Moustaches, lipsticks and cycle rickshaws have had their moment of glory. Though these prints continue to make their presence felt in the world of style, there is a new crop of off-beat ones that are becoming the ‘prints charming’ of the sartorial world.
Pineapples It’s everywhere — on clothes, bags, accessories, even stationery and tissues; would you believe it? Pineapple may not be your favourite fruit but it sure is your wardrobe’s fav this season. Manish Arora’s SS 14 jewellery collection for Amrapali had pineapple in the form of brooches, rings, earrings and handcuffs. “Jewellery is an added element that helps the outfit pop. Just one statement piece can transform an entire outfit from simple and staid to playful and chic. Fruit motifs are quite popular and the use of these motifs is what can make or break an outfit,” says Arora.
When the paparazzi captured Rihanna walking about in a pair of fruit laden co-ords (a pair of tracks and cropped hoodie), more eyeballs took note of this micro trend. And no, it’s not restricted to women alone. Forever 21 has vests for men with the spiky fruit splattered all over it. Zara has tops, bikinis, ties and bow-ties and kids wear with big chunky pineapples on them; so does Guess. Right now this print is the queen in the world of fruits; do we see the cherry not feeling so cheery after all?
Sunflowers and daisies Florals are a safe bet, yes. From the conservative to the experimental lot, these blooms have had their share of followers. Now it’s time to go with bigger, bolder sunflower and daisy prints. Designers have made the sunflower print available in a host of other shades, but the happy yellow is what we love the most.
Think daisies and Marc Jacobs comes to mind. The designer gave this dainty flower a glam domain of its own. Well, it even has a perfume named after it. Be it crowded prints or a single gigantic motif, these look lovely on everything, right from sweat shirts and palazzo pants to frilly dresses, rugged denim shorts and bikinis. Top Shop is blooming with them.
Just a word of caution — don’t go overboard, you don’t want to be called the walking garden.
Gingham prints Reminds you of table cloth, doesn’t it? But who’d have thought these checks, especially the bigger ones, would end up becoming trendy. They have moved on from making their presence felt only in the world of boring formal shirts. ASOS has got quite a collection of gingham-printed mini and midi skirts, pants, playsuits in sweetheart necklines, high necks, plunging necks, straps and more. Designer Amit Kekre of Totally Ripe, whose collection is available at Maalgaadi, says, “I like this print for its versatility. The option of colours in warp and weft give it a multifaceted character.” His latest line includes a collection of bow-ties using Gingham prints. “It makes the bow-tie a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Something that goes equally well with a formal suit or a pair of dandy denims,” he says.
Palm trees Something very holiday-like about them, right? It’s reminiscent of the beach, and sea and waves and lazy lounging on a hammock. Well, you certainly can’t holiday all the time but the print can at least infuse some joy and colour into your day when you wear it. Stop thinking about loose over-sized shirts with the typical Hawaiian prints. Think chic.
Remember the adorable little blue dress with metallic palm tree motifs that Lupita Nyong’o wore for a film festival in June this year? Yes, that's how cool it can make your outfit look.
This tropical print has made its way to a number of luxury and high street brands. A common print on flip flops, it’s progressed to sneakers, like the ones by Kenzo and stilettos as well. UK-based footwear designer Sophia Webster’s personal favourite from her range is an ankle-strap stiletto depicting sunset in Rio with a palm tree along the strap. As for clothes, the options are unending — Moschino, J. Crew, and Debenhams have a selection of body-hugging dresses, tops, crop tops and trunks with lively palm trees, so have numerous other websites. Nobody, it seems, wants to miss out on stocking the prints of the season.
Birds These creatures have successfully flapped their way into the fashion glossies…quite the ‘It’ girls now, aren’t they? Designer Priyadarshini Rao created a line for stylista.com with seagulls. “I wanted to add a quirky element to my designs to complement my subtle design sensibilities and I thought the bird motif would translate well onto the garments,” says Rao and adds, “Quirky prints have become increasingly popular over the years with both brands and designers using them in their creations.”
Forget the flashy boutiques, this print is also found abundantly at small stores and street outlets. They have extended to blazers, earrings, finger rings, wedge heels, knapsacks... Sephora has even got nail-art stickers with little birdies on them.
