How is an on-trend print is created?

You may have seen my post a couple of weeks ago on how professional designers create a moodboard (if you missed it you can catch up by clicking here). In the post I covered how I create my moodboard, that I follow when creating fashion + print ranges. This post covers the next part of the process, designing the print.

As we discussed in the last post, I created the moodboard below, by combining information from trend reports that I have purchased, things that I have seen happening in industry, for example at trade shows + trend seminars + also my own style preferences. I touch base with the moodboard all the time, to ensure that I keep on track, I always have it open when I'm developing new ideas. 

For this example, I'll use my Neon Palms moodboard shown below. When I start designing, I also refer to other inspiration that I collected along the way, that may not have been a good enough fit for the moodboard, but still of use. For example, close up shots of palm leaves, neon light usage, colour inspiration + in this case, research I did on tropical scenes + palm tress. This 'primary' research is always so important, as it ensures that my designs are completely original. Lots of designers follow other designers for ideas. I personally don't do this, as I think it limits your own creativity and can make you feel a bit 'blinkered' (like you can only think of what you've seen + get stuck in a rut) I find that using my own photography + references really helps my design process. 

The images below were taken at a light installation in a park. These shots are perfect for the Neon Palm theme, there's lots of different types of palm leaves/trees for inspiration + the lighting reinforces the neon aspect of the theme. I used these to sketch + paint from - I often start with traditional arts techniques, again to get my own personal style into each piece I create. I used these palm leaf photos to develp my own motifs. For the particular design I'm showing you, I decided to do a silhouette of the leaves which were hand sketched and digitised. 

Below shows some of the motifs I created from the palm tree photos. I kept referring back to my trend reports + I liked the concept of mixing stripes with palm leaves + as you can see started to experiment with that. Then came the colour - a bright mix of pink + green, which I mixed in a more modern way than the simple stripe with palms overlaid. I love this bright colour, but appreciate it's not for everyone, so I've also made this available in black + white, plus a trend led but slightly more subtle green + purple option. Interested in getting some print designs done? You can click here to chat about working together.