Tag Archives: prints in fashion

Snippets: Chats With Creatives, Textile Design Studio ‘Skye St Studio’ – Series 3, Snippet 5

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 chatting to Crystal Kruger from Sydney based Textile studio ‘Skye St Studio‘ who offer a range of services such as textile design, colour matching, pattern grading and mood board creation. They have a range of fun, bright and often hand painted prints that you can license or buy exclusively for all sorts of projects and needs as well as offering custom illustrations and design work.

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

My name is Crystal Kruger and I am the designer behind Skye St. Studio. I am a textile and surface pattern designer and also a design educator. My career began straight out of school, studying fashion and textile design and technology education at the Whitehouse Institute of Design in Sydney. I have spent the last decade both teaching textiles and design subjects to students, as well as starting my own business as a textile designer. For me it has always been textiles or fashion in some form or another that fill my heart and fuel my inspiration. It took me a bit longer to realise the textile design was the right fit.

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

I live in Sydney, Australia which is such an exciting, vibrant and inspiring place to be. Everything is fast paced but there is a wonderful balance between the urban and natural landscapes. I love being able to explore the ocean, the rivers and the mountains which surround Sydney but then also experience the wonderful, eclectic mix of cultures (and foods!) that inhabit this place. Culture, travel and nature are some of my biggest inspirations.

What 3 words best describe your creative style.

Colourful, painterly and fun! Trend-driven designs with soul.

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?

Skye St. Studio is a very flexible design studio. Because it is so small I can be agile and accommodating to the needs of different clients. I sell the copyright to textile and surface pattern designs outright, as well as licensing prints through the catalogue on my website. At Skye St. Studio, I often work with local makers and other small businesses, but also larger companies and I love the variety that comes from working with different creative businesses. I do commission based pattern design and have worked with clients to design a range of other products including logos, tote bags layouts, soft toys and bespoke wall art for giftware. Skye St. Studio offers freelance design services as well and I would love to build that side of my business further. I also have an exclusive collection of designs available through Pattern Observer Studio. These are shown at trade shows such as Premiere Vision and Surtex but are also available for viewing at any time through Pattern Observer.

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

My favourite way to design Skye St. Studio prints is to paint. I love to put some music on, something like The National and let the creativity flow. Sometimes I will just paint freehand, other times I will sketch first. I love to use gouache paints mostly, but also ink and watercolours. Not all Skye St. Studio prints are painted, but all are hand-illustrated before they are digitised. Colour is quite intuitive for me and so I tend to pick my palette right at the start of a project. I usually work with inspiration images in front of me, such as a Pinterest board I have created, a mood board I put together, or reference images from a client brief. I love the subtle variations of colour and texture that paint allows me to capture in my prints. I really feel this adds life and soul to my prints.

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

Well, I love all of the creative process! But I must say, there is nothing like getting your hands on a new design brief or a new idea. I love that inspiration and idea development phase, putting together a mood board and sourcing amazing imagery. In that moment I love the sense of purpose, drive and that excited feeling in my stomach. I love the potential of that stage and the intuitiveness of being inspired. I feel that this is a real strength of mine as a designer, I am very good at synthesising the mood of a brief and bringing ideas together.

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

The biggest challenge is the potential for isolation. As a designer we can get some absorbed in our thoughts and be in our heads too much. But also as a small business, it is easy to forget that other designers just like us are struggling with the same business challenges. It is really important to try and build a network of people that you can chat with and share your journey with. Often you are working from home or in a studio on your own and it can be a bit lonely at times. I love having someone else around to just ask, ‘what do you think of this?’ Otherwise it is so easy to overthink things! Finding the right clients can sometimes be a challenge as well, being a small business.

The best part is the creative freedom and the satisfaction I get from fulfilling my creative goals. When you have a win, it is amazing! I love it when a client gives me great feedback and I see them getting excited like I am about a print I am working on. That validation is amazing as a designer. It is wonderful working for myself, because I can choose what and who I want to work with as well. After the restrictions of working in schools for many years, I love the flexibility of being able to work from my studio or a cafe, to set my own schedule and to dress like me!

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.

My dream project would be to have my own print-driven, body positive clothing range. My background is in fashion and I have always approached clothing as a form of expression. Prints say so much about the wearer, which I love! Yes, trends come and go, but if you can find pieces for your wardrobe that really sing and show the world who you are, then that is a wonderful thing. I feel it is especially hard to find fashion like this for women size 14 and up. Your options become so limited and I think everyone deserves to be able to buy clothes they love, no matter your size.

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 have a brand new collab which is launching right now and I am super excited about it. I recently worked with fashion designer Kathryn Shaw of Rattamatatt on her new spring collection called Jungle Fever, which is available for preorders on Etsy from 5th August. She has featured Skye St. Studio hand painted patterns from my Jungle Snakes print collection on her garments and it all looks so amazing! Kathryn has been a dream to work with and I am so proud of what we have created – we hope you all love it too!

All of Rattamatatt’s designs are classic and vintage cuts with a focus on fit and they all feature gorgeous, fun, modern prints with personality. Kathryn is all about slow fashion and ethical clothing production, making everything herself. I love this design philosophy and she has made my prints look absolutely fantastic on her garments! With Rattamatatt’s silhouettes and Skye St. Studio prints, the Jungle Fever collection is fun, bright and whimsical – check it out online! Stay tuned to our social media accounts also, as there may just be a fun little giveaway in the works, where you can score yourself some original Ratamatatt x Skye St. Studio goodness! Jungle Fever Collection available for preorder on 5th August 2019 at Rattamatatt’s Etsy store.

Where would you like to see your work featured?

One day I would love to see my work adorning some amazing dress in Vogue or for sale in Gorman! I am obsessed with their artist collabs haha.

You can find what Crystal is upto here: 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.

Bold Designer Prints – Live Colorful Collection

Back in 2016 we worked with designer Elba Valerde from Live Colorful to create a range of prints for our Fabric Shop which perfectly encapsulated her fun and vibrant style. We thought the change in season made for the perfect time to revisit one of our brightest collections; the Live Colorful Collection, and hopefully inspire some creative DIY projects for the Winter months!

The Live Colorful range has been inspired by the beauty found in nature. Floral and botanic shapes have been photographed, studied and doodled, translating intricate forms into minimal, playful shapes.

Selecting a vibrant yet restricted colour palette was also essential to creating these designs. The use of primary colours, white and hot pink, give this range a carefree feel. The chosen colours paired with simplistic shapes results in a collection that is both timeless and fun, with a touch of Scandi textile flair.

The Live Colorful Collection can be used for cushion covers, tablecloths, table runners, napkins and curtains, just to name a few. Check out our DIY resources for both curtains and bean bag covers using these designs for more inspiration!

Whilst the range was originally designed with homewares in mind we’ve found this bold style of design is perfect for fashion applications as well! We’ve included some images below of similar prints to show you how they can be used in your wardrobe!

Image via Pinterest

We’d love to know what you think of the Live Colorful Collection, so get in touch!

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

Trend Forecast – Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia 2019

The City of Sydney once again played host to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Australia for 2019 with a string shows, events and parties set against the gorgeous backdrop of our harbour city. This week long celebration of Australian design brings out the most stylish of industry insiders, whose fashion ends up being as much of an attraction as those being paraded down the catwalk!

We’re always on the lookout for textile design inspiration and what’s really caught our eye this year are all the playful prints being seen in Men’s fashion. We’ve collated a few of the key street style prints we spotted during MBFWA that have a perfect partner design in our Fabric Shop!

#1 – MINIMAL FLORALS

Photographer: Christopher Queyn

This print teams a restricted colour palette with graphic motifs and an uncomplicated layout to prove that sometimes simple works best. Soft canary yellow is always a winner in our eyes!

Get the look! Our ‘Turmeric Flower’ approaches colour and form in a very similar way. The print celebrates traditional block print designs and keeps to a minimal colour palette of marigold yellows, denim blues and white.

#3 – SPLATTERED FRENZY

Photographer: Christopher Queyn

This print is absolutely bursting with energy and we love that it feels like it was snapped up from an artist’s work desk!

Get the look! Our ‘Hand Dyed’ print features similar splattered elements throughout the design, focusing on inky watercolour textures rather than the painterly style shown above.

#3 – NAÏVE CHIC

Photographer: Jack Steel

We love the use of childish illustrations as textile motifs and think this print’s use for a beautifully tailored garment is a match made in heaven.

Get the look! Our ‘Vanity Fair’ print is inspired by playfulness and decadence. It’s warm tan background is the perfect bed for sweeter than sweet watercolour motifs.

We’d love to know what you think these designs, or any of the others in our Fabric Shop, would be perfect for – so get in touch!

Snippets: Chats With Creatives, Textile Designer Molly Fitzpatrick– Series 3, Snippet 2

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 Molly Fitzpatrick, a USA based textile designer who has designed for a wide variety of clients and products including major airlines, home furnishings, and baby accessories. She also works as a textile design consultant assisting with manufacturing and production needs as well as being the Founder and Creative Director of DittoHouse – modern, bold textiles for the happy modern house.

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

My name is Molly and I own DittoHouse, a textile and surface design company based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. My company got its start when we welcomed an adorable baby boy into our family four (almost five!) years ago. I quickly learned that comfy cozy blankets are an essential part of every happy house; blankets for the baby to play on, for our visitors to snuggle under, to throw an impromptu picnic in the back yard! Not only is it essential that our blankets be so cozy, but they must look at home in our happy modern house.

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

My hometown is Cleveland, Ohio. I live with my husband and kids in our bungalow that we’ve redesigned together. We made the inside open and bright, with clean and modern lines. Will (my husband) has done all the work himself! My favourite part is my office/studio space, which is on the second floor. He created a walkway with a balcony to make it into a loft. It’s got lots of fun design details to facilitate creativity (built-in bulletin boards, lots of storage space, and a fun hiding spot for our kids to play in, too).

What 3 words best describe your creative style.
Rhythm, bold, colourful

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?

I have three facets to my business: I work as a textile design consultant where I give creative direction to manufacturers on their textile products, I license my textile designs to companies, like CB2, and I have a product line of home textiles called DittoHouse.

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 looking at my favorite textile designers and optical artists of the ’50s and ’60s for inspiration. Anni Albers and Gunta Stolz are two of my favorite textile designers. I love the optical art of Julian Stanczak and Richard Anuszkiewicz.

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

I like to work late at night when my kids are asleep – distraction free! When I’m working on a new collection, I usually focus on a specific idea that I want to put energy and love into, and something I feel is important to share with my audience. My most recent collection is inspired by one of my heroes, Malala Yousafzai, and her calling to empower girls through education. I hope to illustrate hope, power and light through my current designs.

What has been your proudest creative business achievement to date?

Generally speaking, I’m so proud that I am able to do the work I love to do, and am able to support my family with that work. Specifically, I still get really excited every time I see my designs in publications!

Do things you love! Give yourself challenges to keep yourself creating, and making new designs as often as possible (daily or even more). Make the things you wish someone else would make – fill the space and the need for things that only you can create, with your own special vision!

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 looooooooove to create designs for Ikea! I really respect that Ikea has a intentional sustainability component to their company mission, and they are a retailer that I use and enjoy in my own home.

You can follow what Molly is upto: Dittohouse Website, Molly Fitzpatrick Studio Website, Dittohouse Instagram, Molly Fitzpatrick Studio Instagram.

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,

Textile Collection Flora Folk

We had so much fun creating our last collection we thought we’d release another range of beautiful fabric prints dedicated to florals. This time round we completely changed our creative process to deliver fabric prints that felt entirely different to the soft, inky designs of the Palamporia Collection. Introducing our new Folk Flora range, which is available now in our Fabric Shop.

To make sure we were creating floral motifs that felt new we put the watercolours away! This time we wanted to focus on the textures and line work that could be achieved by working digitally only. This does unfortunately mean that we don’t have any gorgeous process illustrations to share, however we think the end results are stunning enough!

We began by collecting images of flowers to draw from, as well as endless scans and photographs we’d gathered of interesting textures. We drew our floral motifs digitally, giving them crisp sharp lines and overtly simplified shapes reminiscent of retro floral forms.

We then began to play with our gallery of photographs and scans. These images were manipulated, distorted and layered to come up with interesting designs to use to fill our floral motifs. Some designs, such as ‘Kaleidoscope Garden’, layer several of these digital textures to create a really rich patchwork, whilst others like ‘Stormy Blossom’ choose to showcase just one gorgeous texture. The strictly digital process of drawing, cutting and collaging resulted in designs that had a vintage flair, so accordingly we chose a warm colour palette that reflected this outcome.

With so many of our prints starting with hand-drawn elements it was refreshing to try a whole new process with a different set of restrictions and possibilities. The Folk Flora Collection creates retro feeling designs for the digital age, and can work for both fashion and interiors applications.

We’d love to know what sort of project you think this range would be perfect for – so get in touch! Designs are available in our Fabric Shop now.

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: prints in fashion

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