The fashion industry moves at two very different speeds. On one side, fast fashion brands need prints that keep up with ever-changing trends, requiring rapid turnaround and high-impact designs. On the other, slow fashion brands focus on timeless appeal, prioritising quality, sustainability, and long-term wearability.

Print designers play a crucial role in both, adapting their work to meet each business model’s unique needs. Here’s how print design functions across these two approaches:

Colour is more than just aesthetics—it’s emotion, identity, and storytelling wrapped into one. In fashion, the right print and colour palette can make the difference between a collection that fades into the background and one that captivates its audience.

For fashion brands, understanding the impact of colour in print design is essential. It’s not just about following seasonal trends; it’s about using colour strategically to shape perception, evoke emotion, and strengthen brand identity.

If you’re a fashion brand looking for a print designer, you might come across the term surface pattern designer and wonder if they’re the same thing. While there’s overlap in skills, these roles serve different industries—and understanding the distinction is key to finding the right designer for your needs.

Surface Pattern Designers: Creating Cohesive, Licensed Collections

Surface pattern designers typically focus on collections of prints designed to work together—perfect for homewares, stationery, and wallpaper. Their work is often licensed, meaning brands pay for the rights to use a design based on terms like time, region, or product type.

When you think of your favourite song, the connection you feel is deeply tied to the artist who performs it. But behind every great song is often a talented songwriter, whose creativity makes that magic possible.

For fashion brands, a print designer is like the songwriter of your collection. They craft the unique patterns that set your pieces apart and create emotional connections with your customers. But imagine if two artists released the same hit song—your connection to the music would falter. The same goes for prints: if another brand uses the same design, it diminishes its value to your collection and your customers.

I once attended a workshop with a designer who was teaching other designers about how to create on-trend designs. She came from a culture of people who often dismissed trends as shallow, and it was clear she felt a bit conflicted talking about them. While it’s important to approach things critically, there are things worth considering when it comes to understanding trends.

For fashion brands working with or considering a print designer, it’s crucial to understand exclusivity. In the competitive world of fashion, originality is key to standing out. Many brands worry about ensuring the prints they select remain unique and unseen by others.

Here’s the truth: the prints showcased on a designer’s social media or website aren’t the ones available for purchase.

Recently, I had an insightful conversation with the head of a large London print studio. She shared a sentiment that resonated: “I get so tired of every job application starting with, ‘recently graduated from [X University] with a degree in [Textile Design/Surface Pattern Design].’” This wasn’t a dismissal of degrees but a reflection on how the industry is saturated with similar qualifications and narratives.

In the world of fashion design and choosing the right print for your brand, the question of choosing a designer with a breadth of skill or a specialisation can be a difficult one. While print designers with broad skill sets are often versatile, there’s something uniquely powerful about working with a specialist—especially one who is deeply attuned to industry trends.

When it comes to sourcing print designs for your fashion collection, choosing the right design studio is helpful. Whether you’re considering a large print design studio or a small, independent studio, each has its own benefits. Let’s explore some key differences to help you decide which is the best fit for your brand.

When sourcing prints for your fashion brand, there are two routes you may be wondering about: working with a freelance print designer or choosing from a curated print shop. While both options have their merits, let’s break down the key differences to help you decide which is right for you.