Last season’s Botanical Gardens print holds special meaning to Karen, as it was the print she wore to her wedding and its unique colour pallet. For SS22, she wanted to evolve the design into something more tropical and exotic to match the feeling of moving from winter to spring. While doing so, Karen was inspired by the flamingo—finding them to be such a beautiful subject matter, but also a challenge to bring into textiles in a luxurious way. Having become a bit of a cliché and overexposed in art, she wanted to create a print that celebrated the bird’s beauty while making it elevated and sophisticated.
When illustrating and bringing this idea to life, Karen layered up many different colours and shades of blue to bring the flamingo's natural habitat to life. The effect was a success, with the textile giving the appearance of rippling water whenever the silk hits a breeze. As well as blues built on blues, greens and pinks contrast each other to create this vibrant and fun colour combination. Completed with shiny koi fish and delicate water lilies, this print embodies serenity and beauty in nature.