Much of our Fall ‘18 collection was inspired by the small, family-owned shops that line the streets of our neighboring communities—whether it be Chinatown, Little Italy, or Koreatown. Walking around these places, it’s easy to miss the tiny furniture stores, flower shops, and minimarts that have been serving the same friends, family members, and neighbors for the past several decades. We wanted to pay homage to these enduring storefronts, so we created two new prints for Fall ‘18 to serve as small reminders: the Orchid Print and the Lacquer Butterfly Print.
The orchid, one of the world’s most diverse and abundant families of flowering plants, is ubiquitous in New York City. Their clusters of bright white, purple, or pink petals line the curbs outside local flower shops waiting to be picked up by passersby. We’ve recolored the orchid to a deep cobalt blue and added it to our Canty Shirt, Marco Long Sleeve Shirt, hoodies, tees and swim shorts.
The Lacquer Butterfly Print draws its inspiration from the delicate lacquerware found in Eastern Asia from as far back as 1600 BC. Typically built from wood, then inlaid with gold, silver, or mother-of-pearl decorations, and finally coated in a layer of lacquer, lacquerware was an art form enjoyed by only those who could afford it. Now, cheaper versions can be found in souvenir shops along Canal Street and sometimes even in flower shops on the same shelves as the orchids. We’ve translated it into a detailed allover print for our Crosby Shirt, Canty Shirt, and Timothy Swim Shorts.■
