Camouflage prints are supposed to keep the wearer hidden but in the case of recent Central Saint Martins’ grad, Lily Attwood, her stand-out collection of prints needs to be noticed. Appearing on sci-fi meets samurai warrior style garments, the textural patterns pull references from WWII while techniques such as melting vinyl to fabric add an extra layer of decorative detail.

The designer states, “My initial inspiration stems from amassing a collection of black and white images of early camouflage. I began to colour these figures with vibrant, lucid tones and work into the patterns to alter the interplay of textures.”

While experimenting with camouflage shapes, Attwood noticed a similarity with the mark markings of traditional Chinese woven fabrics. “I wanted to combine this painterly way of depicting scenery on fabric with military prints such as German Plane tree camouflage, British WWII Brushstroke and Vietnamese Tiger stripe,” says Attwood.

Chinese garments also informed her choice of silhouettes with rich fabrics like bonded heavy satin and upholstery fabric giving the pieces structure. “I explored ways of highlighting the thick pile of these fabrics using techniques like flocking. Rather than using silk screen printing across the entire collection I used a selection of vinyls and plastics cut into shapes and then melted to the fabrics in order to create decorative camouflage motifs,” says Attwood. Having also completed placements at Proenza Schouler, Louise Gray and John Galliano, Attwood appears to be on a fast path to print stardom.

– Jessie Whipple Vickery