Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Layers of Abstraction


Indigo print show, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

I just attended the Indigo/Direction print show here in NYC to get a feel for current pattern direction. Normally I'll walk away from a show like this with a pretty clear message about what's trending.... something easy to understand like nautical themes, folk art or, heaven forbid, polka dots. This time I was surprised to see that there was no cohesive message about what was popular. At first this threw me for a loop since I was expecting a fairly simple direction to emerge, but I finally realized that my usual complaint about these shows is that there isn't enough originality. Everyone gloms onto a theme that they think will sell and overdoes it.

While it's clear that print in general is trending, especially for women's wear, the prints themselves seem to be all over the map; florals, abstracts, animal prints, vintage themes, luau prints... you name it, it was there. I suppose this is frustrating for those who just want some trend direction, but for those of us who want to exercise some creativity, this is great news. I'm hoping the push for originality sticks around for a while.

Above print studios from left to right:
The Style Council
Lica
Printfresh

3 comments:

  1. Interesting. What creative directions are you going?

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  2. Hmm... good question. I've been so distracted lately I haven't been doing much artwork. I think I like the sketchy, hand-drawn look. If I can manage to find two seconds to sit down, this is what I would do.

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  3. Thanks for the informative. Fantastic blog. Congratulations!!!

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