Pom-Poms and all things colourful are all the craze!

Pom-poms, tassles  and colour are great ways to liven up our lives. 

The appeal of puffy, fluffy pom-poms continues to fascinate us as it has been for hundreds of years.

According to historians, these playful puff balls have a colourful history of pomp and circumstance, decorating national costumes and traditional attires, from clergymen's caps to cheerleaders' socks.

Tsarouhi shoes with giant pom-poms are part of the Greek
guards (Evzones) national uniforms.
Photos taken in Athens by Lucia Carpio for
My Fashion Connect Global.

Even today, in Greece, guards known as Evzones on duty at national monuments and government buildings wear the Tsarouhi shoes with giant pom-poms as part of their traditional uniform.














At the Top Drawer trade fair held at London - Kensington Olympia earlier this week, fluffy Pom-poms were spotted on many new products.

At Brand Native, the British brand founded and owned by Colombian-born Claudia Correa-Bell, pom-poms decoarded sandals with colourful woven straps, and the hand-crafted Mochita bags by indigenous Colombian Wayuu artisans of Guajira.  Claudia said she  is dedicated to supporting these native communities by paying the artisans fair prices You can read about the full story by clicking HERE.

Meanwhile, the Bohemia design company showcased a range of  products decorated with pom-poms such as these Moroccan market baskets shownj below, which are perfect for today's "No More Plastic Bags" lifestyle.  There are also garlands featuring rows of carefully spaced pom-poms which are good as room dividers and as window decorations.

Along with pom-poms, there are colourful tassels adorning wall-hanging  as well as pocket mirrors of varying sizes which are eye-catching and fun.

The Bohemia creative team are based in Edinburgh with a design studio and warehouse near the Port of Leith and a boutique on the south side of the city.   Apparently, the Scottish capital is a hotbed of bohemians and eccentrics, writers, artists, philosophers, poets, photographers, and home to the Edinburgh Festival, the largest arts festival in the world. From that base, the design team travel widely and work in partnership with skillful artisans around the globe, from sourcing leather babouche slippers in Morocco to colourful pouffes and traditional hand-block printed fabrics fro India is the source of our traditional hand block printed fabrics, as well as cotton hammam towels, scarfs and semi-precious stone jewellery from Turkey.

Product shots taken at Top Drawer, London Kensington Olympia (held 17 - 19 January) by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect Global.

The Art of Pattern Exhibition feeds the current appetite for 70s fashion and all things retro

 

A treasure trove of inspirational prints and patterns by designers of Liberty from 1961 - 77 are
on show at The Art of Pattern 9 October 2015 - 29 February 2016 at the Fashion and Textile Museum.

It’s official –floral-printed shirts and blouses are the key fashion item this autumn, according to WGSN, as the 1970s trend continues to grip our imagination and  is predicted to stay hot well into Spring at least.

WGSN’s Instock data reveals that fashion-conscious consumers are drawn to a number of 70s-retro styles now available on the high street, from “those super feminine, frilled and pussy-bowed numbers” to Western-shirt styles, and that amorous rose prints and bold retro floral patterns are among the best-sellers.  

And for fashionistas and all working in the industry alike looking for more inspiration for this trend, what better way than to have access to valuable archives of original inspiration floral prints and retro patterns for their research.

Head over to the Fashion and Textile Museum (FTM) in London's Bermondsey Road, and you will find an invaluiable event called The Art of Pattern now on until 28 February 2016 as part of the major Liberty in Fashion exhibition in the FTM.

The Art of Pattern showcases a wide range of work by two designer-sisters: Susan Collier & Sarah Campbell, who were producing print patterns for Liberty between 1961 – 77, from scarfs to fashion and furnishing fabrics.

There are more than 100 originally hand-painting designs, sketches, printed swatches, fabric lengths and objects to highlight the designers' painterly approach to fashion and furnishing textiles.

Along with swatches of floral fabrics on show were Limited edition hand-made dolls (which are also on sale in the FTM shop) using vintage Liberty fabrics.

The exhibition though small showcases some of the most recognisable textile designs of the late 20th century.  Among the designs is a range of florals and patterns that according to the designers were created based on the traditional design motif of Liberty - a little floral on Tana Lawn, as well as variations of the paisleys (originating from India and the Orient) and the hugely successful 'Bauhaus' range seen here at the left.


To read the full story, click HERE.

All photos of the exhibition by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.