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Print & pattern bible

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EDITORS LETTER

REPEAT LOVES – A little something we thought you might like too

ON REPEAT’S RADAR – Not necessarily new, but finding their feet in

London

30PATTERNING VINYLS – Our favourite vi-nyl covers this year

so far

ADDRESS BOOK

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FEAT

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A LOVE AFFAIR WITH BRITISH BOTANICS – Retro revival Queen

PRINTING WITH THE PROFESSIONALS – A masterclass in woodcut engraving by Angie Lewin herself

NEXT GENERA-TION PRINTMAK-ERS - Two West Coast girls show us how it’s done…

Stateside

PRINTS CHARMING – Finding a na-tional treasure in Erdem

PRINTING MADE ECO – MissPrint keep it green

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AUTUMN/WINTER TRENDS – The only fashion trends worth knowing

about

A POST-WAR PRINT REVOLUTION– Rediscovering Britain’s avant garde era

BIG PATTERNS MEET SMALL PROPORTIONS – Taking print and pat-tern to bed

REGENERATING THE COMMON POLKA DOT – The world’s most eccentric pensioner

COFFEE TABLE READS – Incomplete without these fabulous books

THE UNDER-GROUND POSTER KING – Finding the instiga-tor of originality

ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO A/W EXHIBITIONS –Open your mind to in-spirations, new and old

88REPEAT VINTAGE – Who knew vinyl sleeves could be so exciting

AROUND THE WORLD/Finding Pakistan’s Silk Road – Yemi Awosile takes us on a search for embroideries in Pakistan

PATTERNTASTIC GETAWAYS – Finding the perfect patterned staycation

Text Siobhán McGurrin

Graphic Amy SzuYi Chang

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Even in black and white, the glorious 1950s prints and pat-terns that defined glamour for a generation of women remain striking. By hiring young con-temporary artists, companies such as Horrockses Fashions and Ascher made a name for themselves with eye catching avant garde prints throughout the post-war era. To maintain

such quality and reach demand, they created new printing tech-niques and technology, which revolutionised both the fash-ion and art world irrevocably. Read our feature on Horrockses Fashions Ltd and interview with curator and fashion his-torian Dr. Christine Boydell in Post-war Print Revolution - page 96.

Despite trends being transition-al by nature, the processes that

make them possible are often irreplaceable. For hundreds of years, we have been accessing art and fashionthrough artist’s abilities to convert their ideas into physi-cal forms. From lithographs to screen prints, wood blocks to digital printing, technology has progressed to afford us colour, textures and possibilities that weren’t even conceivable 100 years ago.

In this first edition of REPEAT, we will share with you our love of print and pattern in all forms, including Fashion, Inte-

riors, Arts, Culture and Travel. Our contributors have found emerging talent, interviewed old and new friends alike, dis-covered printing you want to know about and condensed the

best of the autumn’s trends for you.

Be inspired by the colours, tex-tures, prints and patterns and store this somewhere safe for those ‘magnolia’ autumn days.

Editor letter

Siobhán McGurrinEditor-in-Chief

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Quiltastic!!Ideal for some cosy winter snuggling, we’re smitten with this beautiful quilted bed cover from Antho-pologie. Laelia £128; an-thropolgie.eu.

Forget HeartsOn a blustery autumn day, which is more likely to stop your door from slamming, a miniature heart or sturdy owl? With a colourful print to boot, we vote owl. African print owl doorstop, £40; catherinetough.co.uk

Brand New VintageAbigail Borg’s newest collection of fabrics reflect her love of hand illus-tration, bold colours and traditional, vintage patterns. Since becoming ‘New Designer of the Year’ in 2008, Borg has worked with Laura Ashley and Johnson & Johnson, as well as creating beautiful wallpapers and cushions for Liberty of London. Floral photo shoot; abigailborg.com

Repeat Loves

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Turning A New LeafBranching out from their usual catwalk creations, print design duo Basso & Brooke have joined forces with Turn-ing Leaf Wines as designers in resi-dence. Producing limited edition labels as well as vibrant home wares: drum lampshades, cushions, chairs and globe-trotter suitcases oddly enough. Chardonnay & Zinfadel wines by Turn-ing Leaf, £4 at good supermarkets. Basso & Brooke home wares; thesho-patbluebird.com

Autumnal StationaryPerfectly formed notelets are hard to find, particularly for between sea-sons. So when we saw these by Paul Farrell, we positively swooned. Use-ful as both cards and mini posters, these will solve all last minute ‘Hap-py Autumn’ problems. Individual Tree card and envelope (16 designs), £2.70 each; paul-farrell.co.uk.

Pattern PrincessAfter conquering the fashion and in-terior markets, Ireland’s Orla Kiely is now attempting to crack the literary scene as well. But don’t worry, it’s still all about the patterns. Available from September, Orla Kiely’s book ‘Pattern’ is a source full of inspiration that also makes a nice coffee table adornment. Pattern by Orla Kiely out 6th Sep-tember 2010, RRP £25; orlakiely.com

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Despite having been around since the late 1950s, Yayoi Kusa-ma, now in her early eighties is still going strong and very much in demand. Through her obsession with repetition, pat-tern and accumulation, Kusama has created art performances, sculptures and installations which incorporate her trademark polka dots in numerous forms. Since the age of ten, Kusama has been producing with ‘self obliteration’ which came to her through hallucinations. She believes it is the process of being subsumed into your surroundings and losing all boundaries through visual stimulation. Saying, “a polka-dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and our living life, and also the form of the moon, which is calm. Round, soft, colourful, senseless and unknowing, Pol-ka-dots become movement. Polka dots are a way to infinity.”

Whilst living in New York from the 1950s - 1970s, Kusa-ma became an instigator of ‘happenings’, meetings with like minded artisans to protest against social injustice, such as the Vietnam war and the American elections through the creation of artworks. Although during her time in America, she exhib-ited with the likes of Andy Warhol and earned comparisons with Jackson Pollock, she moved back to Japan in 1973, living as an eccentric national treasure ever since. Most recently she was commissioned by Lancôme to design the 10th anniver-sary packaging for their Juicy Couture lip glosses in 2009 and has a number of exhibitions in Japan this autumn. Kusama’s work is vibrant, daring and avant garde. She continues to lead the way by bringing abstract pattern into the everyday through oversized sculptures, polka dot buildings and regen-erating city centre walkways. Her work remains a constant inspiration to abstract pattern lovers worldwide.

REGENERATING THE COMMON POLKA DOT

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On Repeat’s Radar

What’s their background? Raised in Stockholm, Simon studied fashion de-sign, art history and illustration at Tillskarar Akademin University. He launched his Haute Couture label in 1997 and began doing Ready-to-Wear in 2006. He currently lives in London and manufactures in the UK.What’s their signature? Stark architectural inspired silhouettes with bold silk screen prints.What’s their key piece this A/W? Structured bodycon jumpsuit with gun-powder, black, silver and crystal patterns; headpiece optional (as seen above).Who wears it? Lady Gaga, Alison Goldfrapp, The Plasticines.Who sells it? No.9 The Secret Shop (London), DADA Meeting Point (Italy, China).

Simon EkreliusStardust A/W 10-11

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What’s their background? Born in Australian with Greek heritage, Tina moved to London aged 14 and studied Ladies Period Under-wear at London College of Fashion. She worked for Alexander McQueen as seamstress, creative pattern cutter and a costume de-signer before moving back to Australia to launch her label in 2002. What’s their signature? Ethnicity features as inspiration in every col-lection. She mixes embroidery, print and dyeing techniques with structured silhouettes and unconventional shapes. What’s their key piece this A/W? Sheer long sleeve geometric patterned shift with embroidered hem. Tina collaborated with Jonathan Za-wanda to create Totem themed Native American patterns using colour blocking and embroidery.Who wears it? Cheryl ColeWhat’s next? Tina plans to move back to the UK in late 2010, so we may be seeing her at LFW sometime in 2011.

What’s their background? Brought up in the Nether-lands, Michael moved to London to study a Masters in Fashion at Central St. Martins. He has worked for Sophia Kokosalaki and Alexander McQueen and is currently under the guiding wing of Lulu Kennedy’s Fashion East. What’s their signature? Pretty, feminine printed and embellished floral pieces patchworked or embroi-dered together in a mishmash effect. Who sells it? Liberty (London), Maria Luisa (Paris & Hong Kong), Ikram (Chicago). What’s next? Michael has designed a collection of pat-terned silk scarves for Topshop this A/W. They are brightly coloured with his unique patchwork and trompe l’oeil prints.

Michael Van Der HamA/W 10-11

Tina KalivasTotem 2010

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Print Workshop: Hand-Printing Tech-niques and Truly Original Projects.

Coffee Table Reads

Tricia Guild: Colors, Patterns and Spaces.

Matthew WilliamsonWritten by Yellow Owl Workshops founder Christine Schmidt, the book (Crown Pub-lishing) offers a step by step guide for novice printers. Ranging from simple potato print-ing to complicated chemical baths, all the techniques are designed to be doable at home and every project includes the trademark motifs and illustrations of Yellow Owl Work-shops, which are available in Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.

Acclaimed designer and founder of Design-er’s Guild, Tricia Guild’s latest book (Rizzoli Publishing) gives insight to mixing colours, patterns and textures innovatively for any given room. Blending femininity and under-stated elegance through her classic approach, she explores sleek Manhattan, casual English country, rustic Mediterranean and eclectic Parisian styles with inspiring photography and tactile paper.

Celebrating the rise of Matthew William-son’s luxury fashion label, the book (Rizzoli Publishing) explores the designer’s beauti-fully patterned and embellished collections since 1997. Written by fashion historian Colin McDowell and with a foreword from Bohemian trendsetter Sienna Miller, the book gives a wonderfully illustrated insight into the printmaking fashion world through

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Graphic: Inside the sketchbooks of the world’s great graphic designers.

Vintage Patterns of Japan

photo shoots, sketches, mood boards, tex-tiles and catwalk images.

Thames & Hudson’s latest graphic design book offers readers some insight into the minds of 100 of the world’s leading design-ers. Opening up their private sketchbooks, the designers demonstrate their thought pro-cesses and visual influences through scrib-bles, typography, collages and illustrations. Contributors include Stefan Sagmeister, Milton Glaser, Michael Bierut, and François Chastanet.

The latest in a series of pattern books from Japan based PIE publishing comes a col-lection of vintage Japanese patterns. Using sources including packaging, posters, prints, wallpapers and textiles, the book offers won-derful details about art and textiles of an ancient, bygone era. With pages of motifs, illustrations, photographs and prints, this is a beautiful resource filled with inspiring patterns.

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The Underground Poster KingHailed as one of the greatest graphic designers of the Twentieth Century, Edward McKnight Kauffer revolutionised the London Underground with his bold, lithograph posters, changing British advertising forever.

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Despite finding himself ‘betwixt and between’ as an American in England during the interim war period, Edward McKnight Kauffer (EMcKK) became a much loved part of the British arts and culture movement; creating an underground gallery with his avant garde publicity posters. “McKnight Kauffer became the Un-derground poster king; he disappeared as it were below ground, and the tunnels of the ‘Tube’ became hence-forth his subterranean picture galleries” noted Wynd-ham Lewis, the Vorticist painter and author in 1937.

Born in Montana, USA in 1890, EMcKK’s rags to riches story sees him jet across the world in search of artistic recognition. Moving steadily eastwards, EM-cKK studied and painted his way through many of the finest art institutes in Chicago, Venice, Munich and Paris before making his way to London. At the turn of the century, Paris was perceived as the cultural epicentre of Europe, as artists flocked there to sub-merge themselves in the newly evolving movements. During his short pre-war spell in the French capital, EMcKK was overwhelmingly inspired by the Cubism movement, later prompting him to adapt his fine art painterly style for more graphic forms of print.

At the time of EMcKK’s discovery, Cubism had been floating around bohemian Paris for almost a decade. Pioneered by innovators Pablo Picasso and George Braque, it sparked a radical revolution throughout art and sculpture; filtering into music, literature and cul-ture, leading to a significant artisan movement.

After fleeing to England to escape the war in 1915, EMcKK initially struggled to find a receptive mar-ket for his transnational style of prints, “attempting to work as an artist in the world of commerce be-fore there was a graphic profession” concludes Print Magazine. Having been swayed by a melting pot of European influences, EMcKK flirted with Cubist off-shoots including Orphism, which combined abstract shapes with bold colours, and Vorticism, England’s first revolutionary abstract art movement, which in-corporated geometry, futurism and expressionism. As well as his own background in fine art landscapes and scenery, EMcKK was inspired by traditional Japanese woodblock printing that creates positive and negative space by cutting designs into wood and printing them in relief.

In London, EMcKK became acquainted with many members of the art and literature circles and was introduced to commercial designer and printmaker John Hassall; who famously created the ‘Skegness Is So Bracing’ poster featured both on the railways and within the seaside town. After seeing his designs,

Hassall recommended EMcKK to Frank Pick, who was “instrumental in establishing the world’s most progressive public transport system and an exemplar of design management,” notes the London Design Museum. Pick hired EMcKK on the basis of his early lithograph prints depicting the Surrey coun-tryside, which instigated a partnership over the next three decades.

After a revival of lithograph printing in Paris at the beginning of the century, artists collaborated with master print makers to bring their designs to life through limited edition prints. Throughout a career which spanned four decades, EMcKK used lithog-raphy almost exclusively to create his trademark bold, graphic colours. Despite it being replaced by new photography technology which gained popular-ity in the post-war era, EMcKK continued to use the increasingly unfashionable method right into the 1950s.

“During the course of his career Kauffer was not only an original but also inspired originality in oth-ers, and his influence was felt in England into the Fifties,” states the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) who honoured EMcKK with an award 38 years after his death. Although most famous for his London Underground images during the ‘20s and ‘30s, EMcKK’s work was commissioned by other well known brands including Derry & Toms the London department store, Eastman and Son the London dyer and cleaners, Shell and The Daily Her-ald. Interestingly, his work for Shell spanned the same period as London Transport, and was equally well exhibited, with large billboards across the coun-try advertising oil and transport in his unmistakable Cubist style.

Branching outwards from London, EMcKK was able to show his work to a wider audience by designing dust jackets for hundreds of classic books including ‘Ulysses’ by James Joyce, ‘Women in love’ by D.H. Lawrence and ‘Howards End’ by E.M. Forster. As well as his keen interest in literature, EMcKK was an advocate for the theatre; designing small scale posters and flyers, backdrops and costumes for lit-tle known theatre companies and their nationwide productions.

After the outbreak of war again in 1940, EMcKK was forced to move back to America due to his ‘alien’ citizen status and German surname. Initially back in New York, his reputation preceded him after a solo exhibition at MOMA in 1937, which celebrated his contribution to the London Group’s

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Images courtesy of London Transport Museum

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Underground gallery. However, his work proved less popular in his native America, as it came to be associat-ed with progressive British and European design which America was not yet ready for. Despite the slump in de-mand for his designs, EMcKK carried on working until his death in 1954, creating posters for American Airlines and dust jackets for a variety of publications including many books by close friend and author T.S. Eliot. Since his death, his contribution to graphic design and print making has been celebrated the world over, although most notably in Britain where he spent most of his adult and working life. As Keith Murgatroyd (the British graphic artist) wrote; “with style, grace and intelligence, EMcKK achieved all those things which every deeply committed designer strives for: creative vigour, original-ity, functional effectiveness, recognition by his fellow practitioners and, of course, public acclaim.”

To see Edward McKnight Kauffer’s posters, visit MOMA’s ‘Underground Gallery: London Transport Posters 1920s-1940s Exhibition’ until 28th February 2011 or purchase your very own reproduction posters from the London Transport Museum’s website at www.ltmuseum.co.uk.

Repeat’s Beginners Guide to Lithograph Printing

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Step 1 - Draw an image in reverse on a lime-stone, zinc or aluminium plate using lithog-raphy pencils or crayons. Prepare a separate stone or plate for each colour in the fin-ished lithograph.

Step 2 - Sprinkle rosin on the surface to protect the drawing, then powder with talc. This helps the chemical etch lie more close-ly to the grease in the drawing.

Step 3 - Apply the etch, (a solution of gum Arabic and nitric acid) to the stone and leave it on for an hour or so. Remove the drawing with a solvent such as turpentine. The printing inks, which are also greasy, will adhere to where the drawing was.

Step 4 - Sponge the stone or plate with wa-ter. The surface needs to be kept wet so the ink doesn’t stick to non-image areas.

Step 5 - Load damp paper into the lithogra-phy press. Run through the press. The ink remains on the roller when it meets water and transfers from the roller when it meets the grease. When you lift the paper, you get a reverse print. The first prints are trial proofs.

Step 6 - Make pencil marks on each sheet of paper to be printed and line them up to cor-respond with marks on each stone or plate. The same piece of paper goes through the press for each different colour, so these registration marks are important in order to keep the colours aligned.

Step 7- Sign the final proof, when you are satisfied. Now print the images. After the prints are complete, sign and number them.

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‘The fewer colours the more successful the design’

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A Love Affair with British Botanics

It has been almost a decade since printmaker Angie Lewin and her graphic designer hus-band Simon, left hectic north London life behind for the bracing bliss of the Norfolk coast. Although after setting up a new business, renovating their 17th Century cottage and branching into home wares dur-ing this time, life has been anything but leisurely.

‘Britain’s best printmaker since Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious’

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Known for her retro botanical prints strongly reminiscent of the 1950s, Angie Lewin’s work is inspired by 1930s - 1950s designs with keen reference to the Festival of Britain in 1951. With mid-century design back on trend, her work has become almost unattainable, selling out in Liberty as soon as it hits the shelves. From her beautiful countryside home in Norfolk, Angie produces her instantly recognisable hand crafted prints for fab-rics, ceramics and stationery using traditional and extensive printing methods.

Labelled by print and interiors writers as Britain’s best printmaker since Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious (two 1930s designers who are very close to her heart), Angie is a front runner in the current retro and craft revival. Using soft, muted, tonal colour palettes in all of her prints, she is extremely selective saying, “I’m used to working with a lim-ited number of colours,” but for “fabrics, as with prints, often the fewer colours the more successful the design.” After graduating in printmaking from Central St. Martins and Camberwell School of Art & Design in the 1980s, Angie worked for nearly twenty years as an illustrator in London and later trained as a garden designer, which undoubtedly triggered her interest in all things flora and fauna.

Working out of her studio based in the garden of her hamlet home near Aylsham, Norfolk, Angie takes inspiration directly from her surroundings; using flowers and plants from her garden and the unruly meadow beyond as the basis for her intri-cate designs. “My limited edition prints are based on plant forms, especially seed heads, seen against [the] sea and sky on my walks on the north Nor-folk coast,” says Angie. “I’m also influenced by the contrasting landscape and native plants of the Scottish Highlands and more recently the west coast of Scotland.” The couple often spend their summers in Scotland, avoiding the tourist trap of ‘staycations’ in Norfolk altogether. Using tradi-tional techniques, Angie prints with a mixed me-dia of wood cuts, engravings, lithographs, screen prints and lino cuts. “I generally work up my idea as a drawing with watercolour, gouache, pencil crayon and inks,” she says, then “from this I can work out how many colours will be in the fin-ished print, as each colour will be cut as a separate block.” After making a tracing of the drawing in reverse, Angie develops it on the block or lino and

cuts the designs using gouges. “The cut block is then inked up using a roller and a print is taken. Each colour is then cut until the image is com-plete.” Angie herself is often surprised with the end result, as “each successive colour affects what happens next, so a print can develop in a different direction to my initial drawing.”

After renovating their sprawling cottage (original-ly three separate dwellings) into a habitable condi-tion, the Lewins went about styling it into a haven of mid-century British design. With original 1950s Ercol chairs, curved Formica kitchen surfaces and a range of 1920s-1960s decorative prints and post-ers throughout, their interest in design of this particular period is obvious, both at work and at home. “I think an artist or designer’s environment and style are very closely linked to their work. I collect objects and artwork that inspire me,” says Angie, who has numerous pots of dried seed heads and plants scattered around. Realising the potential for transferring her stylised prints onto textiles, Angie and Simon decided to combine their exper-tise and set up St. Judes, a company that collabo-rates with artists to create hand crafted prints for fabrics, stationery and ceramics. Based near their home, the Lewins opened a shop-come-gallery with an in house studio space for artists involved in their projects. “By producing the fabrics our-selves we had control over the type and scale of repeat and colourways,” says Angie. “We decided that we didn’t want to produce 1000’s of metres but to make relatively short runs of each design to sell through smaller outlets and on the internet.” One such ‘small’ outlet is the famous Liberty of London, who stocks their patterns under the house name ‘Tana Lawn Liberty Fabric’ and with great success; one of Angie’s A/W 2010 designs ‘Winter Thistle’ in colourway ‘A’ has already sold out, just a week after going on sale. Despite her prints go-ing unaccredited, they are so distinctive with their abstract plants and reference to Lucienne Day style colours, offering a genuine 1951 ‘Festival of Brit-ain’ flavour.

So what is it about Angie’s designs that have made them so popular? “People instinctively relate and feel comfortable with natural colours and floral and fauna,” says Angie who features such elements in her prints. Although “applied art has always been popular,” she says, “now new artists and

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designers are basing designs on natural forms in more contemporary ways, as opposed to recreat-ing traditional florals.”

Such consistent interest and support of her de-signs and of the St. Judes collective by the likes of Elle Decoration, Design Week and The World of Interiors, has allowed Angie and Simon to consider delving further into home wares with wallpaper. Intending to produce a collection at some point in the future, Angie is careful not to diminish her standing as a print designer first, saying, “I’ve avoided simply applying existing prints or fabric designs onto [St. Judes] sta-tionery and produced specific designs for each project. As I produce limited edition prints, I don’t want to overuse the images.” And she means it! Once Angie has produced a small batch of prints, often as little as forty per design, she destroys the wood block, lino cut or lithograph plate, making them unusable in order to start afresh with new ideas. However she does admit to keeping a few of her favourites as memen-tos. Having worked with traditional printmaking methods for most of her career, Angie isn’t about to switch to digital design, saying “these quali-ties just can’t be achieved with digital methods as they are intrinsic to the printing process.” So if you want a hand crafted, genuinely limited edi-tion print before they all go, you’re going to have to be quick about it.

Angie Lewin: Plants and Places by Leslie Geddes Brown, RRP £25 is available from the 1st October and her collection at Liberty of London is on sale now. For prices, stockists and exhibition informa-tion, visit angielewin.co.uk or stjudes.co.uk.

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‘I collect objects and artwork that inspire me’

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“I generally work up my idea for a print as a drawing with watercolour, gouache, pencil crayon and inks and often collage drawings to-gether too.”Angie then traces the draw-ing, transferring the reversed image directly onto the wood block.

“I develop the drawing on the block and then cut the design using gouges.”Angie uses gouges - small funnel like instruments to carve out precisely placed grooves into the wood.

From her drawing, she has already decided how many colours to use and therefore doesn’t carve the whole image out of one block.

Angie then mixes the ink for her first colour which will serve as the background of the image. The colours are placed in layers, so the order of colour and image must be organised before printing begins.

After letting REPEAT peruse her home and workshop, Angie Lewin kindly offers to demonstrate her tradi-tional wood engraving process to our readers.

Printing with the professionals

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“The cut block is then inked up using a roller and a print taken.” Angie carefully places the fine Japanese paper on top of the block to print, rather than the other way round.

Angie ‘burnishes’ the ink with an olive wood salad spoon, ensuring that it fuses and is equally spread across the paper.

Each colour is then cut and the process repeated until the image is complete.

“Each successive colour af-fects what happens next so a print can develop in a dif-ferent direction to my initial drawing.”Angie shows one of her fin-ished wood engraving print ‘Teasel’ which combines four colours; light blue, faded pink, mustard yellow, black and the relief areas of white using four blocks.

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Photography Cristian Barnett

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‘I’m quite obsessive about my work,” she says. “I spend hours cut-ting out the designs. In winter the lino can get almost too cold, so I just pop over to the house and warm it on the Aga.’

‘I develop ideas in the studio from sketches and photographs. I enjoy sketching outdoors and working from plants, and vari-ous elements that I’ve gathered on walks- pebbles, seed pods, driftwood and pieces of broken ceramics. I also draw plants – seed heads etc in my own gar-den and set up still lives in the studio.’

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Woodcut and wood engraving – the difference

A wood engraving is produced by engraving with tools into the end grain of woods such as box, lemon, pear and holly. As there is no grain to cut through, these fine tools can engrave smoothly in any direction. The blocks are relatively small and costly to buy as the surface is perfectly level and smooth with no grain to print. Woodcuts are cut on the side grain (like a plank) using V and U shaped gouges and also knives to cut though the grain. The texture of the grain usually prints and much larger scale and less fine work is the result.

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Patterning vinyls

Out of this year’s delectable print and patterned vinyls it was difficult to pick just two, so instead of being com-pletely impartial and objective we went with the records we liked best. Here REPEAT gives you a little taster of what we’ll be hearing for the rest of the year.

EEL’s - the original one man band- offers the continuing musical education of genius front man Mark Everett with his revolving door of talented friends along for the ride. Released on 24th August, Tomorrow Morning is the final instalment in a trilogy of contemplation, having released Hombre Lobo and End Times in short 12 month succes-sion. With love no longer unrequited, E chronicles his do-mestic bliss with gentle and sweetly melodic tones in rev-erence of his unexpected love. The delicately, blossoming but imperfect tree print on the cover, reflects the mood of the album which offers a rare harmony in the writer’s usually melancholy world. Digitally combined shades of white, lilac, purple and green give the experimental print a ‘child like’ textured effect, as the background fades be-hind.

The Coral’s recently reformed and expanded Merseyside quintet (now sextet) have endeavoured to reach the suc-cess of their acclaimed debut album since it’s release back in 2002. Six albums and a slightly concerning greatest hits style singles record later, the boys have once again found their form with The Butterfly House released in July. Produced by the seasoned John Leckie (Radiohead & The Stone Roses), the album combines acoustic indie fla-vour with their signature psychedelic influences, giving the usual nod to their favoured 60s bands. The jumbled collage pattern also references Psychedelia and 60s Pop Art, with skulls, flowers, cards, dice and dominos, the icons of their trademark sound. Using red, orange and purple accented photographs and illustrations, the cover creates an inspiring melange of layers and colours.

Repeat’s Pattern V’s Print Vinyl Covers

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A/W Trends

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New York Anna Sui

From the dominating Art Nouveau influenced Japanese backdrop of Anna Sui’s Autumn/Winter show, we were unable to predict what was about to unfold. Had our favourite ageing retro Hippy gone back to her roots with an Oriental inspired collection? No, we didn’t think so either. All such concerns were quickly dispelled when titian haired beauty, Karen Elson opened the show wearing a plethora of American heritage mixed motifs.

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Revealing a collection that could be misconstrued as last winter’s paisley folk, Anna put considerable effort into our ongoing education into all things pattern. As one of America’s most underrated de-signers, she demonstrates a keen awareness of its history and an affinity with it’s lost arts, bringing designs to light that have been long forgotten. Her latest collection - she tells us - was inspired by the American Arts and Crafts movement of the late 1800s. After being instigated by William Morris in Britain, the movement flourished in America as a form of decorative arts until the 1920s. Working with traditional motifs, Anna recreates many of the florals, borders and geometric shapes that are reminiscent of interior design and architecture of this period. Even though using every conceivable colour, the combination was effective rather than incoherent. Earthy browns, greens and reds moved into blues and purples and later into striking prairie white, which when balanced with winter boots looked quite convincing. With masses of accessories to choose from, we were most keen to get our hands on Anna’s many patterned tights. Numbering twenty different designs, they are sure to solve our work wear problems on dark winter mornings.

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London Holly Fulton

After two years in the good company, and under the guiding wing of Fashion East, Holly Fulton un-veiled her first independent collection to an expectant audience. And it didn’t disappoint. The hotly tipped ‘one to watch’ has grown in front of our very eyes. Progressing from a talented graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art to the show stealer at her MA showcase at London’s Royal College of Art in 2007, she went on to win 2009’s Scottish Designer of the Year Award. Since working with the likes of Queene and Belle, Joseph Bonnar, Swarovski and Lanvin, Holly has put her experience to good use in her embellished A/W collection. Developing a collection of varied silhouettes, Holly mixed strong colour with print and her now trademark adornments.

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With an ongoing theme of geometry, Holly’s collection was excitedly graphic in both print and colour. Referencing the New York skyline with an 80s twist on art deco lines, the collection was a mash up of inspiration, highlighting Edward Paolozzi influences. Offering super short shifts with obligatory black tights, printed maxis, leggings and t-shirts, and elegant long sleeved (albeit mid thigh) embellished evening dresses. Her striking use of colour is bound to prevent any onset of winter blues, combining turquoise, lemon yellow, cobalt, coral and sunshine yellow with balancing shots of black and white. As well as her statement pieces, Holly injected even more decoration with her stand alone, award winning jewellery, which prompted numerous orders by the end of the show.

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Milan Etro

Minimalism was furthest from anybody’s mind at Etro’s Autumn/Winter show this Febru-ary. The collection was excessive in both design and nature, even by Milan’s standards. Last-ing four times the length of a usual show, Etro showcased seemingly endless combinations of styles, prints and patterns to match. In a valiant attempt to rid Etro of its ‘old fashioned’ undertones, Veronica Etro - the label’s latest creative director - attempted to revitalise their traditional trademark by giving Paisley a contemporary twist.

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Working the international jetsetter look as only the Italians do best, Etro presented a fu-sion of Eastern promises with a few pleasant surprises. The mix of Oriental prints and silhouettes with hints of vibrant India and swathes of silk was a triumph. Instead of their usual Bohemia, the look was an imaginative 1930s Shanghai and utterly sexy. Key pieces included printed pencil dresses, 7/8ths cigarette pant suits, loose harems, flowing Kimonos and floor length gowns with high rise splits. From leopard to floral, geometric to abstract prints, Etro blended subtle elegance and brash exhibitionism, with only the occasional outfit avoiding some form of decoration.

Although accessories could have easily disappeared into the low lit background, they were statement pieces in their own right. Cinching Obi belts fixated the waist whilst adorned clutches and embellished turbans offered extra glamour. Cleopatra necklaces and sizeable gold bangles and earrings finished off a number of ensembles, reiterating the narrative of the affluent global traveller.

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Paris Cacharel

Following years of creative instability, Cacharel has finally rediscovered its roots. Return-ing to its classic Parisian take on the 1960s, it avoided the kitsch sentiment it has become known for in recent years. Taking the heritage brand’s trademark print and turning it on it’s head is Cédric Charlier, the latest in a long list of designers that have attempted to bring back Cacharel’s lustre. Offering print on print, print on black, cutaway print and folded material patterns, Charlier cleverly split the collection into four. Giving a refresh-ing update to Cacharel’s tired ditsy florals, Charlier dropped the Liberty comparison, offering a memorable, original alternative.

After last season’s practically print-less collection, we were pleased to see Cacharel’s opening the show with their signature floral. Combining it with classic black, Charlier presented a stark contrast which continued throughout the show. From there, the col-lection flowed through florals and leopard print mixtures, new draping style abstract prints, textured patterns of folded material ruffles and Broderie Anglaise cutwork. With so much print and pattern going on, there was the possibility the collection could seem ‘summerish’. But despite the bare legs and ankle boot brogues mishmash, there was a distinct autumnal feeling channelled through a strong palette of greys, blacks, reds and aubergine. Although the collection was distinctly lacking in the accessories department, the message was simplicity. Pair your patterns and prints with leather brogues and a skinny belt for easy, classic Cacharel.

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NEXT GENERATION PRINTMAKERS

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After becoming addicted to their inspiring pat-tern and trend forecast-ing blog, REPEAT went in search of the design geniuses behind the Pat-tern People. Although divided by 41 million square miles of deep blue Atlantic Ocean, the duo

are still the go-to girls for re-patterning your home, wardrobe or even just your notebook. We caught up with one half of the delectable pair, the lovely Jessie Whip-ple-Vickery near their studio, at East London’s organic deli La Bouche.

‘We’re trying to do our own thing, but it seems that the print studios have been run in such a way that it’s all a bit…stodgy!’

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Exchanging beautifully sunny Oregon for surprising-ly sunny London, Jessie Whipple-Vickery, one half of Pattern People finds herself in familiar territory. Having studied graphic design at Central St. Martin’s five years ago, Jessie moved back to set up a European base for Pattern People’s expanding studio, “I used to live around here and have a lot of friends here, plus there are a ton of studios as well.” Before Pattern People was even a twinkle in the blogosphere, Jes-sie and Claudia Brown (the other founding member of Pattern People) were both freelancing as design-ers for Nike and MTV respectively, whilst separately struggling to run their own independent fashion la-bels. However, after a fortuitous meeting through mutual friends three years ago, they instantly decided to take a leap and change careers. “So we finally met and realised we were both burnt out doing our own clothing lines and were more interested in the prints themselves. So Pattern People was born and we joined forces,” says Jessie.

Working their way from a popular trend based blog to a commercial design company, Pattern People have reeled in corporate clients with their modern approach to print making and surface pattern. “We’re trying to do our own thing, but it seems that the print stu-dios have been run in such a way that it’s all a bit…stodgy!” says Jessie. “The thing that we do that so many other studios don’t do is that we provide the prints in both digital and regular format, so then they can use either.” With an abundance of experience in both conventional print and digital design, Pattern People are next generation printmakers, combining traditional methods with new technology and without a paint splattered apron in sight. Instead of resolutely sticking to just one area, both designers decided to incorporate fashion, interiors and product design into their repertoire; offering clients and readers a growing range of 3,000 designs conveniently available in their online archive.

Collaborating with the likes of Adidas, US street fashion label Stussy, and confectionary giants Godiva Chocolate has been a great boost to the developing company, bringing them more clients, most recent-ly in the form of Clinique. After designing perfume packaging for Estée Lauder, Jessie and Claudia were invited to join Clinique on their floor within the shared Manhattan skyscraper. Impressed with their work for Estée Lauder, Clinique asked them to pro-duce special, limited edition cosmetic bags as a free gift with their latest range. Rather than continuing the endless vintage floral trend that regularly adorns

such cases, Pattern People went for something a little more graphic as well as incandescently sweet. Using Manhattan’s skyline as inspiration, they created an in-ternational city scape, merging Tokyo, London, Paris and New York, as well as a 60s inspired über kitsch fruit print in bright colours of contrasting pink, or-ange, red and green. Not the usual Clinique look it has to be said, but something fun for their growing beauty conscious teen market.

With so many trips for meetings from West Coast Portland to East Coast New York it’s unsurprising that the pressure of encounters with the world’s lead-ing beauty conglomerates have proved a little fluster-ing, “well the building is so fancy and when we go there with our suitcases, we always feel so bedrag-gled,” says Jessie. “It’s all marble and it’s like it’s out of a movie! All the women are perfectly quaffed and we’re all sweaty,” Jessie recalls, clearly anticipating a replay of this at their next appointment. Yet today, she is perfectly quaffed herself, with Gibson girl styl-ing and a printed jumpsuit that hardly even shows her seven month old bump. Looking cool and certainly unflustered in the current heat wave, her make up is minimal, showing off her enviable, naturally freckly Californian colouring. Jessie’s personal style is clear-ly something that inspires her work and vice versa, claiming that she is completely torn when deciding between fashion and interiors, “I love both of them,” she says. “But think I would have to go with fashion because I love fashion so much and there are some beautiful garments.” With her bleeding bleach black and white ensemble and her established nickname as a ‘pattern person’, it’s appropriate to assume that Jessie is a pattern fanatic both in her work and style, yet she considers it to be more of a selective eccentricity. “I do have quite a few (prints) in the wardrobe, I’ve been trying to hold back, but then sometimes I do go for the ones that no one else will ever wear. That probably isn’t very smart,” she contemplates.

So with such a large selection of print and patterned trends to choose from this fall (as Jessie calls it), which in particular have caught her eye? Well, “botanical, from abstract watercolours to solarised looks give flo-rals an updated appeal,” she says, but “texture-print interpretations are also a big trend,” similar to the blurred print she is already sporting. But what about interiors; after a year of blues, greens and natural woods with a distinct environmental overtone, what’s next for home wares? “True texture has been leav-ing its mark on both the runways and in interiors,” says Jessie. So “look for coral reef ruffles, crochet,

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woven and knitted assemblages forming patterns of their own.” Rather than just heeding Jessie’s advice, from September, you’ll be able to put it into action when Pattern People release their very first wallpaper collection inspired by flora and nature. Although ex-tremely coy at first, Jessie did divulged a few covert details, saying, “initially we were looking at forests, over growths and undergrowth, mushrooms and pine trees (in North West America). But then it kind of developed into [something] more exotic.” As well as venturing further into direct en masse consumer con-tact (rather than just business to business), Pattern People are set to become authors, with a new ‘how to’ e-book offering advice on becoming a modern day print designer. “We get so many different requests from designers asking how to start their own busi-ness or how to move from different areas such as il-lustration into print,” says Jessie. Hence they decided to share their recently acquired knowledge and enter-prise expertise in a book for students, creatives and professionals who are looking for a new career.

By all accounts, it sounds like it’s going to be an ex-tremely busy autumn for Pattern People in general and Jessie in particular, from wallpapers and books and most importantly a new addition to the family. Although, here at REPEAT, we are most looking for-ward to the opening of Pattern People’s long awaited e-shop which we’ve been reliably informed will be filled with delightfully patterned and printed wares that we just can’t wait to get our hands on.

Karl Lagerfeld Tribute Tote bag makes it into French Elle’s ‘Top 50 Best Looks for the Beach’

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Take Inspiration From Our Miniature World Of Interiors

BIG PATTERNS MEET

SMALL PROPORTIONS

Photography Monica R. GoyaStyling Siobhán McGurrin

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Seasonal prints are perfect for statement walls.

Black & White Geodesic WallpaperSamantha Hahn Illustration

Red Leaves Morphed into SwallowsAbsolute Zero Degrees£60 per 10m roll

Skeleton Leaf FloorStylist’s Own Crea-tion

Vintage Style Great Flower Design FabricKingston Market£6 per metre

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Blues, greens & yellows brighten any small room without being over powering

Green & Blue Roses Fabric (as wallpaper & bed cover)Chesterfield Market£2.99 per metre

2 & 9 PosterRuka RukaCustomised £25

White Wooden Floor BoardsStylist’s Own Creation

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Compliment monochrome walls with colourful accents.

Grey & White Geo WallpaperElla Doran£110 per 10m roll

Black & White Illustration‘Everything Everything’Matt Shlian

Red & White Gingham Rug£5 per metre

Antique Treasures Fabric John Lewis£15 per metre

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Rich florals give bedrooms a relaxing autumn feel.

Purple Chrysanthemum WallpaperAbigail Borg£150 per 10m roll

Green & Grey LilyAnne Jochum Illustration

Light Blue Hand Printed FloorStylist’s Own Creation

Peacock Feathers FabricLiberty Tana Lawn £19.95 per metre

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Fashion Institute of Technol-ogy / New York Permanent Textile Collection

Essential Guide to A/W

Exhibitions

A Surface Pattern Lovers Dream

What? New York’s best and most extensive textile collection.Where? Fashion Institute of Technology Mu-seum, NYC.When? Everyday - Permanent Collection.Go Because… Ever seen exquisitely preserved fabrics from the 5th Century or marvelled at the colours printed in the 17th? Well at Fash-ion Institute of Technology Musuem (FIT) you can. With over 30,000 fabrics dating back over a thousand years, the collection includes prominent artists Salvador Dali, William

Morris, Jun-ichi Arai and Raoul Dufy to name but a few. With such a vast array of hand painted, printed, woven, embroi-dered, quilted laces and textiles, the col-lection is regularly rotated to give return-ing visitors a new treat every time. More Info? Visit www.fitnyc.edu

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Frieze Art Fair Regent’s Park London 14-17th October 2010

Pushing The Print Envelope

What? Frieze Art Fair – An international ex-hibition of contemporary art.Where? Regent’s Park, London.When? 14th -17th October 2010Go Because… This annual outdoor event of-fers modern art that pushes the boundaries to it’s very limits. Bringing together over 150 galleries worldwide, the unique three day event showcases unknown talent like artist Bartek Marerka from Raster Gallery (Po-land). Although not technically in the realm

of print and pattern, the capti-vating textures and colouring in Marerka’s work bring his protag-onist to life through clever ma-nipulation, intricate pattern and soft light. So wrap up and enjoy an eye opening stroll through the park.More Info? Visit www.friezeartfair.com

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Sue Timney and the art of Tim-ney-Fowler / Fashion & Textile Museum London19th November 2010– 27th February 2011

Powerhouse Eighties Interiors

What? Sue Timney and The Art of Timney-Fowler – A retrospective exhibition celebrating the avant garde British print designer.Where? Fashion & Textile Museum, LondonWhen? 19th November 2010– 27th February 2011Go Because… You’ll discover a real slice of Brit-ish print history with some of the most recognis-able and graphic monochrome textile prints from the 80s and 90s. Inspired by neo-classical

artwork and Japanese wood block print-ing, Timney-Fowler’s classic designs were seen internationally in the homes of the most powerful and influential elites of the 80s. Curated by Sue Tim-ney herself this exhibition is a must for interior design historians, offering ex-clusive never before seen prints.More Info? Visit www.ftmlondon.org.

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Another World / Dean Gallery Edinburgh 10th July 2010 – 9th January 2011

‘Surrealism is not a style, but a way of life.’

What? Another World – One of the largest single exhibitions of Surrealist art in the world.Where? Dean Gallery, EdinburghWhen? 10th July 2010 – 9th January 2011Go Because… To be transported back 80 years to the thriving post-war era of the Surealism move-ment. With some of the most important works from Joan Míro, René Magritte, Marcel Duchamp and André Breton, the exhibition fantastically

highlights the relevance of Surrealism today. Blurring the line between where the movement ended and mod-ern graphics and advertising began, the techniques and skills are extremely trans-ferable and a great influence on modern day printmaking and surface pattern.More Info? Visit www.na-tionalgalleries.org

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Images courtesy of Yemi Awosile

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Finding Pakistan’s Silk Road

Even with an abundance of craft, skill and innovation, the textile industry in Pakistan has long been over-looked, until now. Despite the continual political in-stability and disruptive bombings, the British Council sent London based material designer Yemi Awosile there to renew ties with a unique textiles culture, which still flourishes with colour along the ancient Silk Road.

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‘The New Silk Road was launched by the Brit-ish Council to address the misperceptions of re-gion through creative dialogue.’ – Carla Sorrell

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‘It didn’t really have time to register that I was going to the other side of the world…I got to the airport and thought shit, and started crying!’

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‘You’ve got these big trucks…driven by masculine men with muscles, but they are completely covered with…jin-gling bells and flowers and fluorescent stickers’

‘I was based in the textile department, so I expected sewing machines and print tables and looms, but there wasn’t anything!’

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‘There are a lot of fresh, upcoming designers working on the traditional crafts and giving them a new look for high end fashion’ – Sabiha Rajar

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‘The Silk Road evokes many images: a vast and varied geographical area which includes densely packed cit-ies, sprawling mountains and barren desert; a period in time stretching over hundreds of years, with no definite beginning or end; an eclectic mix of commodi-ties, from spices and silks to more ephemeral stories; an overland network connecting cultures and enabling mobility. The Silk Road, which was coined as recently as 1887 by a German explorer, is easily romanticised, but was realistically fraught with the harsh realities of living for long periods of time in such challenging ter-rain.’ Carla Sorrell’s excerpt from ‘The New Silk Road 2007-2010’ by The British Council.

Known as the original trade route that civilised dynas-ties and brought together the far reaching East and West; the Silk Road offered ‘spices, silks and stories’ to many travellers and tradesmen for over three thousand years. Cloaked in mystery and wonder, the ‘road’, was in fact a journey covering 4,000 miles across land and sea throughout Ancient China, India, Tibet, Persia and the Mediterranean. It enabled the exchange of com-mercial goods, cultural traditions and technology, as well as religion, diseases and the slave trade. In an ea-ger bid to rediscover alliances that were forged and lost centuries ago, the British Council have commissioned four design exchange programmes with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, reforming con-nections along a brand New Silk Road.

After hundreds of designers applied for the pro-gramme, all placements were filled apart from one…Pakistan. “They didn’t really have problems finding people for the other countries, but finding someone for Pakistan was quite difficult, because of the political situation over there” says Yemi Awosile, an MA textile Royal College of Art (RCA) graduate, “so I thought, I’ll do it and it was amazing.” From there it was a quick turnaround and after only four weeks from being se-lected, Yemi found herself on a plane leaving London for Pakistan. “It didn’t really have time to register that I was going to the other side of the world, to a country I’d never been to until I got to the airport and thought shit, and started crying!” After some reassurance from nearby Pakistani passengers, Yemi’s nerves subsided as she realised she was the only tourist on her way to a country where guests are welcomed as a tremendous cultural blessing.

Assigned to Universities positioned at opposite ends of Pakistan, almost 800 miles apart, Yemi was exposed to two very different aspects of Pakistan’s long estab-lished class system. Although both Universities are prestigious and well regarded in the field of art and

design, their facilities differ hugely, primarily based on the affluence of their students. At The National Col-lege of Arts (NCA) in Lahore, where Yemi was placed first, she was openly surprised to find a distinct lack of equipment, which she considered vital for studying at graduate level. “When I got to the college, they didn’t really have any facilities at all,” she says. “I was based in the textile department, so I expected sewing machines and print tables and looms, but there wasn’t anything!”. However, once she began teaching the workshops, Yemi soon realised the potential of using unconventional and more traditional textile methods. The students “don’t have any sewing machines at all, so any stitching is done by hand,” meaning that “their work is more exciting in a way because they have to be more inventive with their ideas,” notes Yemi.

After working with students from all backgrounds at NCA, Yemi transferred to Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, a private University based in Kara-chi, southern Pakistan. “They had a lot of resources and actually the college was the quality you would find here [in Britain]” says Yemi who was teaching students to use a variety of common materials to cre-ate uncharacteristic forms and products. Due to the sizeable contrast between the two Universities, Yemi decided to use paper as the key material for the whole project, challenging students to be as innovative as possible in producing interior products and patterns with the everyday material. By visiting two completely different institutions, Yemi was able to compare the work of Pakistani textile students first hand, by ex-hibiting their work side by side. “It was good compar-ing the work” she says. “In NCA, it was experimental, a bit raw and Indus Valley School, (had) really good colour, but almost predictable in a way because every-thing was set out.” As two of the top design technical colleges in the country, they have a historical rivalry, which pushed them to create the most beautiful paper installations for a New Silk Road exhibition. Through pleating, cutting, fold and twisting, the students were able to produce patterned pieces that played on the light that streamed into the exhibition space.

During her four week working tour of Pakistan, the British Council kept a close eye on the young designer, supervising her trips and driving everywhere; but as Yemi was on a mission to explore, it didn’t stop her from finding other ways. “I hadn’t really realised that I wasn’t allowed to go off and do my own thing,” she claims, “so I went with a teacher to buy materials for the workshop, we jumped into a ‘riksha’ taxi and went to the market and that’s when I took my best pic-tures.” Luckily her fellow teacher had received a stern

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‘The handmade embroideries are unbeatable’’

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warning not to lose her, so kindly followed her round whilst she took in the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional Pakistani market. As well as being packed with the usual fabrics, spices and flowers, Yemi ob-served a distinct lack of women. “Well, its 96% Is-lamic, so it was very, very different. Men and women live very different lives. You could go into a shopping area and it would just be all men and then in other areas, all women,” says Yemi. Many of these ‘male only’ markets are filled with parked trucks and cars, mopeds and bicycles; to show off their brightly and skilfully decorative truck art, which covers many of the travelling vehicles throughout Pakistan. “It’s crazy, you’ve got these big trucks and they are being driven by masculine men with muscles, but they are com-pletely covered with all these bits and bobs, jingling bells and flowers and fluorescent stickers,” says Yemi, who talked her way onto a decorated bus to get a closer look at the colourful interior.

Although an international trader of textiles, Pakistan relies heavily on domestic sales to keep the industry ticking over. As the second largest industry in Pakistan and the eighth largest exporter in Asia, the industry employs 38% of the workforce, a huge 15 million peo-ple, representing the backbone of the country’s econo-my. Rather than the designer/maker fashion industry that we have in the West, Pakistan has a long estab-lished textile industry (previously India of course) that still design and make fabrics in-house, just as all tex-tile companies did in Britain up until the 1950s. As part of Yemi’s workshops, she explained the Western format of fashion labels, designers, seasonal trends and fashion weeks to the students, who are destined for design jobs within large companies or manufacturers upon graduation. “Apparently they all get jobs in the industry, whereas here [Britain] the textile industry doesn’t really exist anymore, so we have all these peo-ple [who] set up by themselves, they get their own studios, whereas they don’t really have that,” explains Yemi. “They asked me if I was going to employ one of them and I was like ‘you’re going to have to employ me!’”

Pakistan’s love affair with textiles is deeply routed in it’s colourful culture, with girls marrying very young, “so everything revolves around weddings and ceremo-nies and dressing up,” says Yemi. With a vast range of skilfully made fabrics continually generated, it’s no surprise that dress in Pakistan is often eccentrically in-dividual; conveying personality, pattern and adornment in both men and women’s bespoke clothing. Using tra-ditional creative processes including natural dyeing, embroidery, screen printing, weaving and hand knot-

ting, the industry has maintained the hand crafted ele-ment even on a mass produced scale. Although access to modern technology such as digital printing is lim-ited, Pakistan is gaining recognition on the world stage, with three of their best known designers: Rizwan Beyg, Maheen Khan and Deepak Perwani showcasing their Spring/Summer 10 collections at Milan Fashion Week last year. “The fashion industry is becoming more established. There are a lot of fresh, upcoming designers working on the traditional crafts and giving them a new look for high end fashion,” says Sabiha Rajar, a young textile lecturer at Indus Valley College who was selected for the UK exchange part of the pro-gramme. During her stay in London, Sabiha visited the studios of acclaimed British designers Donna Wilson and Mary Testeaiux, as well as teaching traditional Pa-kistani dyeing and embroidery techniques to students at RCA and Chelsea College of Art & Design. From her experience, Sabiha thinks that the two countries differ greatly in areas of tradition, craft revival and technol-ogy in the way that textiles are produced. “Our han-dloom set up [in Pakistan] is very strong,” she says. “There are local craftsmen using age old techniques of weaving that have been passed from generations to generations, from father to sons and the whole family is involved in the business, from spinning and dyeing of yarn to weaving.” Although Sabiha views this lack of technology as a disadvantage for progressing in the world market, a number of non governmental organi-sations (NGOs) have embraced these traditional tech-niques, intending to organise exhibitions to showcase the beautiful and skilful side to the industry that lives on in Pakistan.

When the British Council started the project in 2007, their aim was “to address misperceptions of the region through creative dialogue” explains Carla Sorrell, one of the coordinators of the New Silk Road programme. However countries located in this volatile region are regularly affected by conflict, terrorism and political instability, receiving negative press in the West, which further prevents them from contributing to trading in other parts of the world. The reasoning behind the pro-ject was to “offer people the opportunity to broaden their understanding of the country and its culture” and “present positive experiences of creative projects in countries where there is often political upheaval,” says Carla. After a number of UK designers declined to par-ticipate “because of the country’s internal strife,” the British Council were extra vigilant about Yemi’s safety and for good reason, as during her four week residency there were three bombings in Lahore alone, one which killed 45 people. Such ceaseless internal struggles with factions of Islamic extremists and Taliban militants

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‘The New Silk Road Collection is going to be quite graphic, almost kaleidoscopic’

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has devastated Pakistan over the last decade, leading to localised civil fighting and military intervention from America as well as Pakistan’s own government. How-ever, rather than leaving with a tainted view, Yemi had only praise for her time in Pakistan, emphasising that incidences are “not representative of most people in Pa-kistan, because it’s a just a small group of people who are against the military and authority” she says. “It’s a really small group, but if that small group lets a bomb off then they get a lot of attention. So when they’re on the news over here we tend to focus on the nega-tive aspect because that’s all you see. When you are there, it’s horrible when it happens, but there’s always so much else happening as well which doesn’t get re-ported, which is really sad.”

Following her New Silk Road adventure, Yemi has been commissioned by the British Council to produce a col-lection representing her experiences and using tradi-tional Pakistani textile production. After the success of Basso and Brooke’s New Silk Road exhibition of Uzbekistan printed textiles at the Design Museum in July, the British Council have decided to exhibit Yemi’s collection at Design Week in September. Rather than recreating prints based on intricate embroideries, Yemi has decided to design using only what she saw during her time in Pakistan, which centres around the colour-ful hand embroideries themselves. “I’m going to focus on how the embroidery is made, because I love colour. The colours are going to be quite graphic, almost kalei-doscopic, but still quite controlled.” After seeing tradi-tional kite like templates in Pakistan and at the V&A Museum archives, Yemi plans to create accessories from coloured shapes that will have delicate embroi-dery wrapped lovingly around them. Having previously worked in both fashion and interiors, Yemi’s experi-ence has mostly revolved around prints and material manipulation, so this will be a completely new venture for her. Intending to emulate the exhibition she helped curate in Pakistan, the pieces will hang in the space, almost like an installation, but not quite as the acces-sories will be extremely accessible. “The pieces you can wear, the collar you can attach to an outfit. So if you don’t have a lot of money, but you love to dress up and love textiles, then you can buy this and just add it on as an accessory”, says Yemi with only a few weeks to go until the collection will be showcased.

Bringing together the best of both the UK and Paki-stani textile designs, the western style collars will be designed and partially made by Yemi in her East Lon-don studio and the embroidery will be shipped from Pakistan, preserving the connection that was made during the project. “I’m going to look at quite classic,

cute collar shapes, and then I’m going to cover them in embroidery,” she says. “So I’m going to be design-ing prints almost, and send them over (to Pakistan). I’ve seen some factories where I can get them indus-trially made, but for me it’s not special, when you look at the fabrics, the handmade embroideries are unbeatable.”

Yemi’s exhibition for the British Council’s New Silk Road project has yet to be announced, but you can see her collection in house at her studio during an open weekend from 17th-19th September. Visit www.yemi-awosile.co.uk for more information.

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PATTERNTASTIC GETAWAYSEver fancy getting away from it all, but can’t bear leaving your beautiful-ly patterned haven behind for bland, unimaginative, magnolia hotels? Well now you don’t have to as a collective of fashion designers have decided to save us from these ten a penny, God awful, uninspiring interiors. When boutique ‘Art Hotels’ took off a few years ago, they sprung up every-where, offering the latest in chic mod-ern art available exclusively from the comfort of your bed and conveniently

included in the price of your room. But as the practically non-franchisa-ble trend started to wane, a number of designers picked up the torch and a paint brush and got to work giving us something to leave home for. With ‘staycations’ also becoming popular (again) of late, whether its for eco-logical, economical or effort reasons, hotels on our shores seem to be where it’s all happening. From the first Mis-soni brand hotel in Edinburgh, to the Philip Treacy hotel in Galway and

Diane Von Furstenberg’s designs for Claridges in London; our Isles have enjoyed a patterntastic facelift. Rather than going for the Shabby Chic or Vintage Seaside subtleties, the design-ers have gone graphic. Using an abun-dance of colour mixed with black and white, the designers have used their trademark prints and patterns to bring a little life to bedrooms, dining rooms and salons to their hotel. Stripes, flo-rals, polka dots, Ikat, abstract and retro are just some of the themes on

Repeat’s top picks for staycation weekends.

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show at these three local(ish) hotels. So what are you waiting for? Head for a historic weekend in at Missoni in Edinburgh, a sandy weekend at The G Hotel in Galway or a glitzy weekend at star studded Claridges in London. Well, we didn’t say it would be a cheap staycation, did we.

Clockwise from left: Breakfast settings at the Missoni Hotel in Edinburgh, DVF Piano Suite Bedroom at Claridges in London and Philip Treacy’s Pink Saloon at The G Hotel in Galway

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Prints CharmingAward winning print designer and darling of British fashion, Erdem speaks to Repeat about his uncharacteristically dark A/W collection, his total misuse of Photoshop and why he prefers showing in London to anywhere else.

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With minimalism the trademark look for designers and stylists alike, Erdem Moralioglu’s style is no exception, preferring to let his designs do all the talking. Dressed in a uniform of chinos, cashmere and geek chic glasses, Erdem displays a cultivated look of simplicity; the oppo-site of his vivid and ornate self titled womenswear label. A label which has grown organically over the last five years, picking up numerous awards, including this years prestigious Designer Fashion Fund awarded by Vogue and the British Fashion Council (BFC).

Known for his graphic prints, structured dresses and bold colours, Erdem has built an international reputa-tion based on experimental digitised prints, becoming one of the first designers to use it for an entire collec-tion. Creating prints each season from an internal cata-logue of inspirations, Erdem has “always been excited by things that don’t really go together. Colours that are awkward, [and] things that are a little bit odd,” says the designer who has dressed the likes of Michelle Obama, Keira Knightly and Ashley Olsen. “I’ve always been fascinated by things that are oddly beautiful as well as beautiful,” he says, which is evident in his latest A/W collection, which combines sombre shades with striking touches, producing a mish-mash riot of colour. Rather than following the trends season after season, Erdem has created a niche with his exquisite cuts, colours and patterns that consistently offer the Erdem woman time-less and feminine bespoke style pieces.

By combining screen printing with the latest in digital technology, Erdem is able to produce reliably unique prints, something which holds a great amount of appeal for him; “I’m fascinated by that idea that even when you cut each dress, because the print isn’t a copy that each one will look different, even though they are cut from the same cloth.” In order to maintain this rare selling point in all his garments, Erdem has enlisted the ex-pertise of renowned Parisian lace manufacturer Sophie Hallette, who creates every sample of lace by hand, en-suring no two are exactly the same. With haute couture clients including Christian Dior and Givenchy, Sophie Hallette caters to those wanting the absolute finest in traditionally handmade French lace for over 120 years. Coupled with Erdem’s mixed media prints, the brand has elevated itself out of the ready-to-wear market and into the realm of craft, bespoke and couture. Having integrated a traditional element into digital printmaking, Erdem explains his refreshing motives; “I think what interests me is using things that have been made by hu-man hands, so when you think of lace or kind of a print, it almost looks like its been done by hand, even if it’s been done on the computer.”

Despite being known as one of Britain’s most up and coming young fashion designers, Erdem actually grew up in Canada, as an Anglo -Turkish Canadian, along with his twin sister Sara. With family and friends scat-tered across the world, Erdem often found inspiration through travel and the various cultures he was ex-posed to, “[it] was a wonderful and odd contrast, you would find yourself at 7 years old one week in The Tower of London and the next week in Turkey,” he recalls. Years later, after studying at a small technical college in Canada, he found his way back to London via an internship at Vivienne Westwood. Adamant to stay, he undertook a Masters in womenswear at the prestigious Royal College of Art (RCA) which he re-calls “was a really special place, I learnt a lot there.” It was here that he realised his love for textiles and was exposed to experimentation with print and embroi-dery; skills which have cemented his label’s signature hand printed look.

Five years on and Erdem has established himself with-in the very heart of British printmaking, working out of his studio in Bethnal Green as part of a close knit team of six. “It’s a lovely studio, very sunny and we built our own print table; it’s 7 metres long which is big, so I’m very proud of it,” says Erdem, whilst reflecting that having a nice place to work is a plus considering it’s where he spends most of his time. Working close to seven days a week, (often as a one man band) has put a lot of pressure on Erdem, both as a designer and businessman. As he explains, “I only studied fashion design, and running a company, there are so many things I didn’t even know, like organis-ing your VAT!” Hence winning awards such as the Fashion Fringe and Designer Fashion Fund have been integral to the growth of the Erdem business.

After graduating from RCA, Erdem cut his teeth working for Diane Von Furstenberg in New York, where he began to think about branching out on his own. “When I was at DVF, I made the conscious deci-sion that I really wanted to work for myself, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life, I want to launch my own label.” So just four weeks after return-ing from New York, he entered the Fashion Fringe, a competition that was to change his life completely. Through both the funding and mentoring he received, Erdem was able to showcase his first official collec-tion just months later at London Fashion Week, giv-ing him his first taste of life as a professional fashion designer. Since then, the designer has been welcomed back every season since to showcase his printed silk and lace creations that have become his trademark look and a LFW staple. Rather than New York, Paris

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‘I’m fascinated by that idea that even when you cut each dress, because the print isn’t a copy that each one will look different, even though they are cut from the same cloth.’

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or Milan, Erdem chooses to show in London, saying, “I love the contrast, because there are so many of us that show and show different things. It feels right.”

In previous collections, the Erdem woman has been characterised by her love of brightly coloured flora, printed onto silk and chiffon maxis, fitted shirts and day dresses. However, last season saw Erdem advance to the dark side. Showcasing a new, edgier aspect at his A/W show in February, Erdem sent models down with statement kohl black eyes and sleek no fuss hair, without a flower in sight. Rather than abandoning his signature sweetness altogether, Erdem embraced the alternative side to his muse, using antique grey lace and rusting orange accents woven throughout the collection, creating a coherent narrative of bleeding prints. A textural mix between tie-dye and blurring, the colours merge like an au-tumnal sky of impending rain; giving the overall ef-fect of a darkened mood, even in the lightest shades of cobalt, yellow and teal. A self invented technique which Erdem claims to have stumbled upon without mastering it at all, “the print design process is some-thing that I really enjoy and have kind of taught myself,” he explains, “I use Photoshop really bad-ly, that’s how I come to all these weird creations.” Adapting designs into prints, prints into digital and then back again, Erdem repeats the process until he is happy with the integrated design, part printed and part digitised.

Although a number of print designers have sadly succumbed to the mounting pressures of the fashion business such as REPEAT favourite Luella; Erdem claims he enjoys the momentum, saying, “there is always the next season and you have to out do what you’ve done last, and that kind of pressure is both thrilling and what pushes you forward, but [also] the biggest stress.” With more than just the season-al, two shows per year, Erdem has had to become progressively inventive, acknowledging, “we’re con-stantly trying to show the collection in new ways, new contexts and for different purposes.” However, not to be outdone at his now native LFW, Erdem rediscovered the grandeur of the University of Lon-don’s art deco Senate House in Bloomsbury, staging the first ever catwalk there for his A/W collection; although he confesses, “I was a little concerned with someone falling down the huge staircase.” Having cemented his reputation since winning the Fashion Fringe and with an internationally successful brand to his name, Erdem can’t believe how much things have changed, “now, you can print on all sorts of things, but five years ago, you couldn’t even print

on synthetics and now you can print on anything!” Indicating his clear penchant for digital print and advancing technology, he says, “it’s kind of interest-ing that you can trick the eye into thinking maybe it’s been done by hand.”

Erdem A/W collection now available at Dover Street Market, Browns, Colette (Paris), Barneys (USA) and Saks Fifth Avenue (NYC). Or for more stockist informa-tion visit Erdem.co.uk.

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‘There is always the next season and you have to out do what you’ve done last’

‘I’ve always been fascinated by things that are oddly beautiful as well as beautiful’

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R E P E A T Vintage

1. EMI New Zealand Reversible Circle Sleeve.2. 1960s ‘Bunky Records’ 7” Sleeve.3. ‘Muza Polskie Nagrania’ Op/Pop Art Single Sleeves.4. American ‘Co-Ed Records’ The New Stars Are on Co-Ed Sleeve.5. ‘Federal Country Records’ Butterfly Sleeve.6. Japanese ‘King’ Abstract Circle Sleeve.7. ‘Fashion Records’ The Cool Entertainers Double Sided Sleeve. 8. ‘USA Records’ Stars and Stripes Sleeve.9. ‘Karusell Records’ Fair-ground Print Sleeve.10. 1970s ‘Casino Classics’ Night Owl 7” Sleeve.

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A favourite with design blogs and lifestyle magazines, mother and daughter design duo MissPrint have been creating retro, eco hand printed wallpapers, lampshades and cushions for the likes of Liberty and Heals. Having just published their book ‘Printed Pattern – A guide to print-ing by hand from potatoes to silk screens’ in August, REPEAT catches up with them to talk about their new venture, predictions for Autumn/Winter interiors and environmental credentials.

PRINTING MADE ECO

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Since 2005, Yvonne Drury and daughter Rebecca have been running their screen printing company, stocking over 50 stores in 16 countries out of their small East London studio. With both designers gaining first class credentials in Printed Textile Design from the Univer-sity of East London some twenty years apart, Yvonne and Rebecca share a love of pattern, illustration and mid-century designers like Lucienne Day. Their inspi-rations are reflected in their beautifully hand printed wares which have been featured in Elle Décor, Living etc and Real Homes amongst others.

How did MissPrint begin?“Rebecca was at University and enjoying her studies, she just loves pattern and has a true talent for drawing and design. At the time, I wanted to move away from fashion textiles into the interior/furnishing design area, as this is where I feel true affinity. We launched Mis-sPrint at the Chelsea Craft Fair (now Origin) in London in October 2005; it was a great experience for Rebecca as a student and being part of running a business gave her a great insight and motivation. It has now turned into a real family business, with Lee (my husband, Rebecca’s dad) doing most of the silk-screen print-ing, making wallpaper books and much more. Sophie (Rebecca’s sister) is a photographer so we are lucky enough to have her shoot all our designs, products and she also took all the photographs for our Printed Pat-tern book.”

Who was your first buyer?“Our first exposure was at the Chelsea Craft Fair and on the first day of the show, soon after it opened to the public, a lovely lady came along. She was holding a newspaper cutting; it was an image of one of our lampshades, Button Bush in the oyster colourway. She knew exactly what she wanted and pointed to the But-ton Bush shade on display and said ‘I’ll have that one please’. We wrapped it up and packed it carefully, she paid and wished us a good show. It was a good start to our fist exhibition.”

How would you describe your design style?“Contemporary timeless design, originating from hand drawn illustrations.”

What inspires you?“We are inspired by our surroundings, the nature within the urban environment and the rich and diverse mix of cultures. We also love mid-century illustra-tion, designers such as Lucienne Day and Scandinavian design.”

Your work is quite 50s-60s retro looking, do you think vintage and retro are long term trends in interior design?“Trends come and go, and then come around again, each time with a different slant. Our designs do have a look of mid-century retro, however, they have been described as contemporary classics.”

What are your top trend tips for A/W interi-ors? “Bold contemporary pattern, beautifully designed and well balanced. A combination of strong colours such as Cranberry Sorbet and Lime, alongside chic greys and charcoals.”

How do you create your prints?“Our designs start their life in a sketchbook; this is where the ideas and concepts begin. Sketchbook draw-ings and illustrations are then developed into designs. The designs/prints are re-drawn and re-worked until we are completely happy with the outcome. When design-ing, we give great consideration to balance, scale, layout and colour.”

What are the latest technologies in printmaking?There are constant advances in technology, in particular a move towards more environmentally friendly inks and processes.

MissPrint manufactures using environmentally friendly processes. Was this intentional and do you consider the company to be eco?

“We believe ecological issues to be very important. That is why wherever possible we have chosen to use and select processes and products that are environmen-tally friendly. Hence, our complete wallpaper range is PEFC certified, the paper is derived from sustainable forests, is printed with organic pigment inks, which are non-toxic, free of heavy metals and classed as non-carcinogenic. Fabrics are printed with water-based inks and all products are made in the UK. We recycle at eve-ry opportunity and promote the re-use of vintage items through our customised up-cycled furniture pieces.”

How did your book ‘Printed Pattern – A guide to print-ing by hand from potatoes to silk screens’ come about?

“A commissioning editor From A & C Black publishers approached us a couple of years ago, whilst we were exhibiting at Origin in Somerset House. She loved our products and designs and thought that our patterns would form a great basis for a book.”

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‘We believe ecological issues to be very important. That is why wherever possible we have chosen to use and select processes and products that are envi-ronmentally friendly’

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Many of our readers are printing novices, would the book be appropriate for them?

“The book is beautifully illustrated, encouraging and suitable for anyone from absolute beginners to the more experienced. Informative and inspiring, a real must have for anyone who is interested in pattern, decorative design or printing.”

How easy is it to do your own printing?

“It can be really simple; there are many methods you can utilise to make your own printed patterns. You don’t necessarily need to have lots of specialist equip-ment; a few basic key items and you can be ready to begin. Our book helps explain what you will need and gives tips, advice and guidance to the printing process.”

MissPrint is stocked in a large number of stores worldwide, would you consider opening your own shop somewhere?

“It is something that we have considered and a pos-sibility for the future, but we don’t have any definite plans at the moment.”

What have you got planned for this A/W?

“We are planning and developing a range of fabrics to complement our wallpaper range. We will have a woven fabric in the ‘Leaves’ design ready for Septem-ber and also ‘Dandelion Mobile’ in the Douppion Silk, which will be available to buy by the meter. We also have a new collection called ‘Maze Hill’ which we will launch at Maison et Objet in Paris and at 100% De-sign London in September and we hope to have larger selections of fabrics including cottons ready for M&O Editeurs in January.”

Printed Pattern – A guide to printing by hand from pota-toes to silk screens’ is available now; RRP £16.99. To find your local stockist of MissPrint wallpaper, cushions and lampshades visit missprint.co.uk.

‘We are inspired by our surroundings, the nature within the urban environment and the rich and diverse mix of cultures’

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‘The book is beautifully illustrated, encouraging and suitable for anyone from absolute beginners to the more experienced’

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A favourite amongst starlets, royalty and everyday women alike, Horrockses Fashions Ltd pioneered colourful and progressive prints, just when post war Britain needed it the most.

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Although little is written about ready to wear fashion of the post war era, ‘Horrockses Fashions – off the peg style in the ‘40s and ‘50s ,‘ a recent book and current exhibition by Christine Boydell (the princi-ple lecturer of Design History at De Montfort Uni-versity) has brought this much loved and forgotten brand to a new audience via the Fashion and Textile Museum.

From its conception in 1946, Horrockses designs fo-cused on the ‘glamour of cotton’ which was domesti-cally plentiful through their parent company, a Pres-ton based cotton manufacturer. Even though deemed inferior to silk and other dress materials, Horrockses found success with its very first cotton collection. Boosting its appeal by using it as a blank canvas, they created prints and processes, which became synony-mous with desirability and quality. “It was all about quality of cloth and quality of make up and they used processes to stop fading,” notes Boydell, which main-tained colours that are as striking today as the day they were printed.

After the relaxation of clothing rations towards the end of the war, women desperately wanted to ex-change their tired, utility wear for brighter, more modern clothing, which Horrockses delivered. In em-ploying rising contemporary artists from the begin-ning, they established themselves as the leading ready to wear retailer of eye catching prints and styling; using designs from now famous artists Graham Suth-erland, Eduardo Paolozzi and Alastair Morton. Hav-ing been influenced by Dior’s New Look in 1947, the Horrockses’ designers created trickled down versions of Parisian couture with nipped in waists, volumi-nous full skirts and cropped bolero jackets; becoming ‘must have’ summertime dresses and holiday outfits for women across Britain.

Whilst they looked towards Paris for their silhouettes, Horrockses concentrated on finding young Brit-ish talent to continually inject new designs into the brand. Talent spotting across London and Manchester Art Colleges they hand picked the next generation of pattern designers, who were eager to turn heads. Contracting their new protégées to forty designs a year, they treated them like artists rather than em-ployees, particularly in comparison to today’s stand-ards where surface designers average over 10 patterns per day! Creating lobster prints to abstract flowers, bold stripes to geometric shapes, there was nothing shy and retiring about Horrockses statement prints, which bear no resemblance to the wallflower pastels

of retro Americana of the same decade. Such a com-bination of abstract art and textiles was a relatively new concept, setting Horrockses apart and attracting industry insiders such as Drapers, who praised “their cotton frocks for their superb cut, good colours and unusual designs.”

Despite attracting clients with their distinctive prints, Horrockses also used clever marketing and costly promotion to increase their popularity, by advertising in glossy magazines Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. This was not unusual for a ready-to-wear brand, who ap-pealed to fashion savvy readers, encouraging them to request specific outfits rather than shopping around. “Although you had department stores, there weren’t rails of branded names until well into the ‘50s, and the idea was you would want customers to go into shops and say, I want a Horrockses. So if they didn’t have any, the retailer would contact them and say we need some of your dresses!” says Boydell. The cost of such large-scale advertising was inevitably reflected in the price of the dresses, which was equivalent to a whole week’s wages. “You would assume at that kind of price that the middle class or wealthy wom-en were their biggest market,” says Boydell, “but other women who didn’t have a lot of money would save up for one; they want one, so they’d buy one for their honeymoon or such special things.” Rath-er than putting less wealthy women off, the higher price tag afforded Horrockses to claim ‘exclusivity for all’. Interestingly, Horrockses only offered prints in a limited number of designs, costing them more to produce, but avoiding saturation; in great contrast to modern trendsetters Topshop and Primark, whose designs are distinguishable by the sheer number of people all wearing the same print.

In order to justify spending a week’s wages on a sin-gle garment, women of the ‘make do and mend’ era were innovative when it came to reusing their beloved Horrockses dresses. After meeting so many women in the process of creating the book, Boydell discovered that they really did make the most of their outfits, either wearing them until they literally fell to pieces or reinventing them as something else entirely. “A friend of mine, her Mum had that [green food] dress [with the plates] in a different colour way, and she wore it as a sun dress when she first got it, then cut down into a skirt, then made it into an apron; because [she] loved the fabric. People did do things like that in those days, they didn’t just wear it and chuck it.” Keeping and reusing the fabric over so many decades demonstrates both the fantastic quality of the dresses

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‘In 1957, Vogue was recommending a ‘suitcase full of cotton’ for your sum-mer holiday’

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and a genuine attachment to the prints, something women are less likely to do in the 21st Century giv-en our current ‘throwaway’ attitude to trend based fashion.

By 1957, Vogue was recommending a ‘suitcase full of cotton’ for your summer holiday, demonstrating how far the fabric had come, due to the popularity of Horrockses prints. Over two decades, Horrockses had been at the forefront of British fashion, clothing movie stars Vivien Leigh, Gladys Cooper and Mar-got Fonteyn, as well as creating costumes for mov-ies ‘It Always Rains On Sunday’ and ‘Third Time Lucky’ amongst others. One of its greatest achieve-ments though, came when the young Queen Eliza-beth II and her equally well dressed sisters requested bespoke Horrockses dresses for their Royal tours abroad in the early ‘50s. Wearing them during of-ficial visits to Asia, Africa and the West Indies, their long standing endorsement gave Horrockses a Royal Warrant for goods and services to the royal court until they closed in 1983.

After the departure of their key artists, designers and management in the late ‘50s, Horrockses Fash-ions Ltd was unable to cope with the changes initi-ated by the youth movement and was sold in 1963. Despite their reign being relatively short lived, Hor-rockses left a legacy in British fashion history that remains unequivocally original and progressive, of-fering women vibrant, avant garde dresses that are just as desirable and wearable almost 65 years on.

Horrockses Fashions – off the peg style in the ‘40s and ‘50s exhibiting at the Fashion and Textile Museum un-til 24th October 2010. Christine Boydell’s book of the same title is on sale now, RRP £24.99.

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Horrockses’ ‘cotton frocks for their superb cut, good colours and unusual designs’

– Drapers Record

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‘They want one, so they’d buy one for their honeymoon or such special things’

– Dr. Christine Boydell

Images courtesy of Fashion and Textile Museum

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ADDRESSES

DEAN GALLERY EDIN-BURGHwww.nationalgalleries.org+44 (0)131 624 6200

EEELSwww.eelstheband.com

ELLA DORANwww.elladoran.co.uk+44(0) 2076130782

ERDEMwww.erdem.co.uk+44 (0) 207 739 7986

ETROwww.etro.it

FFASHION & TEXTILE MUSEUM www.ftmu-seum.org+44 (0)20 7407 8664

FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYwww.fitnyc.edu+00 (1) 212 2177999

FRIEZE ART FAIRwww.friezeartfair.com+44 (0)20 3372 6111

HHOLLY FULTONwww.hollyfulton.comBrowns Focus+44 (0)20 7408 1281

LLIBERTY www.liberty.co.uk+44 (0)207 734 1234

LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUMwww.ltmuseum.co.uk

MMATTHEW SHLIANmatthewshlian@gmail.com

MICHAEL VAN DER HAMwww.michaelvanderham.com

MISSPRINTwww.missprint.co.uk+44 (0)20 8470 7896

MOMATHE MUSEUM OF MOD-ERN ARTwww.moma.org+00 (1) 212 708-9400

OORLA KIELYwww.orlakiely.com+44 20 7819 0146

PPATTERN PEOPLEwww.patternpeople.com

PAUL FARRELLwww.paul-farrell.co.uk+44 (0)7976 158265

PIE PUBLISHINGwww.piepublishing.com

RRECORD ENVELOPEwww.crossedcombs.type-pad.com/recordenvelope

RIZZOLI PUBLISHINGwww.rizzoliusa.com

AABIGAIL BORG www.abigailborg.co.uk+44 (0) 7793033922

ABSOLUTE ZERO DE-GRESSwww.absolutezerodegress.co.uk+44(0) 20 7737 6767

ANGIE LEWINwww.angielewin.co.ukwww.stjudes.co.uk

ANNA SUIwww.annasui.comFenwick+44 (0)2076299161

ANNE JOCHUMAnne.jochum@yahoo.fr

ANTHROPOLOGIEwww.anthropologie.eu+44 (0) 20 7529 9800

BBRITISH COUNCILwww.britishcouncil.org +44 (0) 161 957 7755

CCACHARELwww.cacharel.fr+33(0)1 42 683 888

CATHERINE TOUGHwww.catherinetough.co.uk+44 (0) 20 7254 8883

CRISTIAN BARNETTwww.crisbarnett.com+44(0)7771 608 277

RUKA RUKAwww.rukaruka.co.uk

SSAMANTHA HAHNwww.samanthahahn.co.uk+00 (1) 845 3044043

SIMON EKRELIUSwww.simonekrelius.com

SUE TIMNEYwww.suetimney.com+44 (0)20 8969 5000

TTHAMES & HUDSONwww.thamesandhudson.com

THE CORALwww.thecoral.co.uk

THE CROWN PUB-LISHING GROUPwww.randomhouse.com

THE SHOP AT BLUE-BIRDwww.theshopatblubird.co.uk+44 (0)207 351 3873

TINA KALIVASwww.tinakalivas.com

VVICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUMwww.vandashop.com+44 (0)20 7942 2696

VINTAGE CHICwww.sheepandchic.blogspot.com

YYAYOI KUSAMAwww.yayoi-kusama.jp

YEMI AWOSILEwww.yemiawosile.co.uk+44 (0)7914049179

Repeat’s Little Black Book

DDR. CHRISTINE BOYDELLDe Montfort University+44 (0)116 2078429

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