Nica's Travels: Discovering the Origins of Prints in South Korea

by Nica Kim

From reading my blog posts, you've probably already realised just how much I love to travel and how it inspires my designs… Well, I'm away on my travels once more, and visiting my homeland South Korea for some more design inspiration!

As you know, I love designing my own original prints, and yesterday, I visited a local exhibition which explored the history of different kinds of prints, and looked at how they can find their way from a piece of artwork to decorating a garment. Look at my example below, the idea for the dress' pattern began as a simple piece of art. 

Stripes
The stripe pattern has stood for many different things over the years, from being worn by prisoners, clowns, and slaves as to differentiate them from normal citizens during the middle ages to the eventual creation of sailors’ outfits for the French Marines. - That’s why we call it the Marin look!!

Stripes became a global fashion trend after Coco Chanel was inspired by Marines’ shirts and incorporated it into her collection in 1917. Stripes have since been loved by Style Icons such as Audrey Hepburn, and artists like Picasso and Andy Warhol rendering them the icon of youth and energy! 

Andy Warhol's Iconic Look:
Image Source

Florals 
Flowers blossom in splendour and quickly fade away whilst leaving their beauty and scent behind, and this has inspired different areas of art including poems, music, and even fine art. It was the more affluent of society who firstly wore a standardized kind of floral print, until the industrial revolution boomed and Britain started to produce their own kind of floral print. This eventually led to the more commercial prints that we have today. 

Look at this artist's angry flower sketch which was transformed into the appliqué dress below. It may not be a floral pattern, but it's a great example of how the use of flowers are still evolving in modern day designs.

My own prints are often inspired by nature, and I re-invent my floral patterns each season. One of my favourite designs for A/W 13 is my watercolour print, inspired by both nature and some of my favourite artists who work with watercolours! 

Prints make a great addition to your A/W wardrobes, but which do you prefer - a classic or a print handbag? Why not tell us on Twitter @Nica_Handbags with #ClassicVsPrint. 

Love Nica Kim,

x x x