Pop goes the print

Nothing puts off an artiste and fashion designer as much asseeing works lsquoinspiredrsquo by their thought and design being sold sans credit While artistes try to battle copycats in their own ways fashion designers it seems can take recourse in digital prints which they predict will rule the ramp this year Yogesh Chaudharyrsquosu00a0Pac Man saree Pic Courtesy wwwPerniaspopupshopcom Prints are no longer synonymous with playful polka dots and feminine flower prints mdash advanced computer technology can now help you wear graphic designs geometrical shapes even a stamp or a photograph you love on your sleeve pun intended After gracing ramps in the rsquo90s digital prints disappeared from leading designersrsquo collections for almost two decades u00a0A u00a0white digital print jumper by Gaurav Gupta However the sheer exclusivity of a personalised digital print has brought it back to the fore mdash and they are all bigger bolder and better From bold stripes to psychedelic digital prints are back with a bang Internationally Fashion designers Katrantzou and Peter Pilotto who specialise in digital prints are hailed as the pioneers of the prints revolution in London But this year even Indian designers such as Gaurav Gupta and upcoming fashion designer Yogesh Chaudhary will beseen incorporating many of these unique prints to their designs Peter Pilotto mirrorwork print dress Signature element According to fashion designer Pria Kataaria Puri digital prints add the right amount of jazz to an outfit ldquoPrints have always been there in India but the designs were not as strong and bold Technology has definitely helped create sharper prints now Every designer has a unique print that becomes hisher signature I for instance love to work with curve patterns Designers are identified with these unique prints Anybody who sees a psychedelic geometric print on a garment will know itrsquos Puccirsquos trademarkrdquo A Mary Katrantzou knee length print dressu00a0PicsGetty Images Puri thinks that it is the sheer exclusivity of digital prints that makes designs stand out and leaves little scope for others to copy it She explains ldquoMany stores often copy designersrsquo works There is no place where one can insure designs Digital prints however are abstractions made by the designer and cannot be copied This exclusivity is also more attractive to the customer I am working with a lot of prints that are associated to history and heritagerdquo Advanced technology Digital printing is done with the help of the computer through design software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator It does not involve any heat transfer as the ink is directly printed to the fabric digitally Screenprintingon the other hand uses screens stencils that are manually placed on the fabric Each pattern has a different screen which often makes it time consuming and cumbersome Pria Kataaria Purirsquos Picasso inspired dress Neha Asthana fashion expert at Rachana Sansad School of Fashion Design agrees ldquoDigital printing is easier to do as it involves no heat Though screenprinting produces more vibrant colours contemporary fashion designers are now opting for digital printing as it gives a person more freedom to choose a wide array of colours which is not possible in screenprinting Digital prints will be popular in the upcoming sping summer 2013 collection as it is more versatilerdquo Gaurav Gupta a veteran fashion designer known for his unique bird prints agrees ldquoTechnology allows you to transfer things from your mind to the computer There are times when I design for hours together It gives you the freedom to think individuallyrdquo The process is rather simple mdash designers now click pictures of the things that inspire them say on their iPhones and incorporate those prints in their designs Puri explains ldquoI like to click a picture of the things I like related to nature or otherwise I then try to incorporate that print in my design It is almost like paintingrdquo A dash of playfulness A series of sarees from upcoming fashion designer Yogesh Chaudharyrsquos 2012 collection used a unique print of PacMan Chaudhary says ldquoI was deeply inspired by the video game PacMan For me it is a strong pop culture reference Also I have been obsessed with the game since I was young and it was only fitting for to base a collection around itrdquo Prints in all forms whether graphic or geometric add a certain amount of personality to an outfit says Anita Dongre fashion designer ldquoDigital prints have a charm of their own They enhance the look in a simple yet understated way and are versatile and funrdquo Twenty six yearold Arjun Sahai a freelance fashion photographer thinks prints brings out the personality of a person He adds ldquoI love printed clothes They instantly add a hint of playfulness to the overall ensemble A printed tie with an otherwise formal suit can look classy without being inappropriaterdquo Mix and match However prints arenrsquot for everybody When not worn well digital prints often look garish Designers often advise their customers to pair it well ldquoOne can find a variety of digital prints to suit onersquos tastes abstract floral photographic prints and so on These prints are available in variety of textures too and are purposeprinted for a specific piece of clothing These can add spunk to kaftans maxi dresses shift dresses and pencil skirtsrdquosays Dongre Balance is key but due to their versatility digital prints can be worn either with a monochromatic colour or even with another print depending on your body frame Chaudhary explains ldquoFor those who donrsquot prefer bold outfits mix a print with a solid colour If someone is slightly plump itrsquos best not to wear an overall print mdash breaking up the outfit is key Someone with a more eclectic taste can even get away with pairing multiple prints It is best to wear a print you like rather than following a trendrdquo Room for all Does the comeback in digital prints mean that traditional block print will soon be extinct Asthana doesnrsquot think so ldquoScreen and block printing are the oldest printing techniques in India Contemporary fashion designers always love to work with digital prints as it gives them the freedom to think and create but that doesnrsquot ring the death knell for traditional prints With hand and block prints there are limitations Yet fashion designers like Ritu Kumar and Tarun Tahiliani still use hand and block prints in their designsrdquou00a0Chaudhary however thinks that digital printing has brought a design revolution that has been the best gift to the designers so far ldquoItrsquos definitely an advantage as you can literally translate your vision to the garment You can draw out whatever inspiration you have very vividly and incorporate that into the desired fabricrdquo Puri who showcased her digital printsrsquo collection at the India Resort Fashion Week IRFW in November last year says her unique ideas had a concrete platform only because of digital printing She says excitedly ldquoTraditional block prints will always be there but digital prints will always be my first love rdquou00a0 How to wear prints gtgt If you are too overwhelmed by prints mix and match it with a simple silhouette or a plainer fabric gtgtu00a0If yoursquore not very tall avoid large prints gtgtu00a0If yoursquore on the heavier side wear small prints with darker undertones gtgtu00a0Print on print is a good idea only if you have the personality to carry it off gtgtu00a0Two different prints can be mixed and matched depending on the colour paletteu00a0 Top Prints Picks u00a0 Pria Kataaria Puri dress Available at Pria Kaataria Puri Studio 101 richoux building Chimbai roadnear Chimbai police station Bandra Price on Request u00a0 u00a0 Anita Dongre Printed dress For Rs 7690 Available at Anita Dongre outlets inJuhu Bandra Palladium High Street Phoenix and Fort u00a0 u00a0 Yogesh Chaudhary Dress For Rs 8500 Available at wwwperniaspopupshopcomu00a0 u00a0