Two things: Art and forward-thinking fashion — when drawn together make up for bedazzling sartorial splendour. Now, designers across the big blue marble, it seems, are taking a note of this quirky pairing. With crafting exquisite pieces from scribbled prints and patterns to graffiti-inspired drawings and tattoo-inspired graphics, they are evoking the inner artist in all of us to mark our attendance at the playful, never-to-be-missed — art class.
Fashion designer Nachiket Barve says, “In the universe of fashion, creators are always on the look out for exclusive individualistic pieces and this trend seamlessly breaks the outline of homogeneity. Artist collaborations and art-inspired prints speak of fiercely unique thought process and generate great interest.”
Agreeing with him, designer duo Hemant and Nandita share, “Trends in fashion keep evolving with creators constantly looking forward to innovate the existing and giving a fresh take to the ordinary. We often find our inspirations in the simplest of things around us. The trend is gaining great popularity lately essentially because it takes a simple doodle, tattoo graphic, etc. to put together a new level of sophistication while lending a whole new creative vision.”
Art school prints look beautiful in jumpsuits, A-line dresses, shift dresses, palazzos, culottes, zipper jackets, raglan shirts, etc. They can be incorporated in your look in the form of a hat with a fun doodle print or a pair of gloves with a tattoo print.
About incorporating it in our everyday wardrobe, designer Gautam Gupta shares, “These prints can be worn as really big and casual motifs on skirts with a lot of experimentation with their placements. And when it comes to formal shirts or formal wear we can take fashion a notch higher by donning these prints as smaller motifs. If you are a little afraid to experiment then either use them as an accent (say in a scarf or a bag) or go for strong pieces paired with solids and neutrals.”
On the fabric front designer Amy Billimoria points out, “Gabardine, satin, georgette, linen and even leather will work really well. However, don’t make the look cluttered, don’t let print overwhelm you, let the silhouette and cut do justice to the print, have fun and express yourself.”
Designer Babita Malkani, on the other hand, throws light on the concept of mixing and matching.
She says, “Mixing and matching completely depends on the personal style as nearly everything can be mixed and matched according to individual preferences. These fun art school prints can be most positively mixed and matched with bold stripes or bold checks in top/bottom in a way that the look does not go very busy or overwhelming. The whole look while matching should look really tied together and should belong.”
Lastly, sharing tips about accessorising, designer Aartivijay Gupta advises, “Pick up accent colours from print and add solid looking chunky accessories; more importantly let the accessories echo the vibe of the print. If it is ’60s inspired, pair with bold lucite or plexiglass accessories, if it is nature inspired add wood or brass, if modern, pair with textural minimal metal.”
