Tag Archives: artwork

Textile Collection Ella

It’s that time again! Our design team has been busy at work to deliver you a brand new range of elegant designs. We’ve chosen to create seasonal feeling prints, contrasting in style to our previous floral filled collection, and guaranteed to inspire. Introducing our new Ella Collection, which is available now in our Fabric Shop now!

For this collection we were inspired by continuous line drawings which sparked the creative process of creating gorgeous, minimal designs. We took inspiration from the Divine Feminine, researching the female form, facial features and bohemian iconography. Picasso and artist Kris Trappeniers were also used as a reference to help guide the illustrative style of the collection. We then began to hand-draw a range of illustrations, experimenting with different pencils and markers before settling on the use of a black fine-line marker, to create a universal look to all the designs.

Picasso

Kris Trappeniers

Once we had a series of illustrations, we selected the drawings we wanted to use for the designs and scanned them for further development. Both Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop were used to clean the hand-drawn artwork and experiment with scale and layout.

Different colours and tones were tested during the creative process for each design. Before we settled on a soft, earthy colour palette to compliment the feminine nature and simple elements of the collection. The warm colours, inspired by nature, create a harmonious flow throughout the range. For one of the designs we found two different colourways worked particularly well, and decided to feature both of them in the final collection.

The prints include various scales throughout the collection which we think are perfectly suited to fashion applications. The minimalist artwork and diverse colour palette makes them incredibly versatile for a wide range of creative projects. We’ve included some reference imagery below to help get those ideas flowing.

Image via Pinterest

Snippets: Chats With Creatives, Textile Designer Katy Dee of Shiztastic – Series 3, Snippet 6

Snippets. Chats with Creatives.

Here at Digital Fabrics we love everything print, pattern and colour and we love to know what makes print designers tick.

This series we are focusing on textile designers as our creatives to get into the nitty gritty of the thing we love the most, textiles and surface design! We have asked a different set of questions relative to this and as always we hope to inspire others by sharing snippets of these creative stories.

Today we are talking to Katy Dee, the textile designer behind the colourful print based brand: Shiztastic.

All of her designs begin as paintings and collages before she digitally edits them and creates repeat and placement prints that she turns into fabric with us then they are made locally or by her into a range of fashion accessories and most recently homewares!

You can find her products online here or you will find her at a local market, she has previously be seen at Makers and Shakers, Finders Keepers, and The Slow Fashion Market which is coming up again in Sydney in September!

Tell us a bit about yourself, your brand/label name what your creative practice is, how and when you began:

Hello, I am Katy Dee. The creative lady behind ‘Shiztastic’, a fun print based label focused on creating cheerful textiles for you and your home. I consider Shiztastic to be part of the slow fashion movement and like to think that when someone purchases from me they have a treasured item that will last them a long time and be loved. Everything is proudly printed and made in Sydney.

I have been making things since I can remember, over my time I have studied glass, jewellery, ceramics, and found sewing about ten years ago. I started off using vintage fabrics and making softies and would sell these in London at the Spitalfields markets. When I moved to Sydney I studied Digital Textile Design at night at Tafe and became obsessed with print and pattern!

Then life took me and my husband to Malaysia for a year where I learnt to screen print and was so inspired by the colourful surroundings, which on our return led me back to textiles and I began working here at Digital Fabrics! Since then my product range has developed and changed and currently focuses on fashion accessories and homewares which I sell online, in stores and at markets around NSW.

Where do you call home and what is your favourite thing about where you live?

I have called the Eastern suburbs of Sydney home for the last ten years and I do love being near the beaches, you can’t beat a swim & a picnic at Bronte on a Sunday afternoon. I also love being so near Centennial Park, I find nature to be a big inspiration to me and every time I go I find a new nook or cranny to explore. My latest discovery was the Wild Play Park area which practically has a Jungle inside!

What 3 words best describe your creative style.

Bright, playful and bold. A cheerful riot of colour!

What led you to Textile design and what is your favourite thing about working with fabrics and/or print?

I have always loved fabrics and surface design, it took me a while to figure out that the two were linked though! I studied all sorts of things before screen printing and then Digital Textile design at Tafe before getting a job at here Digital Fabrics which I recently left to focus on shiztastic. I worked here for 3 years and gained so much knowledge and experience within Digital Printing, I still find the process fascinating and the quality amazing.

I love fabrics because their possibilities are quite endless and you can create almost anything! I love coming up with new ideas and thinking about what I can make next, to be able to use my own illustrations and artwork to create prints is so fun and the colours you can achieve with digital printing are so vibrant which obviously I love.

Tell us a bit about what kind of studio, space or practice you run? Do you sell online or license your prints, do you do commissions or lots of freelance and what do you like doing the most?

Currently Shiztastic is mainly product based, I design all the prints and then I make collections of products including fashion accessories such as scrunchies, headscarves and hair ties and I recently launched a homewares collection which has really fun cushions, pot pants and tea towels in it. I would like to start licensing my prints and doing more freelance work and am working towards this so watch this space…

Tell us about your creative space, what are your tips for keeping a creative studio space organised? What would your dream space look like?

I have always had a craft ‘space’ of sorts, first it was a table in our dining room, then a craft corner and it has slowly evolved into a studio space in our spare room. I wish I could say it was organised, sometimes it is but mainly it is piles of colourful stuff and things! My dream space would actually be a shop one day with a creative studio/showroom out the back.. I imagine lots of wood, plants, baskets and somewhere I can make a lot of mess.

Tell us about how you get your creative juices flowing, what is your process? Do you have a source of inspiration you want to share with us?

I have always been inspired by almost anything, it could be a fruit sticker on a lemon or a walk in the park. Botanicals and abstract versions of them feature heavily in my work and often they are nothing like their reality but that’s ok with me! My process can be a bit random, I might get an idea for an overall feel and look and work backwards or I will be inspired by a road trip or an evoked memory.

In terms of inspiration, as corny as it sounds I think there is beauty everywhere, sometimes you just need to look a bit harder. We can all get a bit bogged down and obsessed with Instagram [which I love and hate!] and sometimes it is good to step away from it all and remember why you love what you do.

Do you have a favourite medium and/or method to work with, if so what is it and why?

Paint, with ink as a close runner up! It is messy, unruly and fun. Most of my designs begin as paintings and drawings which I then either collage by hand or digitally edit before turning them into repeats of various scales. There are just so many options with a painting, and once it is scanned those options just grow. I love still seeing the brushstrokes and marks in a design and feel it gives it a handcrafted look which is important to me.

How do you think somebody else would describe your style?

Loud, bright and quirky. Always wearing colourful earrings!

What would your dream creative project or collaboration look like? Tell us why you would love to collaborate with them and what you find inspiring about their work?

I would love to collaborate with Gorman or Mister Zimi because their prints are fabulous, daring and always so colourful and celebratory of life. There is also a UK brand called Lucy and Yak that make the most amazing Dungarees and I would love to do something with them so maybe the universe will help me out. A girl can dream..

Where would you like to see your work featured?

Ooh, well, on all sorts of things… weirdly I would like to see it on a bus, on glassware, and on a recyclable cup but I am very open to ideas and could imagine my designs on a wide range of things in the future. It will be fun and bright and made to make people smile.

Read about what Katy is up to: Website, Instagram, Facebook.

Snippets: Chats With Creatives, Textile Designer Audrey Gachet – Series 3, Snippet 4

Snippets. Chats with Creatives.

Here at Digital Fabrics we love everything print, pattern and colour and we love to know what makes print designers tick.

Today we are chatting to Audrey Gachet a Sydney based textile designer and illustrator who’s love of the beach and nature is reflected in her hand painted watercolour designs. Her work is elegant, classic and contemporary as well as being proudly printed and made in Sydney. She works mainly with fabrics and creates gorgeous textile pieces for the home as well as creating art prints, we love it all and can’t wait to share her inspirations and story below.

You will find her products online here or look out for her at a market, she has previously exhibited at Life Instyle, Makers & Shakers and Finders Keepers.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your brand/label name what your creative practice is, how and when you began:

I’m Audrey Gachet, I’m a designer and Illustrator based in Sydney.

Growing up in the south west of France, my creative journey started from a very young age, when I used to hang around my mother’s atelier. Being an artist herself, I was influenced by my mother’s art and you would often find me painting and creating all sorts of things in her studio.

After studying Graphic Design & Illustration in Bordeaux and London, my career as a designer really took off when I moved to Australia and worked with Australian brands, creating lifestyle products. I learnt a great deal from them and it allowed me to understand and appreciate the hard work that goes into creating products and developing them.

I created my label in 2018 and launched my first collection of luxurious homewares and fashion accessories, which I now sell online and in various boutiques across Australia.

Like many designers, sustainability is important to me. I wanted to make sure that I created designs that don’t impact negatively on the environment and I also wanted to choose natural fibres that don’t require much energy to produce and that are renewable.

The other important point to me was working with local businesses to bring my product to life, so all of my designs are hand-made by artisans in Sydney. I work with a local digital printer and maker to ensure the heart and soul of my work is translated in every product.

Where do you call home and what is your favourite thing about where you live?

Sydney is now my home. Living close to Sydney’s magnificent beaches and botanical beauties, I feel deeply inspired by the Australian lifestyle – nature informs a big part of my work. Having grown up in the French countryside, I’ve always been drawn to the simple and authentic aesthetic, so there is always a bit of France injected into my work.

What 3 words best describe your creative style.

Raw, Organic, Delicate

What led you to Textile design and what is your favourite thing about working with fabrics and/or print?

I have been interested in textile design from a very young age. I learnt to sew and started designing my own clothing, bags and homewares such as cushions for my student apartment.

As a designer now, working with fabric and prints allows me to continue to indulge that love for colour and texture. Being able to create a tactile experience, for example by pairing interesting fabrics together, is something I really enjoy doing. It’s very important to me to generate a sense of visual envy and of wanting to touch and feel the final product.

Tell us about how you get your creative juices flowing, what is your process? Do you have a source of inspiration you want to share with us?

The creative process – giving life to an idea – really excites me more than anything. Taking inspiration from my everyday life, I am quite drawn to colour combinations and texture. Whether it’s from what I see in the streets, from books, in exhibitions, on social media, or along my travels – everywhere you look there is inspiration! As a creative it is important to observe everything around you and be open to all forms of art, not just your own niche.

Do you have a favourite medium and/or method to work with, if so what is it and why?

I enjoy working with watercolour to build up delicate shades and layers of fine details and to manipulate white space and light which amplifies the surrounding colours.

I also really love the freedom that working with watercolour gives you – it is a technique that is not easily mastered but you learn to play with it and truly appreciate the unpredictability it brings. It allows me to have a free gesture which sometimes leads to aesthetic ‘imperfections’, but these possess their own unique beauty.

When designing a new collection or set of work what is your process and how long might you spend on this?

Gathering inspiration from a multitude of sources – be it colours, textures or shapes – always kick-starts the process. The next step is to organise my materials and plan what I would like to focus on and what I want to communicate through a collection. Then comes my favourite part of the process – I start painting. The process continues on through printing and production, with a full project taking from six months to a year, from initial inspiration to final product.

What would you say is the biggest challenge when running your own business, what is your favourite and least favourite part?

Having a business is a challenge on its own; you are constantly multitasking and working on all the facets of the business – sales, marketing, web designing, production coordination etc. Although, staying focused on what you are good at is the biggest challenge. You have to make sure you make time for what you love doing, which for me, is the creation process.

What advice would you give an aspiring textile designer in today’s challenging and competitive environment? Are there any resources you would recommend or websites that you couldn’t live without?

Persistence and consistency in your work is important. That’s why being passionate about what you do keeps you going. Make the things you wish someone else would make for you – I keep repeating this to myself and stepping back from my design, thinking would I love having this? If it’s a yes then I will go ahead. Sometimes you get stuck with creating your own designs. But being surrounded by other creative helps as well and make sure you keep meeting new people and network.

What would your dream creative project or collaboration look like? Tell us about why you would love to collaborate with them and what you find inspiring about their work.

I would love to collaborate with Anthropologie. I have been a big admirer of their colourful and textural designs and it is quite an institution for homewares and fashion lovers and designer.

What projects or collaborations from last year stuck out, good or bad and what is coming up over this year that you would like to plug!

I am currently in collaboration with the Australian clothing brand The Ark. It’s an exciting project which should come to life this summer 2019!

Read about what Audrey is upto: Website, Facebook, Instagram.

Nailed It: Q & A Style Interview With Roberta Montorfano From Betta Design Studio

Nailed It. Creative business success story

Here at Digital Fabrics we love finding a new and interesting success story on a brand or business that is inspiring to the creative community. We thought it would be useful and informative to find out how these creative businesses nailed it, lessons learned on the way and tips they might have. We have asked them to share important “How to’s” and growth hacking tips for start-ups and emerging designers. Read it, get motivated and nail it yourself!

This time we have a Sydney based Textile designer to get your creative juices flowing and your mind ticking! We are chatting to Roberta Montorfano the artist and designer behind the Textile Studio: Betta Designs, a brand that is full of bohemian delight and florals to swoon over. She is also one of our workshop teachers!

We had the pleasure of asking her a few questions about how she is nailing it and what she has learnt along her journey so far and what she plans for the future of her business.

Who is behind Betta Designs Studio– tell us a bit about who you are, what you do and what services does Betta Designs offer?

Hello, my name is Roberta – I am a dreamer, pattern lover, artist and full time textile print designer!

My background is half Mexican – from my mothers side; and Italian- where I was born and spent most of my life. I have always been a curious soul wanting to see the best and colourful side of life, trying to find the best way to communicate myself and who I am through art and patterns (that you can also wear if they are textiles!!)

With Betta Design we offer collections of exclusive textile prints services:

– Collections of exclusive designs ready to go prints in high resolution Photoshop files.

– Custom design for any particular print idea and request

– Creation of different colorways and print manipulation

– Mood boards and trend research

– open to any artistic collaboration ideas

What did your creative journey look like and how did you begin designing textiles? At what point did you start your textile studio ‘Betta Design Studio’?

My journey with Betta Design has been very natural, looking backwards I can see all the dots connected to each other.

I have always wanted to have a pencil in my bag to draw and colour something since I was young; art and anthropology have always been my favourite subjects at school and when I had to choose my University career I decided to keep art as a ‘hobby’ and studied ”languages and cultural mediation” (dreaming of becoming a some sort of National Geographic photo journalist).

While I was trying to study Chinese I found a job opportunity as a sales rep for a textile studio in my hometown, which required me to travel a lot around the world (Brazil, Japan, USA, China, Europe…) When I soon after realised what I was selling and how inspiring and creative was the textile design world I automatically pursued my textile design career as well. So after working for a very well-known local print studio in Italy for few years, I decided to challenge myself: travel and move to grow and learn and seeking new dreams.

Betta Design Studio was born in my room in Bondi in 2014 after a strong desire of sharing my passion for pattern and print ideas, art and textile.

You have a very interesting background and heritage, do you think you can tell us about this and how this has inspired you and in what way do you believe it has translated into your work across the years.

My background is very interesting, two countries that have such a strong art identity:

I grew up surrounded by colours, patterns, textile. I come from Lake Como that used to be the Italian capital of silk, my dad has always worked in textile producing made in Italy silk scarves and ties. Our house was full of Mexican art and style and handmade beautiful traditional designs, it has been always around me.

I have always felt so lucky to be who I am and to be born from such a rich mix of roots.

My strong curiosity for art and the desire to create combined with my passion for travelling and exploring art and cultures brought me into textile and my passion grows every day more and more.

What does a day look like in the Betta Design studio? Do you have a routine to follow or do you work in a more ad hoc way?

It’s very hard to describe what a typical Betta Design day looks like because it really depends on what is going on. Let’s say that Betta Design never stops even at night, a bit unpredictable each day because there are so many tasks and exciting things to do every day: finding new ideas, preparing files, creating new prints, lots of admin sometimes, resourcing new projects, new opportunities, traveling and showcasing our designs around as well as painting and drawing and colouring the world with patterns!

This is what typically happens in a day but I have to say that at night is when I am more productive and full of ideas (it’s 12.52am right now!)

Florals and botanicals are clearly a huge inspiration to you, was this always the case and where do you get new inspiration from?

Styles can change from day to day, when an inspiration or a new idea comes you can only follow it. I love to change a lot: animal prints, bohemian, borders, florals, abstract prints, a bit of geometrical sometimes, tropicals.. there are infinite ideas in our minds!

Actually florals are not my best style. I love drawing florals, especially botanicals or watercolours but I am more a bohemian type. I like to design different sort of style depending on the request, the trends and ideas. But my soul is gyspy, so ethnic and bohemian prints are my favourites!

Obviously I love drawing florals, that’s why we run the Floral Workshop together!!

What does your creative process looks like? Can you take us through your design development steps and which is your favourite and why?

There are different ways I develop a print, a creative process is quite personal and different from each textile designer.

Betta Designs never stops – my eyes are everywhere I can see patterns all around me: it could be watching a sunrise, on the bus, walking around the park full of trees and flowers, at the market or looking at a tile outside your friend’s house. Inspirations can come from anywhere!

I remember one of the first print I created it was in my first or second collection: a water effect digital print. Very bright and vibrant and blue! I started from a photo that I took during a coastal walk in Tamarama, a photo of perfectly smooth waves from the top of the rock. I still remember that moment, the perfect combinations of shades of blues and whites. Then I got home and I started playing with it in Photoshop and I created a print that I called ‘Splash’ (I used to give actual names to my prints). That print was sold to a great swim local label.

This is my favourite part of the design development process – The natural one, when the idea just comes by itself and you create something that is new and interesting.

Going back to your question I was getting too emotional; whenever the inspiration comes from (a catwalk trend or a picture you took from a flower on your balcony) the design process is quite standard:

– Creation and preparation of the elements. This is my favourite step, usually the most creative one. Drawing and preparing the elements, choosing colours and movement.

– Designing the print: display the elements and put them in repeat. This is the most “technical process”.

– Try different colorway options and check the file at the end.

Can you share your go to online resources for textile design trend research and inspirations?

I tend to use more books for inspiration but as in online resource I manly keep myself updated on trends on wgsn.com on weconnectfashion.com and blogs, I use Instagram and Pinterest to share and get inspired.

You are represented at some of the international textile trade shows, what goes on at the shows and what do you get out of them.

Yes, we have tried some trade show, the most recent one was the London Print Textile Fair. Trade Shows are a great opportunity to connect with other customers and it’s a window for new opportunities and to grow. We are also represented by agents in Australia, US and Europe.

If you were to start your creative journey all over again, would you do something different and if so what would it be?

You know when they say “it was meant to be”? – I strongly believe that we have a path to follow and mine led me here where I am now. So no, I would not change a single thing of what I did so far. Textiles is more than a passion and is a way of living. My creative journey has been very natural for me and I hope I will always stay as exciting and inspiring as it currently is every day.

What skills do you think are necessary to have in order to become a textile designer that specialises in developing fabric prints for the fashion market?

– Definitely a strong passion for patterns and colours

– love to create and drawing skills

– strong eye and observation skills to constantly look around yourself and always inspire and get inspired

– strong knowledge of Adobe software (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign..)

– lots of patience and determination to keep believing in yourself and your art because it’s worth it!

What words of wisdom do you have for others wanting to do what you do?

It’s not an easy industry like many other creative carriers. It’s challenging to constantly be creative and share hoping that someone else will like what you have drawn (and eventually wear a dress with your design).

So many times I have asked myself what I was doing and why, but I could never stop because my imagination was bigger than any fear of failing. And failing is actually a good thing sometimes. Whatever your passion is just follow it, it’s never going to be wrong as long as it makes your soul smile.

“Creativity means enjoying any work as meditation; doing any work with deep love.”

What would you like to see in the future of Betta Design Studio, any dream collaborations, projects or ideas that haven’t come to life as yet?

In the future of Betta Design I can see so many things that I don’t even know where to start. So I try to stay optimistic while trying not to overwhelm myself with expectations either. I would love Betta Design to keep learning and keep sharing prints around and get inspired by collaborating with different people and projects hopefully around the world and I will do my best!

Thanks Roberta, what a fun and colourful read full of inspiration.

You can follow along with what Roberta from Betta Designs is upto Website, Instagram, Facebook

Snippets: Chats With Creatives, Illustrator & Pattern Designer Amber Davenport – Series 3, Snippet 3

Snippets. Chats with Creatives.

Here at Digital Fabrics we love everything print, pattern and colour and we love to know what makes print designers tick.

Today we are chatting to Amber Davenport, a British illustrator and surface pattern designer with a flair for hand painting bright and colourful artworks inspired by travel, botanicals and her surroundings.

She aims to make people happy with her artwork and accessories and we have to agree that she does! Her style is unique and she captures scenes in such a wonderful way with brushstrokes, patterns and colours used and details captured.

She has worked with Urban Outfitters, Birchbox, Target and OhhDeer and been featured in some great publications including Mollie Makes, Brownpaperbag and Artistic Moods. Her work is aesthetically pleasing and works in a variety of spaces and we had fun asking her the snippets questions:

Tell us a bit about yourself, your brand/label name what your creative practice is, how and when you began:

I’m Amber, I’m an Illustrator and Surface Pattern Designer from England. I sell my Illustrations as prints via my website and through companies such as Urban Outfitters, Target and Paperchase. I also create surface patterns for a range of different products including Cushions, Tote Bags and Wall Hangings. My business started in my bedroom in 2016 whilst I was studying Textiles at University in Manchester. Fast forward 3 years and my hobby and passion project has turned into a full time dream as a shop owner and Freelance Illustrator! Since graduating University last year I work from my studio at home where I’m kept company by my three cats and endless potted plants.

Where do you call home and what is your favourite thing about where you live?

I live in a Warrington in the North West of England, it’s great because it sits between two great cities; Manchester and Liverpool.

What 3 words best describe your creative style.

Botanical, Naïve and Colourful.

Tell us about your creative space, what are your tips for keeping a creative studio space organised? What would your dream space look like?

My studio is currently packed into the spare room of my home. It has very good natural light and is filled with plants as continuous inspiration. It’s great because I always have my cats to keep me company although sometimes I do get a bit of cabin fever, its so important to leave the house at least once a day! I’d love a bigger studio as I’m currently surrounded by boxes of stock with limited space to spread out. My dream studio would be a large white room, a blank canvas, filled with lots of desk space. Id love a designated area for packing stock and another area where I could paint and be messy!

What does a typical creative day look like for you? Do you follow a routine or are you project led?

Typically, in the morning I focus on replying to emails, updating my website, sorting content for social media and heading to the post office with lots of prints! These areas are the parts of my business I enjoy the least so I try to get these things done first so I can enjoy the rest of my day. After lunch I sit down at my desk and paint, whether it be for personal projects or client led projects. I love this part of my job and I get totally lost in it, sometimes I don’t leave my desk until the early hours of the morning.

Tell us about how you get your creative juices flowing, what is your process? Do you have a source of inspiration you want to share with us?

I love to travel, I recently got home from a four-month trip to Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hong Kong and Thailand. So at the moment I’m definitely ready to burst with ideas! Obviously I cant afford to travel all the time, so when I’m not travelling I like to visit Botanical Gardens and watch lots of David Attenborough documentary’s, on repeat!

Do you have a favourite medium and/or method to work with, if so what is it and why?

Acrylic and Gouache paints. I also like to collage with painted bits of paper, screenprint and sometimes like to papercut too! I’m a very hands on designer, I’ve never really been interested in digital design as the process isn’t as fun for me.

What would you say is the biggest challenge when running your own business, what is your favourite and least favourite part?

Time management! Its difficult juggling marketing, accounts, post office trips and replying to emails when all you really want to do is create. These things don’t come naturally to me so I have a habit of pushing them aside. My favourite part is completing personal projects. I consider myself so lucky that I get to create the art that I want the majority of the time. Some days I get to paint whatever I feel like in that moment, I find that sometimes these pieces become my best sellers and that’s just the best feeling ever. My least favourite part is the uncertainty of running your own business, my monthly income varies and this is quite daunting. I suppose organization and self motivation is key to feeling like you’re keeping on top of everything.

Where would you like to see your work featured?

Id love my surface pattern to be featured in Anthropology, it would just be a dream. Aside from that I would love to grow my brand enough so that I could start selling wholesale to high street stores. I’m currently working on expanding my product range to include more of my Surface Pattern Designs so if I could pull that off id be so happy.

You can read more about what Amber is upto Website, Instagram, Facebook.

Textile Collection Luxe

Recently when we’ve launched a new range of prints we’ve taken the time to put together a blog post that details the creative process behind the collection. We thought it would be a fabulous opportunity to revisit some of the past textile collections in our Fabric Shop and share the inspiration, techniques and methods that went into the creation of these designs. For this textile retrospective we’re focusing on one of our most popular ranges – The Luxe Collection. The range features 6 key designs, with some available in multiple colourways, resulting in a rich 10 piece collection.

Palazzo Colonna Rome – nikyrovis.com.au

Dulux Styling – we-are-scout.com

Villandry Wallpaper Styling – stylelibrary.com

The Luxe Collection wanted to celebrate the essential role that textiles and prints play in designing really sumptuous interiors. The layering of different colours and textures together elevates a space and gives it that luxurious feel. Our design team wanted to apply this same logic to a textile collection by playing around with different colours, techniques and imagery.

The first design element we worked on was colour. We wanted to select a colour palette that created a sense of opulence all on its own. The secondary colours of green and purple were selected as focal points, with distinct choices for each being used, including hot pink, sage green, indigo and spearmint. The colour palette has cool undertones throughout and is reminiscent of gem stones.

The creative process then varied for each of the designs. For the ‘Bold Rose’ prints, photographs taken at The Royal Botanic Garden were digitally manipulated to create moody large scale prints. The ‘Watercolour Pink’ and ‘Circular Peony’ were created from hand drawn watercolour illustrations which gives the designs a free-flowing aesthetic. ‘Mramor Ice’ was created using marbling techniques, which also provides an organic feel, whilst ‘Elephant Ear’ and the ‘Cutout’ prints were designed entirely digitally as a point of difference within the range.

This variation between designs creates a really interesting narrative throughout the collection where the prints can either work alone or harmonise beautifully together. The Luxe Collection is a series of statement prints certain to give any space a touch of flair.

We’d love to know what sort of project you would like to use these designs for, or perhaps the projects you’ve already used them for – so please get in touch! Designs are available in our Fabric Shop now.

Nailed It: Q & A Style Interview With Stavroula Adameitis From Frida Las Vegas

Nailed It. Creative business success story

We are back for 2019 and we have a fabulous designer to get your creative juices flowing and your mind ticking! To get the year going we are chatting to Stavroula Adameitis, the artist and designer behind the fabulous label ‘Frida Las Vegas‘ an Australian brand known for its bright colours, pop art themes and humorous work with a big kitsch kick and homage to the 80’s. We had the pleasure of asking her a few questions about how she is nailing it and what she has learnt along her journey so far.

Firstly, please tell us about how Frida las Vegas was born and how you came up with the very fun name?

The name ‘Frida Las Vegas’ was given to me by a dear friend when I unceremoniously signed up for an OKCupid.com profile some time in 2012 and didn’t want to use my real name on screen. I stayed on the platform for a grand total of 10 minutes before getting creeped out and leaving the online dating world forevermore but I noted the name ‘Frida Las Vegas’ had a catchy ring to it. I felt the combination of artistic feminine expression a la Frida Kahlo with a side order of tack-a-rama Las Vegas glamour really summed up who I was and what I wanted to express, so it was perfect to create work under this name a year later!

Your artwork is uber unique! What messages are you trying to share and what does your brand represent?

Thank you! My work is super nostalgic and reflects my personal obsessions with icons of popular culture, architecture, fashion and memory – many of which are distinctly Australian, which I feel is missing from the pantheon of Pop Art. Glamour and humour are central to the FRIDA LAS VEGAS ideology as these terms usually contradict themselves and I don’t think they necessarily should.

Visually, I’m interested in creating a universe that exists in its own timewarp, like a mash-up between art deco linework, 1980s Memphis Milano graphics and 1950s atomica. Ultimately my brand represents the self-actualising power of positivity, colour, confidence and humour.

Your colour palette is bold and bright, do you ever see this changing or is it integral to your work?

My colour palette is somewhere between a Barbie Campervan and a bag of mixed lollies and I can’t see this changing too much across mediums. I connect with bright colours on a deep level as they give me energy. If I ever use black as a major colour, I’m pretty sure will only be used as a background for multicoloured neon lights!

Do you work on Frida las Vegas full time? If so how did you make the transition and what experience have you found most valuable on the way? What advice can you give to fellow creatives thinking about making the leap?

Presently, I work freelance and split my time between clients, agencies and my own work under the FRIDA LAS VEGAS label. It’s all a juggle but I love constantly learning and evolving. There’s no roadmap through a career and I’m excited to see where the path twists and turns as new technologies and opportunities present themselves in the future. It’s important to stay open and flexible, regardless of your medium or industry.

Do you think you have a specific demographic, if so who are they and what do you think they love most about your work?

Anyone who appreciates vintage-inspired styling, a keen sense of humour and a love of colour is probably going to connect with my work. I’ve been told by customers that wearing FRIDA LAS VEGAS makes them feel fabulous and confident, which is the ultimate double-whammy compliment in my books and also the reason I do what I do!

Sydney is a BIG source of inspiration for you (obviously, because she’s fabulous dahhh-ling). Can we expect to see any work inspired by any of our other glorious Aussie cities?

I adore Sydney and feel incredibly inspired to call Sydney home, but am equally pumped to explore the mythologies, signs, symbols, faces and places of other Australian locales – especially the Gold Coast (so gloriously tropical and tacky!) and Adelaide always holds a giant slice of my heart, as that’s where I grew up and spent my first 25 years on the planet.

Who are your biggest inspirations and who tops your dream collaboration list?

I’d love to collaborate with Black & Gold or Home Brand, but this is definitely a pipe dream as they are both very elusive and exclusive! Fashion-wise, I love the work of Elio Fiorucci, Jeremy Scott, Thierry Mugler, Gianni Versace and 80s Barbie, amongst others. Cinema is also a massive passion, especially costume and set design – which is truly creative across the spectrum and allows filmmakers and their teams to construct entire ‘worlds’, something I find really appealing.

Ethical manufacturing is clearly very important to you (yass!). As another local business supporting the ethical fashion movement we’d love to hear what your motivations with this cause are.

Ethical manufacturing makes perfect sense. From a production perspective, it’s more efficient to foster relationships with local suppliers whom you can jump on the phone and workshop ideas with in the same timezone rather than dealing with overseas companies by email. My artwork celebrates Australia in all its forms, so it’s only fair my clothing truly reflects that celebration in how it is produced and constructed. I’m a big believer in practicing what you preach!

You recently entered the world of fashion with a product list growing fast! What led to you designing and creating these pieces and what might be next?

I’m always motivated to design what I personally want to wear and can’t find on the market. I’m not interested in trying to reach a mass audience, which gives me freedom to follow my instincts and design without boundaries. Presently I’m on the hunt for the perfect swimsuit that is fun AND flattering, with no luck from what’s on the market – so I’m working on making that happen!

What projects are on the horizon for Frida Las Vegas for 2019? Can you share any juicy plans or new product launches?

I’m working on an exhibition of neon and acrylic art that I’m MEGA pumped about, which is shaping up to be an extravaganza of extreme 80s glamour!

What is your advice for creatives at the beginning of their journey? Perhaps they are not sure on the product to create or the path to go down. If you could go back and give yourself advice, what would it be?

The best way to do is by doing. Skill up. Tool Up. Bar a few established professions, the concept of a career with a capital C is 100 per cent in flux right now – so stay ahead of the game with real, practical, hands-on skills that render you valuable and flexible for a changing world.

Find your own unique style. Don’t seek to emulate the work of one or two of your favourite artists. Instead, find inspiration from the random things that TRULY speak to you. Aim to ‘channel’ your influences rather than ‘copy’. Creating a style is all about how you mix up the mediums, styles, symbols and feelings of the things you love to create a product that is more cohesive than the sum of all its parts. Do this with your own personal flourishes.

Social media now consumes so much of our time and mental space, how do you manage this area and do you have any tips on how to stay relevant and fresh?

Social platforms are purposefully addictive by the nature of their interface design. With minimal ‘exit points’, it’s important to maintain boundaries with yourself and not get lost ‘in the scroll’. I strive to share my work in a tone that is authentic, relatable and not-too-serious. If a photo or video takes more than a minute to write a caption, I don’t post it because it means I’m probably thinking about it too much. Ultimately it’s important to not take social too seriously or let it define you – we are all human, not numbers!

As a business owner these days you have to have the ability to wear lots of hats, what is your favourite and least favourite hat to wear and why?

Posting orders at the post office isn’t my favourite part of the process but I’m trying to find beauty in the banal and see it as a chance to leave the computer and stop ‘n’ smell the (Cadbury) Roses!

Thanks Stav, what a fun and inspiring read!

You can follow along with what Stavroula from Freda Las Vegas is upto Website, Instagram,

How To: Create a Mirror Repeat using our Online Uploader

Designing abstract textural prints may seem like a challenge, but by selecting the Mirror Repeat Feature when using our Online Uploader, your designs can be taken to the next level with minimal fuss when it comes to repeating your design. Here’s an easy to follow tutorial put together by one of our fabulous interns from 2018 – Emily!

Firstly, start out by creating your own designs and then scan them into your computer. We recommend to scan your artwork at 300dpi and in RGB colour mode.

For our artwork we decided to play around with line-work and contrasting colours to create a high energy zig-zag effect.

Open the design in Adobe Photoshop. It’s at this stage that you can edit your artwork if it requires any tweaks, such as changing the colours or removing / cleaning up elements. Once you are happy with your artwork use the crop tool to crop your design into a rectangular tile.

Check the size of your image by selecting ‘Image’ > ‘Image Size’ from the menu bar in the top-left of your screen. If the dpi of your image is larger than 300, please reduce it to 300dpi. If the dpi of your image is less than 300 you can keep it at this size. Please note we recommend artwork for digital printing to have a dpi of at least 150 for best results when printing onto fabric.

Save the tile as a JPEG so that it is compatible with the Online Uploader.

Next head to our website! The Online Uploader is available either clicking here or by copying & pasting this link: www.digitalfabrics.com.au/custom-fabric into your browser. Use the Online Uploader to upload your design. After the file has loaded you should see it in the fabric preview window.

To the right of the fabric preview window you will see a list of options, including any changes that need to be made to your artwork size as well as the type of ‘repeat’ required for your design. When first uploaded your artwork will always be shown using a ‘full drop’ repeat. Select the ‘mirror repeat’ option. This will reflect your design tile’s edges when placed next to each other, resulting in a seamless repeat pattern of your textured artwork.

Congratulations! You now have a repeat design all set to be printed on the fabric of your choice and applied to any project you can imagine!

Snippets: Chats With Creatives, Textile Designer Beck Ng – Series 3, Snippet 1

Snippets. Chats with Creatives.

Here at Digital Fabrics we love everything print, pattern and colour and we love to know what makes print designers tick.

Today we are chatting to Beck Ng from Fabric Drawer, a Melbourne based surface designer and maker who has a passion for pattern! She creates prints often inspired by nature and the things she has seen and done throughout her life, these are available for license or purchase. She also makes things from her printed fabrics and sells them at markets and online here

We love her style, whimsical and folk like florals that look great on our favourite thing, fabric! Her work has been featured in lots of awesome places including the Print and Pattern website, the latest Flow Calendar and she is currently a finalist in the Frankie Good Stuff Awards so you can vote for her here!

Tell us a bit about yourself, your brand/label name what your creative practice is, how and when you began:

I’m a designer, maker, mum and pattern lover from Melbourne. My creative journey started in graphic design, but took a side step into patterns when I started a textiles course. I created the label Fabric Drawer (in 2012) to showcase my love of patterns, for licensing and also for use on my own range of products. I started out designing patterns and didn’t begin making my own products until a few years later.

Having my own business allows me to create my own style of work and turn it into a product that people can purchase and take home (or gift!). So far, I make each and every product myself and have been committed to sourcing materials locally where possible. I also enjoy the process of licensing my work, which means I work with clients to have my designs on their products. I really enjoy being involved in all facets off my creative business; it’s a never ending learning process!

Where do you call home and what is your favourite thing about where you live?

I live in Melbourne, close to the city and I enjoy the convenience of being able to walk, bike or tram to most places.

What 3 words best describe your creative style.

Inspired by nature

Tell us a bit about what kind of studio, space or practice you run? Do you sell online or license your prints, do you do commissions or lots of freelance and what do you like doing the most?

My creative business does a little bit of everything. I license my designs, make products from my work and sell at markets around Melbourne.

I started out in art licensing through an art agent in America. They represented me for almost 3 years and I was fortunate to have my work sold/licensed on products such as greeting cards, party ware, gift bags and wall art. I have learned a lot about the art licensing industry and am finding it an area I’d like to get more and more into. It’s still a big learning curve for me and it’s certainly challenging finding my own licensing opportunities without an agent.

Outside of the licensing, I have made my own collection of products from my patterns. I’ve been doing this for about three years now, starting out very small by sewing a few products and selling them at markets. Initially I didn’t sell very much, but as I kept going, I started to sell a bit more at each market and have now been able to be part of some of the larger design markets in Melbourne. I sew everything myself, which is a very time consuming process, but has been the best way to make small quantities and keep things local for now.

I find licensing and making products both a rewarding process and I think that having my own range of products has helped the licensing side of the business.

Tell us about your creative space, what are your tips for keeping a creative studio space organised? What would your dream space look like?

To be honest I don’t have much of a creative space. I have seen pictures of other creative studios, and I love the idea of a light filled space, with your computer on bare desk and pieces of your work and work that inspires you decorated around the wall and studio. In reality, I work in my bedroom, lounge room, dining room (I have a laptop) and small nook in a room (for sewing). It’s not very glamorous, but I guess I wanted to share that so people realise you don’t need the perfect set-up to get started and be creative. Sometimes constraints are needed so you can focus on creating. That said, I wouldn’t mind the type of studio space I described above!

When designing a new surface design collection or set of work what is your process and how long might you spend on this?

I keep it pretty simple and start out my patterns by drawing on regular plain white paper with a pen or pencil. It’s good to have a bit of a story or theme in mind, but I don’t always start that way. When I feel like I have sketched up enough motifs, I photograph them and bring them into my computer to start tracing them in Illustrator. I love using Illustrator because of the flexibility it allows to scale and change colours. From there I start working on the hero print, then build out the secondary and simple coordinates. I try to have a minimum of 5 patterns per collection. I have been known to put together a collection within a couple of weeks when I’m under a bit of a deadline, but it could take a month or months if I take my time.

Which part of the creative process is your favourite and why?

I really enjoy the process of piecing a surface pattern together. It’s feels a bit like a jigsaw puzzle; fitting each motif into the right space and then working on the right colour palette.

What would you say is the biggest challenge when running your own creative business, what is your favourite and least favourite part?

Time! There is never enough time. I don’t work on my business full-time and never have. I have a part-time job as a graphic designer, sometimes I freelance too and have two young girls to look after. Usually I would have to work on my creative stuff when the kids are in bed, or if I have any small snippets of time throughout the day. I would love to focus on my creative business more, but the reality is I still need some bread and butter income.

My favourite thing about having my own business is that I can create whatever I like. As a graphic designer, you’re bound by what the client wants, so having my own work gives me the freedom to express myself creatively.

My least favourite part is social media. I feel like it’s a bit of a time suck, and am spending more time on it then I’d like. I do try to post regularly to share my work (because opportunities can come out of social media) and build my brand, but I kinda wish I didn’t have to.

I feel like being a creative is a bit of a labour of love, so you need to be passionate about what you do, because it’s not a huge money maker for most. Persistence and consistency is important. Keep creating consistently and by the end of the year you’ll have a good body of work. With licensing and collaborations, it can be a disheartening process, because it’s not that easy to sell or license your work, especially when you are starting out. Often you’ll contact companies and they don’t even respond! But keep persisting and asking around, while continuing to build up a stronger folio of work and through this hard work, things can start to happen.

Facebook groups can be immensely helpful connecting with other surface designers. I’m in a few surface pattern / licensing groups and it’s great way to get some advice. I’m part of a meet-up group of other designers who are specifically interested in licensing their art. Skillshare is a great resource for doing some short courses at a reasonable price. I did the Make It In Design Module 3 course, and I felt that was helpful to get me started. There are quite a few online courses, but they can be costly. I’d probably recommend starting with free or low cost options first and see where that takes you, before investing in an expensive course.

What projects or collaborations from last year stuck out, good or bad and what is coming up over this year that you would like to plug!

I loved being involved in some of the bigger design markets, such as Markit, Finders Keepers and Makers and Shakers market last year. It’s great to be amongst other creatives and interact with customers directly, even though I’m quite an introverted person. It’s a lot of work though, preparing for markets when you make everything yourself, so I haven’t planned any markets for this year so far.

I also really enjoyed working with Apiary Made on their range of beeswax wrap designs. It’s been great to work with a local business whose values sustainability and ethically made products. I have collaborated with another couple of brands, but I will share the details when the product comes out as I’m not sure when this will be happening. Licensing can be a bit of a tough road, but I’m hoping I get to work with more clients in the future.

Where would you like to see your work featured?

I would love to have my own range of fabric one day. I love the idea of seeing what people would make with my own fabric.

You can find out what Beck from Fabric Drawer is upto: Website, Facebook, Instagram

Textile Collection Palamporia

Hello 2019 – we hope everyone is feeling refreshed after the break! We know it can be hard staying motivated after taking some much needed time off, so to help keep everyone on track with making 2019 a year full of creativity we’ve launched a brand new range of textile designs that feel summery, fresh and timeless. Introducing our Palamporia Collection.

When embarking on designing a new range we found ourselves being drawn to the intricately detailed and beautiful tradition of Palampore textiles. These textiles were common across India during the 18^th century and often featured hand-painted and hand-dyed designs depicting botanic motifs.

The creative process began by collecting gorgeous reference imagery and local flowers to draw from, and then illustrating the motifs in pencil. A warm colour palette was then selected inspired by colours commonly found in natural and vegetable dyes, such as indigo and turmeric. The painting of delicate floral motifs using water colours then became a worthwhile labour of love.

When putting the textile designs together it was important to mimic the undulating nature of the inky textures with interesting use of negative space and organic placement of elements. In some of the designs that have a more formal layout, the curved lines and water colour medium helps to give them a free-flowing feel.

The Palamporia Collection puts a contemporary spin on the tradition of Palampore textiles, providing a pared-back style with a limited colour palette. The play between lovingly painted details and crisp negative space shows its versatility. We can see these prints working well for both fashion and interiors applications. Gorgeous summer dresses and linen pants, and fresh feeling bedding and cushion covers spring to mind. We’d love to know what sort of projects you think these designs would be perfect for so please get in touch! Designs are available in our Fabric Shop now.

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Tag Archives: artwork

Textile Collection Ella

Snippets: Chats With Creatives, Textile Designer Katy Dee of Shiztastic – Series 3, Snippet 6

Snippets: Chats With Creatives, Textile Designer Audrey Gachet – Series 3, Snippet 4

Nailed It: Q & A Style Interview With Roberta Montorfano From Betta Design Studio

Snippets: Chats With Creatives, Illustrator & Pattern Designer Amber Davenport – Series 3, Snippet 3

Textile Collection Luxe

Nailed It: Q & A Style Interview With Stavroula Adameitis From Frida Las Vegas

How To: Create a Mirror Repeat using our Online Uploader

Snippets: Chats With Creatives, Textile Designer Beck Ng – Series 3, Snippet 1

Textile Collection Palamporia

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