a representation that dates back to Ancient Greece where the goddess of love Aphrodite was depicted by the rose. But perhaps because of their natural alluring beauty, yet sharp thorned stem, roses have come to be associated with darkness… (more…)

BACKGROUND: Think Vintage Library no. 2066

It is funny how retrospect can be clouded by nostalgia, provided that the distance of contemplation is lengthy enough. When it comes to fashion, nostalgia has an immense power to resuscitate what had once expired. By the end of the nineties millennium minimalism was encroaching, supermodels were getting older and Donatella had taken over following the tragic murder of Gianni Versace in 1997. As Versace teetered on the edge of fashion obscurity, Jennifer Lopez (or J-Lo as she was then known) arrived at the 2000 Grammy Awards in a plunging green jungle dress at the very height of her ghetto-fabulous phase, giving the house of Versace the final push. Suddenly the gold ropes and heraldic motifs, with flashes of yellow, orange, purple, pink and lime, made famous by the supermodel stampede that walked his shows, had become gaudy and garish. (more…)

Background: Think Vintage Library design no. 103 (recoloured); Fall 2011 images from style.com (l-r: Hermès, Chloé, Hermès, Isabel Marant, Proenza Schouler)

As the wild wild west continues to inspire fashion and popular culture, it seems only natural that Native American textiles are in the mix – after all, where there are cowboys, there will be Indians! (more…)