We’ve all been there. You hit the return button 5x in a row, trying to get the ball to stop spinning and all of the sudden the screen pixelates, then goes blank. Well, several fashion brands have found inspiration in this state of chaos and still frustration. Mr. Hare of the UK and McQ, the contemporary line by Alexander McQueen have both slashed and repeated several images, infusing a playful reminder that our reliance on digital technology can be as vibrant as it is paralyzing.

Relaying this concept through animated gifs, Mauro De Donatis’s Glitched Helvetica breathes life and motion into this concept.

A few years ago, I found the most amazing dress at a Theory sample sale. The palette was black, white and gray and the print simulated  a chunky 3D sweater. Fast forward and we’re seeing similar textures in McQueens Fall/Winter ’10 Mens line. The prints are busy, varied and tactile, reminding us that edge can have legs beyond hardware studding.

Back in October, lightscape patterns were popping up left and right. These unruly markings were appearing in everything from media and textiles to graffiti and print. Today, Alexander McQueen’s sample sale on Gilt Groupe features fashion photography with light, shadow, and graffitied negative space. Refreshingly the technique has been slightly adapted and is quite playful. Adding chaos to the horizontal layout forces the model and her leather bustier to pop and as a result, the viewer settles on the warm tones, pondering if they should click to see more. For an ecommerce site looking to lure consumers, we give this image a high score, as it’s got all the ingredients for the all important impulse click.

Designers and stylists can’t get enough of the safety pin this Fall/Winter season. Forever a signifier of punk culture, fashion houses alike are using this affordable accessory to translate their vision, be it tough, tribal or eclectic. Alexander McQueen‘s latest print campaign along with Dazed and Confused‘s styling techniques and Moschino‘s demurely edgy accents are giving the pin as much prominence as the model, inviting the viewer to draw inspiration and replicate at home. A box of safety pins paired with last year’s twinset can give your wardrobe the facelift it needs to stay current. Just remember, there’s a fine line between cheap and chic.

What’s a designer to do when told to pair down and get back to basics?  Do precisely that and wow their customers with innovative new staples. One route that appears to be gaining traction this upcoming season mimics the designs of the illusionary master, M.C Escher. This month’s cover of SOMA showcases a black and white checker print organza blouse by Alexander McQueen.  This sophisticated style transitions sharp geometrics into softer organic shapes.  We wonder if Ms. Winehouse has had an influence on this trend, as she’s sported this punk tank top for some time now.  Be it bird silhouettes or leopard print, we love it when math merges with nature for tactile wear.

A new story is like a growing crystal. It is comprised of shards representing various emotions, such as happiness, sadness, fear and love. With each crystal comes a chain of past experiences, and, because each occurrence is defined by a series of emotions, this chain is colored by a prism of external events and relationships.  If all instances are built upon one another, then everyone’s story is uniquely different- a new jumble of people, places, and things.  This concept is quite literally defined by Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 09 collection, as his kaleidoscopic patterns bring angular definition to the human body.  In the graphic world, Simon Page, an artist from the UK, has devised a series of stunning posters entitled, Cuben.  Each layout plays with hexagons, transparency and light to create space-like moods, the foundation for life’s [...]

On a November trip to Paris, Pattern Pulp noticed a wash of insect repeats on everything from silk pillows to woven monograms.  Fast forward five months and it appears that this trend has traveled west, as we’re seeing beetle influences everywhere.  Samantha Gregory, the VP of Communications at Tory Burch successfully represents her company in this bold monochromatic repeat for her April feature in California Magazine.  Back on the east coast, Christopher Marley creates luxurious insect mosaics, showcasing his bizarre connoisseurship in the installation entitled, Pheremone at Barneys Madison Avenue location.  As usual, Dazed and Confused stylizes seed concepts at their best with this Alexander McQueen and Swarovski Spring/Summer 09 collaboration.