Fashion’s greatest print designers often morph into the world’s greatest fashion designers. Think Jonathan Saunders – he began his career studying textiles at Glasgow School of Art, where he first started experimenting with the bold colour-blocking patterns that gained him international acclaim. Fast-forward a couple decades, and the trendsetter has quite fluidly evolved into the globally renowned fashion powerhouse we know today.
Mary Katrantzou SS17
Ask any real fashionista who the industry’s greatest print designers are and Mary Katrantzou’s name will inevitably surface. Bursting into the scene in 2007 with her technicoloured, hyper-realistic digital prints, the Greek-born designer almost single-handedly cornered the print market in the late noughties alongside British design team Peter Pilotto.
Peter Pilotto SS17
While Katrantzou has continued to wow audiences with her iconic prints, her latest collections utilise no shortage of beading, intricate embroidery and knitwear, and the eponymous Pilotto and his design partner Christopher de Vos have extended their reach in a similar vein. Both brands continue to reap the benefits of their finely-tuned print backgrounds, maintaining their signature aesthetics, yet they’ve branched out far beyond the humble label of printmaker.
Finally, an article on print designers would not be complete without at least a nod to the divine duo, Basso and Brooke. The inaugural Fashion Fringe winners have become known as the pioneers of digital printing, single-handedly paving the way with their clashing colour combinations and outlandish imagery. Their eye-popping collections never fail to garner attention and their unique designs have made their way onto everything from chic interiors to Beyoncé.
Written by Thea Carley
