My art teacher in high school used to always comment on my outfits, and one day I walked in with an MIA- inspired mixed-print outfit which sparked a discussion about prints.
Although I was not completely fashion-conscious in the 90's, I don't really remember wearing any prints- or anyone wearing them, really. Its always an interesting conversation to talk about what styles this past decade will be known for, and I definitely think prints will be a huge part of how we dressed. My art teacher was saying how ten years ago everyone just wore solids, and now you can't walk into a store without being accosted by a plethora of prints.
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| Oh, the 90's! (you were a fucking weirdo if you wore a print) |
(*Side note: this post is dedicated to my high school art teacher, Ms. Haut! Not only did she encourage me to pursue fashion, but she inspired me to keep a photo diary of my outfits and to blog about fashion. Oh, and she helped me to become the artist I am today!)
When I was in the depths of being broke and trying to make the most out of my wardrobe without having to buy anything new, I loved to experiment with mixing prints.
Even in many of my design projects, I tried to challenge myself not only to render prints proportionally onto a sketch, but also to envision how the average consumer could get the most out of their outfit by using prints.
Sooooooo, this entire post is about prints! I have a lot to say about my inspiration and my designs and my favorite designers- so here it alllll is!
Inspiration!
Mix-print style icon M.I.A. is a fashion revolutionary.
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| Color and Texture and Pattern OH MY |
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| Hottness. |
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| Tribal-print M.I.A. for Opening Ceremony. Sorry....you missed this by a couple years... |
My favorite prints on the runway!
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| All, Balenciaga Spring 2008 |
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| All, D & G Spring 2011 |
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| All, Missoni Resort 2012 |
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| All, Stella McCartney Resort 2012 |
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| All, Mary Katrantzou Spring 2011 |
Prints in my designs:
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| Project for one of my classes- I chose to mix polka-dot, different sized stripes and leopard print, of course! |
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| Professional-grade photo booth: stripes and polka dots...aaand polka dot tights |
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| On Pratt's runway |
And here's how I do it in real life!
Outfit #1:
I love this outfit! I got so many complements on it, and it's so comfortable!
Surprisingly, all the items are from Gap but all accumulated in my wardrobe over the last 5 years.
This outfit works because everything is a neutral- nothing is too loud. You can't tell here but the trousers are railroad striped. Plus, all the patterns are differently sized but nothing is too overwhelming, and the black belt and the converse keep everything grounded.
This outfit was actually a freak accident when I woke up almost too late for art history, but ended up being a win!
Outfit #2:
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| Now someone else owns this skirt, thanks to the clothing exchange! Hooray! |
This outfit was formed around the skirt- a skirt I never wore- and I tried to revive it with the horozontally striped tee. This definitely works because the whole outfit is the same color scheme, and the huge scarf and opaque tights break it all up.
This was also a super comfortable is-winter-ever-going-to-end? ensemble.
Now prints are crazy, and they're everywhere.
In ten years I'm going to look back on this and shake my head, but for now I'd rather just be a fashion bitch.
Ciao bella bitchez ;)
