The importance of a design-led approach to textiles

At Karolina York, we create bespoke prints and patterns for each brand we work with, forecasting trends 12 months in advance.

Since opening our doors in 2005, we have grown steadily, designing for a range of products across womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, stationery, homeware, shoes, accessories and bags.

To stay relevant in our market and ensure our clients are trendsetters, not trend followers, we take an artisanal, design-led approach.

As a result of this strategy, we have been able to build a reputation on the international stage, working with nationally and internationally recognised brands such as as Armani, Zara, Guess, Macy’s and Bec and Bridge.

Take a look at some of the reasons why our design-led approach helps us to stand apart in our industry:

• Each design we create is exclusive and is never replicated, even after many years have passed
• To ensure each design is original, we are heavily invested in exploring composition, colour, design, motifs, repeats, methods and trends
• We update our online store every week displaying prints for 300 global clients
• We run workshops, both internal and external, to embed design inspiration. These may focus on design practices like resin pouring, botanical drawing or tie-dying
• When we work on bespoke designs with our customers, we are present the whole journey of the design, from inspiration and hand drawings through to repeats, colour-ways and layouts.

Our design-led approach is also collaborative. We love to meet with founders and

creative directors to work together; for example, pre Covid we created a one-of-a-kind pink silk blouse alongside Hansel and Gretel as part of a Breast Cancer Awareness project.

We also follow a detailed briefing process so we are aware, for example, that some colours and motifs can have a strong meaning in other parts of the world.

Being design-led means always thinking, exploring and discovering. As a team, we regularly attend exhibitions, immersing ourselves in galleries and art. Once inspired, we innovate with mediums and methods. You will find our print designers creating marbled designs by hand, drawing textures from natural elements like tree bark, using watercolours, photography and even woodgrain transfers.

Perhaps the only drawback of this steadfast approach is that we are our own biggest critics. Nothing is printed or presented to a customer before it is passed by our sales team. It helps to keep all of our designs fresh and aligned to the trends out there.

The Karolina York design team has a strong internship program and a culture of creativity where everyone in the organisation understands the importance of design. It is what has helped us to stand out and develop a reputation as one of the world’s best print designers.