Fashionable patterns: Burberry check, Gucci mesh, and other brands

Contents:

• Burberry
• Dior
• Gucci
• Versace
• Goyard

Patterns are a universal component in the world of graphic design. They look equally impressive on mugs and business cards. Some designers use patterns as a distinctive element of their brand identity, while others use them to fill empty spaces.

There is also a unique aspect to the use of patterns by fashion houses in their clothing and accessories. These brands don't just add patterns to their collections; they form a strong connection between the fabric design and the brand's philosophy, including its history, traditions, and core values.

This fall, the Italian brand Valentino showed its Spring/Summer 2023 clothing and accessories collection, which was entirely dedicated to its logo. The runway featured models whose outfits, as well as their faces and underwear, were adorned with the distinctive pattern with a repeating V sign, designed by Valentino Garavati back in 1968.

We are sure that the Valentino Toile Iconographe pattern will appear on the catwalks more than once. Fashion history shows that such patterns, with their own backstory, become an integral part of a brand's style. This conclusion is confirmed by our material, which examines how fashion houses develop and maintain their unique patterns, despite the constant changes in the industry.

We talk about:

• Burberry: the noble Nova Check Scottish tartan.
• Dior: the timeless Oblique pattern.
• Gucci: GG Canvas is presented on both textile and leather materials.
• Versace: Greek labyrinths and baroque aesthetics.
• Goyard: optical illusions for iconic hip-hop representatives.

Read also:

In graphic design, a pattern is a repeating element or combination of elements that are used to create texture or background. These patterns can include various shapes, lines, colors, and images that, through their repetition, give the work a certain style and visual harmony. Patterns are often used in textiles, packaging, web design, and printed products, helping not only to diversify the visual range but also to convey a certain mood or atmosphere. Using patterns allows designers to create unique and memorable compositions, adding depth and interest to their projects.

Burberry

British fashion house Burberry, which was founded in In 1868, Burberry gained worldwide fame thanks to its unique fabric and distinctive Nova Check pattern.

The brand first gained fame thanks to gabardine, which was developed by Thomas Burberry in 1880. This woolen fabric was distinguished by its waterproofness but allowed some air circulation, making it a more comfortable option than the rubberized materials used to make mackintoshes at the time.

Burberry trench coats were initially worn by the British Army and naturalist explorers. However, after the end of World War II, they gradually became part of the everyday wardrobe. Burberry clothing also began appearing in films: Audrey Hepburn's raincoat in Breakfast at Tiffany's and Humphrey Bogart's trench coat in Casablanca helped popularize the brand and bring it to a new level of fame.

The famous Nova Check tartan pattern, which later became the hallmark of the Burberry brand, was registered as a trademark in the 1920s, but it was used only for the lining of trench coats and coats. The situation changed in 1967, when an employee of the Burberry Paris store, while decorating a window display, turned the collar of a coat on a mannequin inside out, adding bright accents to the composition. This tartan material attracted customers so much that they wanted to see this pattern not only on the inside of clothes. As a result, the first Burberry cashmere scarves in the Nova Check colorway were born.

In the 1970s, the style known as the "Sloane Ranger" gained popularity among the London aristocracy. This style was favored by young men from affluent, highly educated families, who favored classic silhouettes that emphasized their social status and background. In 1982, a book entitled The Official Sloane Range Handbook was published, becoming a manifesto of sorts for this trend. It listed luxury brands, including Burberry. It was then that the Nova Check became a symbol of aristocratic style in England.

In the last years of the 1990s, the brand began to actively sell its signature checked clothing in large quantities at reasonable prices. Caps with the recognizable pattern could be purchased for as little as £50, making them affordable even for those with modest incomes and outside the upper crust of British society. At the same time, counterfeit Burberry clothing was on the rise.

Burberry appealed to Britons seeking to emphasize their status and class. For them, wearing beige checks alongside members of the lower classes, whom they called "chavs," was unacceptable. As a result, the interest of the aristocracy in this fashion house gradually began to fade.

In the early 2000s, Burberry's creative director, Christopher Bailey, significantly reduced the production of clothing and accessories with the distinctive Nova Check print, cutting it by almost twenty times. Unsold caps with a plaid pattern from previous collections were even destroyed. This famous "Scottish" pattern began to be used primarily in fashion shows and exported to international markets.

It wasn't until the late 2010s that the number of Nova Check garments in Burberry collections began to increase significantly, when Christopher Bailey officially reinstated this iconic tartan pattern. The appearance of Nova Check models on the catwalk became a major event in the fashion world.

In March 2018, Bailey left his position as senior creative director of the Burberry brand. He was replaced by Riccardo Tisci, who previously held a similar position at Givenchy. He initiated the brand's image refresh, which included a revamp of the iconic pattern. The new design was developed by graphic designer Peter Saville.

The traditional Nova Check pattern gave way to a simple monogram designed by the brand's founder, Thomas Burberry, which was combined into a vibrant and memorable pattern. Critics' reactions to the changes were mixed: some praised the rebranding as a bold and contemporary move, while others criticized the brand for being too radical.

While Burberry has introduced a new pattern, the classic Nova Check continues to play an important role in the brand's identity. For example, in the fall of 2022, the brand announced a collaboration with one of the most famous video games, Minecraft. The Burberry x Minecraft collection features plaid scarves with pixelated motifs that can be worn in real life or used for your character in the game world.

Dior

The French brand Dior, which introduced the world to the elegant style known as the New Look, was founded in 1946. Just a year later, thanks to the support of Marcel Boussac, considered the wealthiest man in France at the time, Christian Dior presented his first collection in Paris and instantly gained popularity among the social elite. During the first seven years of its existence, the brand opened stores in countries such as the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Mexico, and even Cuba.

After the death of Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent took over as the company's chief designer. However, he soon had to leave for military service, and Marc Bohan took his place. He remained with the company for almost three decades. It was Marc Bohan who created the famous Dior Oblique Pattern, which was introduced in 1967. This design, in which the brand's letters are intertwined in diagonal lines, became a reflection of the company's logo.

The Dior Oblique Pattern design first appeared in the spring-summer 1969 collection. Since then, this pattern has been actively used to decorate bags and suitcases, and was also used to decorate the stairs in the Dior Monsieur boutique.

For fifty years, the Dior Oblique pattern was An integral part of the refined style of the "Dior girl," its use was largely limited to accessories, particularly handbags. This changed in 1996, when the fashion house was led by a new creative director, John Galliano. In 2001, he included this pattern in his ready-to-wear collection, decorating it with practically transparent dresses and light blouses, and also introduced it into street fashion lines.

In 2004, the Rasta Boston bag, adorned with a light pattern and vibrant stripes, appeared in advertising materials, carried by one of the most famous models of the time, Gisele Bündchen. The pattern wasn't limited to the bag; it also appeared on a down jacket, underwear, and even a snowboard. Additional photos from the photo shoot show that the model's knee-high socks and shoes are also decorated with the same print.

Designer Raif Simons, who replaced Galliano in In 2012, he embraced minimalism, eschewing excessive logos. His collections, reminiscent of classic Dior designs, featured elegant cuts and subdued colors, avoiding bright and vibrant patterns. However, this sense of calm proved short-lived. Just four years later, Oblique Pattern would return to the catwalks thanks to the brand's new creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. Rihanna's full logo look, vibrant saddle bags, and collaboration with Nike have helped rekindle interest in the pattern in both high fashion and everyday life.

Gucci

The history of the Gucci fashion house began in 1921, when Guccio Gucci opened a leather goods and luggage store in Florence. Among the first clients of this establishment were local aristocrats who were passionate about horse riding. That is why Gucci began to use inspiration from the world of equestrian sports in his collections.

The global fame of the Gucci brand began to take shape when Aldo Gucci, the eldest son of the founder of this fashion house, took over its management. After the death of his father, he went to the United States, where he opened a number of boutiques in various countries. It was Aldo who created the famous brand monogram, consisting of two intertwined letters G, which over time turned into the emblematic symbol of Gucci.

The first recognizable pattern of the fashion brand was the diamond-shaped Gucci Diamante, which means "Gucci diamond" in Italian. This pattern appeared in the mid-30s of the 20th century and was initially used exclusively for the manufacture of bags. For almost a hundred years, it has retained its original function: bags designed in the Gucci Diamante style evoke associations with retro and classic aesthetics.

However, the most famous pattern was the GG Canvas, which appeared during World War II. Due to a shortage of leather needed to produce military boots, Gucci had to use canvas to create women's bags, on which the characteristic pattern was applied. Originally, the GG Canvas featured a combination of dark brown diamonds reminiscent of the Diamant pattern, but with the GG logo embedded in the center of the intersection.

For a long time, GG Canvas remained in its original form, but in 2006, Frida Giannini took over as the fashion house's creative director. She introduced a twist on the traditional pattern, introducing a new interpretation called Guccissima, which translates as "Ultra Gucci." A smaller version, known as Micro Guccissima, was later developed. Guccissima patterns are more densely located than GG Canvas and are created by embossing on leather goods.

In the modern world, the signature pattern and its various variations are used not only on bags, but also on clothing, shoes and various accessories. Even the brand's most luxurious product, a leather belt adorned with a platinum buckle and diamonds, worth $250,000, is undoubtedly decorated with the distinctive GG Canvas pattern.

This year, the brand launched an advertising campaign called "A World in Blue GG Monogram," dedicated entirely to GG Canvas. In this campaign, all objects surrounding the models—from cars and phones to walls—are decorated in a single shade of blue with Gucci's signature pattern. The visual clip references the 1970s, when the fashion house presented a number of garments from the Ophidia collection in a similar blue palette.

Read also:

Add variety to your palette! How do patterns work?

Versace

The Versace brand was founded in 1978 in Italy and quickly gained popularity thanks to its bold and Extravagant outfits featuring high slits, deep necklines, and short skirts. Gianni Versace, a young designer, was born and raised in southern Italy, in Calabria, a region once inhabited by the ancient Greeks. Inspiration from the history of this region and a fascination with ancient Greek culture in his youth formed the basis for his logo depicting the Gorgon Medusa and became key elements of his collections, imbued with antique motifs. By the mid-nineties, Gianni Versace was no longer just a household name, but had already designed looks for stars such as Michael Jackson, Elton John, Madonna, and Cher. He also collaborated with Diana, Princess of Wales, and the Princess Royal of Monaco. Versace has always stood out not only for its distinctive cuts, but also for its bright, memorable prints. Baroque patterns and Greek meanders could be found in virtually every Gianni Versace collection, often coexisting within the same design. This combination created an eclectic style that became the fashion house's signature. Versace offered the world his vision of the Italian artistic heritage, where traditional images of angels and cherubs in gold frames gave way to luxurious massive necklaces that were harmoniously combined with leopard skins and bright tropical patterns, all always framed with exquisite gold volutes and borders.

On July 15, 1997, Gianni Versace was tragically assassinated at the entrance to his home, after which the leadership of the fashion house passed to his sister Donatella. As creative director, she took on the responsibility of continuing her brother's legacy, while preserving the characteristics of the stylish collections and simultaneously expanding the brand's horizons.

Initially, the classic Greek key was used exclusively in the logo of the famous fashion brand, where the pattern framed the head of Medusa Rondanini. Later, various variations of the meander began to be used on silk scarves, where they served as an edging and were combined with exquisite baroque gold scrolls. However, over time, this pattern, enclosed in a strict framework, did not have enough space.

In the early nineties, Gianni Versace himself began experimenting with expanding patterns when model Helena Christensen presented a jacket decorated with geometric spirals on the sleeves and cuffs. This approach was also used by Donatella Versace, who in 2015 released a ready-to-wear collection in which patterns filled the entire space of dresses, trousers, and jackets.

Last year, a new pattern called La Greca was introduced in the winter collection. It is a three-dimensional optical illusion reminiscent of an intricate labyrinth. This pattern was a reference to Gianni Versace's original visual style, where the meander was the central element. Inspired by the classic Versace fashion house, the new geometric pattern has a three-dimensional structure and a slanted layout. This approach contains the main message: the brand is evolving and moving forward, remaining true to its roots and the aesthetic established by the founder.

Goyard

The French brand Goyard was founded in 1792. From its inception, it specialized in the production of trunks and suitcases, and by the end of the 19th century, it had established itself as a reliable manufacturer of high-quality products. Edmond Goyard, who headed the company until 1879, made significant efforts to promote the business beyond France: he launched the brand's first advertising campaign, participated in international exhibitions, and opened new stores in the UK and the USA.

One of the key characteristics of the Goyard brand is its commitment to tradition. For nearly 150 years, the company remained in the hands of the Goyard family and remains privately held to this day. Goyard also actively eschews modern marketing techniques: the brand's image has been built on a solid reputation, understated style, and significant clientele. The company believes, "While whispering in someone's ear may seem unsubtle, it is certainly more effective than making a loud statement." Goyard maintains records of its customers, but not all names are disclosed—many prefer to place orders anonymously. Famous personalities who have chosen Goyard products include Arthur Conan Doyle, Pablo Picasso, and Coco Chanel. The brand also produced suitcases and chests for royalty, including the Romanov family and the Dukes of Windsor.

In 1892, the appearance of Goyardine canvas fabric The Goyard Chevron fabric, with its signature pattern, had a significant impact on the brand's popularity. It was known for its softness, lightness, and water-repellent properties, and was superior in strength to linen, which was used for luggage upholstery at the time.

The fabric was decorated with a unique pattern designed by Edmond Goyard himself. This pattern, a repeating monogram, consists of numerous dots that form the letter Y, which is the central letter in the Goyard family name. The dotted element of the design refers to wooden logs, a tribute to the Goyard family's history of carpentry. The use of three different shades in the Goyard Chevron pattern gives the pattern a three-dimensional and multi-layered appearance; In a modern context, it evokes associations with the optical illusions created by M.C. Escher.

It is remarkable that the Goyard logo and its characteristic pattern, although they appeared at about the same time, do not intersect at all in their aesthetics. While the logo immediately shows its age, the geometrically minimalist pattern remains popular today. As the company itself states, "Goyard is not inclined to adapt to temporary trends." On the contrary, it aims to create a timeless style."

For a long time, Goyard used the pattern exclusively in black, combining it with leather in black or brown shades. However, after the Goyard family sold the company to its new owner, Jean-Michel Signolle, in 1998, the brand began experimenting with a variety of color schemes.

Despite its obvious commitment to In keeping with tradition, the Goyard brand often finds itself in the spotlight among those at the forefront of cultural trends. Rappers, in particular, actively choose both classic styles and bold, vibrant colors. Journalists note that Goyard's popularity among hip-hop artists increased significantly after Kanye West's appearance at the Comme des Garçons show in 2009, when he accessorized with a classic black Goyard suitcase. The company subsequently began producing custom orders for artists such as A$AP Rocky and Travis Scott, who often favor bright and modern patterns.

In 2016, on MTV Video Music Awards, rapper and DJ Khaled was spotted wearing a dark blue bomber jacket entirely covered in a Goyard pattern. Company representatives noted that such a piece had never been produced and expressed hope that it was at least made from their signature scarves. To this, Khaled replied that his soul is permeated with the spirit of Goyard, so he plans to create pants and T-shirts with a similar design for himself.

Helpful instruction:

Creating patterns in programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma can be a fun process. Let's look at how to do it in each of these platforms.

In Photoshop, first open a new canvas. Then use the Rectangle tool or the Brush tool to draw the elements of your pattern. Then, select the created elements, go to the Edit menu and choose Define Pattern. Now you can apply this pattern to any shapes or layers.

In Illustrator, the process is similar, but with some differences. Create a new document and use the drawing tools to create your pattern. Then, select all the elements and choose Object from the top menu. Next, go to the Pattern Template section and click New. This will allow you to save the pattern for later use.

As for Figma, it also has its own peculiarities. Start by creating a new frame and adding the necessary elements. Once you are done drawing, select all the parts of the pattern and right-click. From the drop-down menu, choose Make Component. You can then use this component as a pattern in your projects.

Thus, each of these programs offers its own tools and methods for creating unique patterns, allowing the designer to choose the most convenient method depending on the project.

Read also:

• From Adinkra to Shweshwe: A Complete Guide to African Patterns.
• Escape the Crowd: 6 Original Russian Fashion Brands
• "Are These Jeans Really Gold?" How do sustainable fashion brands function in Russia?