Zandra Rhodes: Textile Revolution

Zandra Rhodes has been designing textiles since the 1960’s. Her outrageous, kaleidoscopic patterns took the world by storm at a time when markets were more conservative. When Rhodes’ work was considered too taboo for traditional British manufacturers, she took matters into her own hands, sewing her own dresses and pioneering print and production as a unified process. She’s been a iconic pink-haired working legend ever since.

Zandra Rhodes: Textile Revolution: Medals, Wiggles and Pop 1961-1971 is a exciting book that showcases her earliest and wildest designs. Featuring previously unpublished textiles, drawings, and archival images combined with fashion photography by Clive Arrowsmith, Guy Bourdin, Henry Clarke, David Bailey, Helmut Newton, and Richard Traeger, this stylish book is a must for anyone interested in textiles, patterns, fashion and fashion history.

August 26, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Shadowfolds: Geometric Designs in Fabric

Origami and textiles merge beautifully in Shadowfolds: Surprisingly Easy-to-Make Geometric Designs in Fabric, an exciting book by origamist Jeff Rutzky and artist Chris K. Palmer.

Shadowfolds are intricate designs in fabric derived from a rich blend of traditional motifs, such as Moorish tile and classic Japanese origami, expressed in a contemporary style and evolved to utilize the unique capabilities of fabric. The technique, pioneered by artist Chris K. Palmer, uses classic geometric patterns to create works of art in fabric from a single, uncut panel of cloth using a simple, three-step process.

Some applications use light against fiber, while others reveal the depth and richness of the folds. In addition to explaining the three very simple steps of the technique, the authors show how even novice folders can create breathtaking works of textile art, as well as fashion-forward clothes, accessories and home furnishings by incorporating these three-dimensional embellishments.

For more imagery, visit Burda Style

August 6, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Color Moves: Art & Fashion by Sonia Delaunay

Painter, textile and stage designer Sonia Delaunay was a heroine of early modernist art and design. The Cooper-Hewitt Museum recently held a show covering the prolific artist’s work with an emphasis on her textile and fashion designs.

If you missed the exhibition, saw it and loved it or are simply a fan of Delaunay, the book chronicling the artist’s work, Color Moves: Art & Fashion by Sonia Delaunay might just be a dream come true for you.

A delicious feast for the eyes, rhe book includes more than 300 images of her drawings, paintings, designs and photographs, as well as elucidating essays written by Delaunay scholars. Snap one up for your favorite art, fashion, textile and color lover.

Montage via File under Fiber

July 21, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

London: Plentiful Patterns

Barry McGee’s work has taken over London’s Modern Art Gallery with an explosion of color and pattern. By infusing a strong presence of line, geometry, abstraction and tessellations in addition to street art influences, such as tagging and vandalism, McGee has created a recognizable and unique style.

His pictorial sense touches on the global reach of unsanctioned art that takes place within the fabric of urban architecture. Hundreds of uniquely painted panels and objects are puzzled together, butted against one another in an immersive, site-responsive show that is a direct result from McGee’s openly intuitive working method. For more info, click here.

Modern Art Gallery: 23/25 Eastcastle Street, London W1W 8DF

July 8, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Book Review: Cutting Edge of Wallpaper

If you’re into design, you’ve likely noticed the world of wallpaper has been steadily catapulting itself out from under the stuffy florals and wacky geometrics of our past.

Today, wallpaper can be traditional or modern, stretching boundaries of what once defined it. The Cutting Edge of Wallpaper pays tribute to this exciting trend, looking at the techniques, products and designers at the forefront of contemporary wallpaper design.

The book is beautifully comprehensive with sections covering the background and history of wallpaper, an exploration on how technology changes have affected the field presently and in the future, and a look at some exciting collaborations and intersections with architecture and art. Of course, there are an abundance of examples from some of today’s top and emerging talents in print and wallpaper design, all filtered into the categories of figurative, abstract, decorative, architectural, technical and Interactive.

For more images via Print Pattern, click here.

May 31, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

San Francisco: Borchgrave's Paper Dresses

Isabelle de Borchgrave is a painter who also happens to love textiles and costume design. Painting intricate patterns onto rag paper, Borchgrave manipulates each design into a fantastic trompe l’oeil dress inspired by the lush depictions early iconic European fashion.

To see such fashion finery as depicted in the Renaissance, gowns worn by Elizabeth I and Marie-Antoinette, designed by grand couturiers Frederick Worth, Paul Poiret, Christian Dior, and Coco Chanel would be a treat unto themselves, but seeing them recreated in paper brings the wonder of these magnificent garments up to a whole new level.

This retrospective of Isabelle’s work is expansive and if you love fashion, costume history, paper art, patterns, or design in general, you’ll be sure to find something to enjoy about this show. Click here for more info.

Legion of Honor: Lincoln Park, 100 34th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94121

May 27, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik