- Editorial
? ?Prints and the Revolution
If you need any more evidence that we are currently witnessing something of a 90s revival, look no further than the print revolution that is dominating the current fashion landscape.
But while the recent print craze has an element of 90s excess, it also has a new vitality. Coming off the back of a pop colours movement, today's prints are bright, bold, and almost lurid, walking the tightrope between tasteful and tasteless.
With this in mind we thought we would take the best print pieces from spring/summer '12 back to their roots. Hidden at the end of a street market in East London, Dalston Mill Fabrics is an Aladdin's cave of prints, and although our print pieces from Paul Smith, Gareth Pugh and Alexander McQueen are refined examples of the print revolution, this fabric shop is their spiritual home.
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Paul Smith - the master of prints - unsurprisingly leads this revolution. His beautiful abstracted prints bring to mind light refracted through crystal shards and the crisp blues of a tropical sea. Meanwhile, the revamped Mugler, headed by the creative duo Nicola Formichetti and Romain Kremer, also used bold prints to breathe fresh life and vitality into the French label.
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Unsurprisingly, Margiela took an artisanal approach to print. Not content with creating their own 70s inspired print pattern they employed an innovative technique where the fabric was crumped before printing. The result was a regular yet random print pattern which echoed the theme of illusion that dominated this season's collection.
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Another designer whose reputation is tied to the success of his print pieces is the dynamic Scot, Christopher Kane. After gaining countless fans with his astronomy prints from last year, his industrial machine prints for this season are just as striking.
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Looking to explore the rich heritage of prints, brands are keen to tap into generations of print culture. Native American Navajo fabrics are now almost mainstream, causing labels to look further afield if they want to bring undiscovered print fabrics to a new audience. For example, this season Woolrich have created some superb print shirts using a South American Ikat print style.
Dutch waxed fabric is another print style with a long and complex history. Introduced to West Africa by the Dutch in mid-1800s it has since been embraced by many West African cultures, forming a key part of their national identity. Yet, this season, Western brands have completed the circle, creating pieces in this vibrant print style.
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Another print family that comes out of Africa are animal prints. A naturally occurring trick of evolution, a leopard's spots or tiger's stripes are intended to break up hard lines, allowing their wearer to melt into their surroundings. Meanwhile, these vibrant, almost lurid, versions of naturally occurring prints subvert this original function. You're certainly more likely to stand out than blend in wearing these print pieces.
Something about bold prints and hot climates just work together; there is a reason why Hawaii is famous for its shirts as much as its beaches. And, like a summer holiday, a vibrant print shirt can lift your spirits, put you in a good mood, and get you in that relaxed holiday mind set.
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Although paisley used to remind us of our grandparents, Jonathan Anderson has reimagined it as a bright, youthful print. His abstracted paisley, inspired by the dissonance between small-scale craft techniques and large-scale industrial production, has become one of his trademarks. Meanwhile, preppy American label Band of Outsiders also present their take on paisley with this superb short and shirt twinset.
Finally, the current print revival demonstrates that while the popularity of prints will wax and wane over the seasons, prints have an enduring quality that will never fade. A strong print can have a life of its own, it can define a label and outlive its designer.
Print is a form of expression: a medium with set rules, within which a designer can express themselves. Just as a blank canvas is a fertile flowerbed for creativity, so too is a blank piece of fabric. Prints may be in the midst of a revival, but it is one revolution that will keep rolling on as long as there are rolls of fabric to print onto.
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