The print design process:

the creation of the Dot Dash print

For our new collection of tops, we wanted  to create a subtle print, an all-over, textural, shaded design. Taking landscapes, sea and sky as initial inspiration, I played around with some painterly effects, but was looking for a way to continue the graphic style from the previous collection.

Design and colour inspiration can come from a variety of resources:  we have a collection of fabrics in the studio from previous projects, and among these are some vintage Irish tweeds, with colours reminiscent of lichen and moss, rock and stone. Their irregular, slubby weave made me think of rounded dots and dashes, shapes that I could use to create a graphic, vector design.

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The initial inspiration of sea, sky and storm also tied in with the idea of dots and dashes, with seafarers' use of Morse code to broadcast encoded communications. So, as is our way, I set about creating a design that isn’t just about how it looks. This is a design that you can read.

What looks like a random series of dots and dashes, on closer inspection, reveals messages to inspire and encourage. Morse code has been used vertically, each word a different shade, and the design has been mirrored for symmetry.As with all our styles, the print design is fitted into each piece of the pattern that makes up the garment, and is adjusted for each size. I designed the print in vector format using Adobe Illustrator, a mathematical design process which enables adjustments with no loss of print quality.

Colours have been chosen for their richness, inspired by land, sea and sky. A tapestry of moss shades, deep teals, silvery sage and hot corals for men, and for women, forest moss, dark red berry shades, sparkling sea blues, and rich amber tones.