get quirky with PRINTS!
Prints, of any shape or form, have always been a favourite amongst Bangladeshis. They are a part of our culture, they complement our outfits and most importantly, prints make any object more interesting.
The Western world seems to have realised this as well, and also loves prints in their outfits and home decor. Although the classic floral print and polka dots have been around forever because of their simple elegance, tribal prints are now gaining popularity because they are bold, loud and eye-catching.
The glorious age of globalisation has ensured that tribal prints like Aztec and Ikat are all the rage these days. Aztec prints are known for their daring colour combinations, black outlines and strong shapes like triangles and circles.
Aztec prints are inspired from the typical cultural patterns of the Aztec people. “Ikat” is a method of printing woven fabric, but is now generically used to define repetitive, tribal-esque prints. Closer to home, we can see the popularity of Manipuri saris. Asian countries, including ourselves, as well as our neighbours India, Thailand and Indonesia to name a few, are also not far behind, promoting local tie n' dyes, screen prints and block prints.
Prints have become so popular these days that they are not limited to clothes. In addition to seeing these prints on tops, bottoms, saris, shalwar kameez sets and scarves, you can also spot them nowadays on bags, jewellery, furniture, curtains … even on men's shirts, iPhone cases and nail art!
In a world where everything is monotone, a little printed something is the perfect way to incorporate a little quirkiness into your everyday life.
So how to wear prints? If you're wearing tribal prints, make sure everything else is toned down and neutral to avoid giving other people a headache just from looking at you. The printed item should be the start of the show and everything else should be secondary.
If your kameez sports a tribal print, keep your pants and jewellery in simple colours. If you are wearing a scarf with heavy prints, make sure your top and bottom are relatively simple.
In the case of home décor, you can choose to use these tribal prints on your cushion covers while your sofa remains a single colour. If you want to use these prints on your furniture, don't go all out on a sofa set; rather, you can use these fabrics to upholster two standalone simple chairs. You can also use tribal prints on your bed sheets, curtains or rugs, but make sure you do not use them on all three together! Also, in that case, make sure your door, floor or wall does not sport any prints, otherwise the entire room will look like quite a mess.
Most importantly, remember that tribal prints are to be used as a statement, not as a base. So if you plan on wearing it, or using it for decor, focus on one subject in order to catch someone's eyes for the right reasons. You can never go wrong with prints, but remember that like most decadent ingredients, prints should be used wisely and in small amounts in order to hit the mark.
Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed
Model: Karishma
Makeup: Farzana Shakil
Wardrobe: LS Desk
Clothes tailoured and designed by Chondon for Star Lifestyle
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