 Image from businessinsider.com. Photo originally by Giuseppe Pino, 1990.  Ottavio Missoni, star athelete, 1940s. Image from thefrontrowview.com. The man who made the chevron a status symbol has died. Ottavio Missoni, known as Tai to friends and family, founded the fashion house of Missoni in the 1950’s. He built an empire that helped put Italy on the map of haute couture where it has remained ever since.
Missoni was a most unlikely fashion icon. Hardly from humble beginnings, he was born in Dubrovnik, now Croatia, the son of an Italian sea captain and an Austrian countess. Missoni first rose to fame as a track and field champion, the youngest ever to win an Italian national title at just 16. His path was interrupted, however, by four years as a British prisoner of war during World War II. Released in 1946, he went on to join the Italians in the 1948 Olympics, where he placed sixth in hurdles. But his other contribution to the team was the that he designed their uniforms.
Misooni's fate as a designer was sealed when he met Rosita Jelmini at those London games. Five years later, they married and went into business together. The bride’s family was in the textile business, producing shawls and embroidery. They combined that knowledge with his burgeoning design skills to produce athletic knitwear together. The couple eventually adapted the Raschel knitting machine to make sensational sweaters and dresses instead of shawls, and thus was born their signature chevrons and streaky, space-dyed looks.
 Mr. Missoni and his wife, Rosita, in 1968. Image from newyorktimes.com. |  Missoni knitwear from the 1960s. Image from woodstockwardrobe.files.wordpress.com. | Missoni had a passion for combining clashing colors to spectacular effect. He once wrote that he created a chromatic harmony by adding a third color to two clashing hues. Earth tones went up against primary colors. He plotted his designs on graph paper, finding inspiration in the ancient textiles of Central America, as well as Abstract, Impressionist and Art Deco paintings. He introduced his kaleidoscopic patterns just at the time when the bohemian style was starting to catch fire. His designs soon caught the eye of every major fashion magazine from Vogue to Women’s Wear Daily. In 1967 the Missoni line achieved international recognition at a Paris showcase and was instantly embraced by fashion’s elite.  Kew fabric by Missoni Home. Image from amara.com. |  Passiflora fabric by Missoni Home. Image from amara.com. |  Missonii for Target. Image from abullseyeview.com. There was no stopping the Missoni dynasty from then on. The company is still going strong sixty years after its founding. You may recall when Target introduced its own line of Missoni fashions in 2011, the onslaught of fans caused the website to crash. Today, Missoni also sells accessories, fragrances, and goods for the home in markets internationally. His work has been on display in art museums around the world, where has been hailed as a “genius of color”.
Missoni’s legacy is carried on by his family. Sadly, his CEO and eldest child, Vittorio, disappeared while in flight over Venezuela just last January. But his wife, and two younger generations continue to uphold the Missoni brand to its relentless success.
Find out more here.
-Wendy L.
Designer Emily Isabella has been dreaming of and drawing bright, fanciful worlds since childhood. As an adult, she taps into to her lighthearted inner child to create work with a joie de vivre that's contagious. Her art makes me smile and I find it inspiring, so I decided to learn more about her process and the lovely lady behind it. She generously agreed to spend some time answering my questions and I'm delighted to be able to share what she had to say with you. Thanks Emily!
-Kiera
SPDG: What is your background as an artist? How were you drawn in to surface pattern design?
EI: My grandfather was an illustrator and graphic designer, my dad is an illustrator and graphic designer and my mom is a painter. I grew up having “gallery openings” in the hallways of our house — selling paintings for a dime or maybe a quarter. My parents were always exposing me to art — through museums or projects or books.
I started experimenting with batik in high school because my art teachers ran out of classes for me to take. I loved drawing on the fabric with wax and even had the idea to draw with the sewing machine. (I didn’t know at the time that there was such thing as free motion embroidery.)
My love of fabric and tactile processes was evident so I went to Savannah College of Art and Design and majored in Fibers. I bounced around with different processes in college but one thing always remained — I couldn’t stop drawing. Print design came very naturally to me and I discovered it to be commercially viable out of school. So here I am!
 Illustrations for mypublisher.com's baby photo book templates.  Sheep pattern. |  Magazine illustration. SPDG: Describe your style and how you arrived at it.
EI:I would describe my style as folky, yet clean and lighthearted with a bit a quirk. I am inspired by modern Japanese design, as well as folk art from South America and Scandinavia. I collect antiquated children’s books that are full of content that is a little off kilter. I have very specific taste so I am confident that as my work evolves and changes, it will always be recognizable.
SPDG: Who are some of your favorite artists and designers, past and present?
EI: Past – Mary Blair, Edouard Vuillard, Alexander Calder (his circus work), James Castle, Virginia Lee Burton
Present - Celia Birtwell, Jen Corace, Beci Orphin
SPDG: What is the mission behind the Emily Isabella brand?
EI: The mission behind my brand is to bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood. Life is not always cheerful but if we work to remember how we felt as children, we can approach each obstacle with a lighter heart. The hope is that Emily Isabella products serve as reminders of this theory. | SPDG: Give us a verbal snapshot of your studio. What do you love about it the most?
EI: We have an open floor plan in our home so my studio is sort of in the middle of the house. My husband and I are always creating so it makes sense that the studio is the center of our home. It is partitioned by an open bookshelf of art books and children’s books that I often reference.
The thing I love most about my studio is that houses all my inspirational belongings. My studio walls are filled with samples of my work, inspirational objects and odd little photos or treasures that I have found, made, or have been given. It is a happy mess!
SPDG: Do you generally work alone? If so, what do you do to combat loneliness (assuming you get lonely)?
EI: I work alone, yes, but my husband is always nearby in his workshop where he runs his furniture business. Also our cat has quite the presence. I really don’t get lonely, my ideas keep me busy and I suppose I have the personality for working solo.  Daisies wallpaper for Hygge & West.  Emily's Yay Day line for Birch Fabrics.  i-phone cases designed for the Case-Mate. | SPDG: What was your first job doing surface pattern design and how did you get it?
EI: My first surface pattern design job was a children’s collection of wallpaper for Hygge & West. Since then I have done four new designs for them. I am trying to remember how I got the job…I think I just emailed them!
SPDG: How did you get started working with the agency Colette and Blue? Tell us a little about your experience working with an agent.
EI: A friend told me about Colette and Blue and I just emailed them as well! They are a great agency, the work I do for them is minimal but it pays off. They have a good grip on mainstream print and color trends and it helps broaden my spectrum of work since I have such specific personal taste.
SPDG: Describe what your dream surface pattern design project would be.
EI: I would love to design candy! The colors, the molds, the printed packaging, the boxes. I would also love to design playful wool area rugs and whimsical floral prints for fancy silk gowns.
Until those dream projects become realized, you can shop my line here and see my quilting fabric here!
SPDG: What advice would give someone who wants to become a surface pattern designer?
EI: Draw, carry a sketchbook and always keep your eyes open. Inspiration is everywhere. |
We recently noted the death of iconic American designer Lilly Pulitzer on our blog. She can be credited with popularizing the pink and green combination, and the New York Times called her “a major force in prep resort wear”. Others have called her a "designer by accident." Lilly was a socialite who was just as famous for her fashions as she was for entertaining. How did she get there?  Photo: Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. From elle.com. Lilly Pulitzer on right. Capitalizing on her bright idea, Lilly closed the stand and started her clothing business a year after she sold her first dress. When an old classmate of hers by the name of Jackie Kennedy was photographed by LIFE magazine wearing one of her dresses (or the “Lillies”) her company took off. Soon she was also designing clothing for men and children and dressing the entire horsey set for their warm weather vacations.
Eventually Lilly employed her own design studio to produce her signature fabrics. They were literally signature designs, as she would creatively hide her name among the motifs. Most of her textiles were produced by Key West Hand Print Fabrics. The three artists mainly responsible for the Lilly Pulitzer look are Susie Zuzek dePoo, her daughter Martha, and Leigh Martin Hooten. Susie and Leigh were trained textile designers. “We focus on the best, fun and happy things, and people want that. Being happy never goes out of style,” Lilly said.  Here you see the name "lilly" in the motif fashionsfinest.fuzzylizzie.com Lilly Pulitzer fashions are now available through specialty shops, select department stores and through their website. The new products retain all the fun, whimsy and sunny disposition of the original designs, because as Lilly famously said, “It’s always summer somewhere!”
What’s your favorite Lilly Pulitzer print? Go to our Google group to share!
-Wendy L.
|  http://thelillypadshop.com/inc/sdetail/happiest_hour_patch/1780/3162 Lillian McKim was born in New York to a wealthy family in 1931. In 1952, she eloped with Herbert “Peter” Pulitzer of the Pulitzer Prize family. They moved to Palm Beach, Florida where she embraced the tropical lifestyle, typically spurning shoes and underwear.
But even carefree, wealthy socialites among waving palms can suffer from depression. Lilly ended up undergoing inpatient treatment while in her twenties. When she emerged in 1959, she was looking for a new hobby and decided to open a juice stand in Palm Beach using the fruits of her husband’s citrus groves.
It turned out to be a messy business and Lilly's clothes were often stained with juice. She recruited her friend, Laura Robbins (a former editor at Harper’s Bazaar), to help design a simple shift dress and, using bold, tropical prints, Lilly fashioned a wardrobe that effectively hid the stains. Her dresses ended up drawing more interest from her customers than her juices!  Photo: Cecil Stoughton. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.
When the 1980s arrived, interest in her kitschy designs waned so Lilly filed for bankruptcy and retired. Then in 1993, her brand was sold and revived to introduce her bright, optimistic fashions to the children and grandchildren of her original customers. The tropical preppy wardrobe was back. Lilly returned to work as a consultant for the new company which has thrived ever since.
 Photo: Slim Aarons/Hulton. Lilly and her fabric! |
 Image from sfdesigncenter.com The San Fracisco Design Center will be hosting a "lunch and learn" with interior and textile designer Kathryn M. Ireland on Wednesday, May 1st from 12 – 2 PM. Ireland is known for her modern reinterpretations of classic European designs from the 18th – 20th centuries. She will be presenting her latest collection, a collaboration with Scalamandré, and sharing her creative process at the event. Tickets cost $45 which includes lunch and wine. More information about the event and registration can be found here. | |
 Image from lillypulitzer.com We just received sad news that iconic American surface pattern designer and dressmaker Lilly Pulitzer passed away earlier today at her home in Florida. Ms. Pulitzer was 81 years old and left behind an incredible fashion legacy. Visit the Lilly Pulitzer web site to view a timeline of her colorful career, which all started because she wanted a dress that hid juice stains! We will miss her very much, but luckily for us her inimitable style and use of bold color and prints will continue through the brand she built.-Kiera
| | Hey, SPDG-ers! We have a winner among us! Check it out: our very own Kim Andersson has won The Printed Bolt’s first REPEAT(ed) design challenge of 2013.
REPEAT(ed) is a competition that was introduced as a way to get new designers into the quilting world. Having been a quilting devotee for a number of years as well as having studied textile design in the Bay Area, Kim was perfectly suited for this competition. She was chosen as a finalist from hundreds of applicants to compete against 9 others in a "Project Runway" style series of challenges. Each challenge ends with a winner and someone who is eliminated from the competition, culminating in one overall winner at the end of the series.
The first challenge this year was to design a print based on the theme Wanderlust. There wasn’t much more direction than that, and Kim let her imagination run wild. She came up with an exquisite design that looks like embroidered folk art in a bright, fruity palette with a light, airy feel that would appeal to all but the most curmudgeonly. You gotta love this print—the judges sure did!
Not only did Kim impress the panel of highly reputable judges, including Amy Butler and Michelle Fifis (who will be addressing us in our special webinar next week), she won the hearts of the Readers’ Choice voters as well! A double win!Congratulations, Kim! We are so proud of you! |
Internationally renowned textile artist, knitwear designer, painter, author, and color phenom Kaffe Fassett (rhymes with "safe asset") is a living treasure in the world of art and craft. Kaffe's career is still going strong after 50 years and his creativity is blooming as vibrantly as ever.
Kaffe can currently be found on the art and craft instruction site Creativebug, where you can learn about how he assembles prints to create his Rosy quilt design.
Not familiar with this extraordinary artist? Watch this video and be inspired by someone who followed his own path rather than conventional wisdom. ~Sarah | |
In honor of Spring, we thought we'd take a look at the colors of the season. Pantone’s Spring 2013 palette is called “Balancing Act.” In it, “designers overwhelmingly address consumers’ desire for self-expression, balance and the need to re-energize.”
You can download Pantone’s Spring 2013 report for free. In this report you will find numerous designers describing how they interpreted the colors you see above for Spring. Not only are their interpretations enlightening, but the illustrations showing their designs are fabulous!
The designers in the report include Tracy Reese, Peter Som, Herve Leger, Rachel Roy, Ella Moss, Charlotte Ronson, Tadashi Shoji, Pamella Roland, Carmen Marc Valvo, David Meister, BCBG, Nanette Lepore, Nicole Miller, Cynthia Steffe, Barbara Tfank, Lela Rose, Bibhu Mohapatra, Sachin + Babi, Tommy Hilfiger, NAHM, Karen Walker, TiA CiBANI, Marimekko, Wes Gordon, Cushnie et Ochs, Custo Barcelona, Saunder, and Elie Tahari. ~Sarah
 Image from patternpeople.com Meet Pattern People, an innovative surface pattern design studio started by Claudia Brown and Jessie Whipple Vickery in Portland, Oregon. This talented team produces some of the freshest designs in the industry. From head-turning psychedelic abstracts to sophisticated modern paisleys, they are always inspired and on trend. This comes as no surprise, given that they put out regular print and color trend guides for designers. Pattern People also offers a treasure trove of visual inspiration with their photo packs—collections of high resolution photos specifically shot for use as reference by surface pattern designers.
In spite of a super busy schedule at Pattern People, I was lucky enough to catch Jessie for a few questions. (Thanks Jessie!) Here's what I learned.–Kiera
SPDG: What are your backgrounds and how did Pattern People come about?
JWV: Claudia is trained as a painter and my background is in art history and graphic design. When we met, we were both working in the corporate world in unfulfilling positions. We had a mutual appreciation of pattern and wanted to apply our talents more effectively. Pattern People arose from this shared vision.
SPDG: What are the main markets that you design for?
JWV: We design for a range of markets from apparel to interiors to technology, but our biggest market is womenswear apparel.
SPDG: Which market do you love working with the most, and why?
JWV: We love the challenge of designing crazy custom prints for fashion but interiors are equally fun — especially when all surfaces are addressed.
SPDG: How do you market your surface pattern design business and draw in new clients?
JWV: The standard methods — online advertising, print fairs and through collaborations.
SPDG: Has being based in Portland (as opposed to New York, LA or London) posed a challenge to getting work in surface pattern design?
JWV: No, although we do have to work a bit harder to keep our studio visible through alternative channels.
SPDG: What changes have you seen in the industry since you started?
JWV: There has definitely been a resurgence of interest in pattern design. We're seeing more and more young studios crop up which is great. They're bringing a fresh outlook and approach to a somewhat stale industry.
SPDG: I love the design tools you offer on your web site. The photo collections are an especially great idea for designers. Would you tell us a bit about how you got started creating your tools?
JWV: The design tools were born out of our own need as designers for usable assets. There can be so many limits when designing — timeline, asset availability, and so on — we thought we could help eliminate some of the challenges by offering a range of tools. We'll be launching more over the next few months, so please stay tuned!
SPDG: What surface pattern design blogs or websites do you follow regularly?
JWV: To be honest, we spend most of our time looking at other types of sites for inspiration rather than at surface design blogs or websites specifically.
Victoria & Albert Museum Archives — great for historical reference
Synaptic Stimuli — for visionary ideas
AnOther — for random inspiration
Designinspiration — for more random inspirationand of course,
Pinterest — for a quick search
SPDG: What do you think is the best piece of advice you could give someone who is just starting out in our industry?
JWV: Research is key. Designers need to know the market they're designing for in order to make their designs effective and relevant.
SPDG: Any hints as to what's next for Pattern People?
JWV: We're excited to be speaking at the upcoming Adobe Max conference in LA this coming May. Come say hello! | |
 Congratulations to SPDG member Kim Andersson!
Kim is one of the finalists in REPEAT(ed), a textile design competition held by The Printed Bolt. Starting in March, ten talented, up-and-coming textile designers will create new designs for quilting fabrics over a series of five challenges (think Project Runway for surface pattern designers, blog-style). A fabulous group of judges (including Amy Butler, Kim Kight, and Michelle Fifis to name a few!!) will select a winner and also eliminate two finalists each month, until there is one final winner in July.
Good luck to Kim and the rest of the finalists. We can’t wait to see your designs as the contest progresses!
-Ruby
|  Design by Kim Andersson |
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